Burnley Way - Part 3: Hurstwood to Portsmouth

Walk Waypoints

1. 1 From the village square, take the footpath off Church St. across the fields to Hurstwood Lane. Head left up the lane to Hurstwood. Off Hurstwood lane, from Worsthorne, the old packhorse track is to your right, and heads off left after a short distance down to Foxstones Bridge across the infant River Brun below Rock Water. Climb the wet track up beside Rose Cottage, and turn left into Foxstones Lane, passing what was Rock Water Bird Conservation Centre. Continue for over 1km past Crow Holes and, 100m beyond Middle Pasture Farm, take the left fork of the old track leading to Shedden Clough.
2. 2 Cross Shedden Bridge and turn right to join the track, which now forms part of the Pennine Bridleway. Head up for about 1km past the small woodland and take the permissive apth left up to the United Utilities car park opposite the site of Maiden Cross.
3. 3 Go left onto the Long Causeway and carefully walk along the road verge with Coal Clough Wind Farm on your right. Carefully walk to where the road turns sharp left and cross to a stile near the gate to the Stiperden House Farm track - the original line of the Long Causeway.
4. 4 The path crosses the track to another stile and runs parallel with the track for about 800m, past a derelict barn, through rushy pasture to another stile by a farm. Turn right and head down the rushy field, keeping to the west/right side of the clough valley. You will descend a sharp dip before climbing to a stile with a Forest of Burnley sign behind it.
5. 5 Cross through this young plantation, and follow the two marker posts on the brow of the valley side, before descending over stiles through another Forest of Burnley plantation to a track, leading to a kissing gate opposite a cottage beside the stream and below a small waterfall (BEWARE: steep drop away from the path in this area).
6. 6 Turn right onto Coal Clough Road. Then, after 20m, fork left onto a track, go down the track and cross over another stream with a waterfall. Then climb up the steep lane through the wood and over a cattle grid to Brown Birks. Fork left between the buildings and, after 75m, left again over a stile.
7. 7 The path contours round the hillside with fine views of the Cliviger Gorge, before descending to a track leading to a level crossing. Cross with care, and take Station Parade to the main road (A646) at Portsmouth. A bus service is available here to take you back to Burnley.