Bowland Dozen
The Bowland Dozen visits twelve summits in the Forest of Bowland AONB — a 60 km challenge across the remote moorland plateau of Lancashire, covering Pendle Hill, Fair Snape Fell and the Bowland Fells in a circuit of England's most underappreciated upland.
This route has no official waymarking. Serious navigation experience is required — do not rely on GPS alone. Carry OS 1:25,000 maps and study the line before you go.
About Bowland Dozen
The Forest of Bowland (a "forest" in the medieval hunting sense, not a woodland) is a wild and little-visited moorland plateau in Lancashire — separated from the Yorkshire Dales by the Ribble valley and from the Lake District by Morecambe Bay. It is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a character all its own: vast, heathery moorland, deep cloughs, and an atmosphere of genuine remoteness within an hour of the M6.
The Bowland Dozen visits twelve summits across the AONB in a 60 km circuit. Navigation skills are essential — much of the Bowland plateau is pathless and the ground is complex. The challenge is run by dedicated Bowland fell runners but has no fixed or waymarked route.
The route
The twelve summits include Fair Snape Fell (521 m), Parlick, Totridge, Ward's Stone (561 m, the highest point in Bowland), Wolfhole Crag, White Hill and Pendle Hill (557 m) — the distinctive whale-back hill at the southern end of the AONB famous for its witch trials associations.
The exact route order varies by approach but most circuits start from Dunsop Bridge, Chipping or Slaidburn.
Getting there & logistics
Base: Dunsop Bridge, Chipping or Slaidburn — all small Bowland villages accessible by road from Clitheroe (bus from Burnley and Preston).
Best time: May to September. The Bowland plateau is very boggy in winter.
Safety
The Bowland Fells are remote and navigationally demanding — the pathless moorland and complex cloughs are disorienting in mist. Mobile signal is limited on the plateau. In an emergency: call 999 or 112, ask for Police then Mountain Rescue. Bowland Pennine MRT covers the area. Pre-register SMS 999.
Have you completed Bowland Dozen?
Log your round — time, date, attempt type, photos. Connect Strava to pull in your activity automatically.
Completions
No completions logged yet — be the first.