Be prepared for a steep climb from the off up Parlick Fell, over towards Paddy’s Pole, rewarded throughout with stunning views on a clear day.
Parlick Fell
Location; Chipping, Lancashire
Distance; 5+ Miles
Difficulty; Medium
Parlick fell is a cracking HILLY fell walk! Not sure what to expect?
Watch our short walk film below.
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Parlick Fell 5 Mile Walk
If you’re into fell walks with big climbs at the start, then this one might not be for you! Don’t be fooled by this only being a 5 miler either, it will test you at times, right from the roadside. Once the first incline is complete, it does tail off nicely from there, with some boggy sections towards the end of the loop.
Ready to give this one a go? Ok, let’s dive right in!
We start our walk just off Startifants Lane (yes that is a lane name haha). This road can get busy during the summer but you should find a spot along this stretch.
See below where to park, with the start of our public footpath off to the top left, heading straight up Parlick Fell.
Follow the lane towards a dead end with just a farmhouse to the right, derelict barn to the left and a gate inbetween, heading into the field at the foot of Parlick Fell.
You will see the path straight ahead… let the climb begin!
Take your time, we will be on this ascent for just under half a mile (0.4 miles approx). On a foggy day, you won’t see much up here. Keep fairly straight now until the top.
Don’t take the path off to the left at the start of the climb, nor the paths to the left or right half way up.
Expect to see a small yet beautiful valley carved into the hillside on your right, no doubt teeming with water if you’re walking after heavy rainfall.
When you finally make it to the top… it kind of feels like a false summit, with a path going off slightly left through the swing gate, heading up towards our next stop, Paddy’s Pole, Fairsnape Fell.
You may wish to take a breather here first, with beautiful views looking out towards Longridge Fell, the Ribble Valley towards Pendle Hill and beyond.
If you’re here on a foggy day, you may wish to simply shelter from heavy winds by the remains of the Parlick Fell Summit cairn.
Pass through the swing gate into the next field (on your left), keeping to the path down the fence side to the right. We will continue on this path for the next 1.3 miles, all the way to Paddy’s Pole.
On a clear day, this is a simply stunning walk, but even on the windy, foggy days, the scenes up here are sublime. If you watch our short fell movie for this walk, you will see what we mean!
Look out for the paragliders on calm, not so windy days too!
You may stumble across these rocks too. We think they look a lot like the Old Man of Stor, Isle of Skye!
Again, don’t be tempted to head off through any styles of take any others paths going off to the left or right… You should see Paddy’s Pole off in the distance on a clear day. Otherwise, just keep the faith and follow the main path bending around the edge of the hillside.
Welcome, you made it to Paddy’s Pole!
Apologies for the not so clear view… we really need to get back up here more often on clear days and update the photography for you 🙂
Here you’ll experience similar views to that of before, only this time you get the pleasure of looking back at Parlick Fell too, and what a stunner it is!
There’s a small wind sheltered area up here for those braving the elements on this walk. After patting the trig point and soaking in the views (or taking shelter from the winds), it’s time to head slightly back the way we came…
After just 0.1 miles, you should then see a path tailing off down the hillside to the right, with cracking views looking back at Parlick.
Keep to this path, slowly weaving it’s way down Fairsnape Fell into a farmer’s field. You should see the path here throughout, with one style to hop over before entering the field. Expect sheep in these parts, so pop your dog back on a lead for this bit.
The public footpath takes you through several fields through gates / styles, approx 0.8 miles before reaching a farm yard. Proceed down the lane for 30-40 yards, before turning left into the field, following a farmer’s track (see below).
Ok we’re on the home straight now. There’s around 1.8 miles to go from here, but be warned, it can get a little boggy in spots! We will be passing through several fields with stiles, gates and even a lovely little bridge over the river Brock (with a rather dodgy crossing) to look forward to. The adventure certainly isn’t over…
Eventually the path will lead back around the other side of Parlick Fell and you may catch a glimpse of the road we started on. This brings us to the end of our 5 mile walk!
We hope you enjoyed the hike as much as we did. Again, it’s not for the novice ramblers out there, but it sure is good fun… even the boggy fields throw in a challenge or two on that final < 2 mile walk back to the start 🙂
That concludes this Lancashire walk brought to you by LancashireLads.life
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Next Lancashire Walk;
Hodder Bank Fell (5 Miles)
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