Kidnapped by Lancashire from Yorkshire in the 1970s, the sleepy village of Sawley has a violent past. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the monks returned to Salley Abbey and took part in the Pilgrimage of Grace, calling for the restoration of the old religion. Henry VIII was furious and had the rebel Abbot tried and executed at Lancaster Assizes. But now things are a lot quieter and, as the main road bypasses the village, the only interlopers are walkers, tramping the Ribble Way.
LOCATION: Forest of Bowland
START: Three miles north of Clitheroe, off A59. Roadside parking near Spread Eagle
Grid ref: SD777466 Postcode: BB7 4LF
DISTANCE: 5 miles
GRADE: Easy
TIME: 2.5 hours
MAP: Explorer OL - Forest of Bowland Landranger 103
REFRESHMENTS: Pack a flask
EN ROUTE: Grindleton, River Ribble
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News