Ogden Reservoirs from Barley

The route

From the car park at Barley (BB12 9LB), pick up the Pendle Way and head up the valley past Lower Ogden and Upper Ogden reservoirs, the two Victorian waters that sit in the deep fold of Ogden Clough below Pendle Hill. Above the top reservoir the clough narrows and steepens, and the path climbs onto the western moor beneath Pendle Hill's Big End, reaching around 446m without taking in the summit itself. The loop swings back across the moor and drops to the reservoirs and Barley, 13.2km with 409m of climbing.

Pendle and the reservoirs

This is the quiet side of a famous hill. Pendle Hill draws crowds to its trig point, but the Ogden Clough approach stays peaceful, a steep-sided valley of dark water and rough grazing under the whaleback of the fell. The reservoirs were built to supply Nelson and Colne in the mill years, and the Pendle Way threads the whole valley. Pendle carries a heavy history too, the 1612 witch trials playing out in the villages below, which gives the moor an atmosphere all of its own in cloud.

Why it works

It is a proper hill loop that most runners overlook in favour of the direct Pendle push from Barley. You get the reservoirs, the clough and open moor, and a real sense of height, without the summit crowds. Save it for a clear day - Ogden Clough is enclosed and the moor above is exposed and boggy - and it is one of the best short moorland loops in Lancashire.

Good to know

Park at the Barley village car park (BB12 9LB), which has toilets and the Cabin cafe alongside for afterwards. The clough path is rough and wet in places and the moor above holds water year-round, so expect muddy feet. Pendle catches weather off the Irish Sea and the top of the clough is exposed, so carry a windproof whatever the forecast. Grouse shooting affects the moor between August and December.