In Memory of a Great Fellwalker Print
Written by Peter Burgess   
Wednesday, 11 March 2009

OFC at the summit
OFC Group
A long drawn out description could tell the story of an ascent up Pendle Hill in lancashire back in 2007, but a 10 minute presentation in photographs, video and music can do it better.  With some of the OFC's finest gathered near Clitheroe the stage was set for an ascent of East Lancashire's most famous upland, celebrating the centenary of AlfredWainwright's birth.  Why Pendle Hill you might add?  Well, AW grew up in Blackburn and in his earlier years ventured from the smokey industrial town onto the summit plateau of this whaleback monolith.  Pendle was in AW's mind quite a lot in his earlier years and he even formed 'The Pendle Club' whereby he ventured onto the hills with his office buddies from work.  This outing with some of the OFC's finest was a re-enactment of one of these Pendle ascents - the Pendle Club walks again!

Relive the walk of 2007:

 

The Pendle Club 1941

AW
The Pendle Club
During the Second World War, AW formed the Pendle Club.  I emphasise that although surrounded by certain levels of bravado this association, complete with its own headed notepaper, seemed to be a recruiting ground for individuals of the opposite gender.  Whatever its rôle, the club did ascend Pendle at least once (see  photograph) and much opportunity was taken to borrow the back rows at the local Civic Hall (cinema) in York Street, Clitheroe—in this instance not for fellwalking!  In modern days the Pendle Club still exists, as readers of the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times will profess, but nowadays this local club plays bridge!
 

Alfred Wainwright Centenary Dinner and Talk at The Post House, Clitheroe
with outdoor writer Mark Richards

AW Centenary Meal at the Post House, Clitheroe
In Clitheroe
Mark Richard’s transition from full-time farmer to full-time outdoor writer has been a gradual one.  In 1973, with the direct encouragement of Alfred Wainwright, he wrote his first walking guide to the Cotswold Way.  Since then he has indulged his pleasure in exploring rural Britain by creating a range of walking guides.
In 1980 he began his three-part guide to the Peak District for Cicerone Press, and in 1987, with Chris Wright, wrote a guide to walking around the former county of Westmorland.  This book sowed the seeds of a dream, to be fulfilled some 14 years later, when he and his wife moved to Cumbria.  Here he developed a passion for the finest of all walking landscapes, helf within and around this marvellous county.
Meal memento
Memento
  Now, living in what was once the Barony of Gilsland, Mark is close to Hadrian’s Wall, enabling him to renew a fascination first kindled when he prepared a guide to walking the wall in 1993.
Mark kindly offered to give a talk for the OFC—I hope everyone enjoyed the informative talk with its own Wainwright memorabilia on show.

 

            To find out more about Pendle:
(Bibliography)

Maps:

Paths Around Pendle available from Clitheroe Tourist Information Centre (see below)
O.S. Landranger 103 Blackburn, Burnley and surrounding area
O.S. Outdoor Leisure Map 41 (Forest Of Bowland and Ribblesdale). 1:25,000

Clitheroe Tourist Information Centre:

12-14 Market Place, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 2DA - England, UK

Phone: +44 (0)1200 425566  -  Fax: +44 (0)1200 414488   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Books and other information:

Bowland and Pendle Hill—A tourist’s guide,  W. R. Mitchell, 1973, Dalesman Books
Bowland & The South Pennines—A Hillwalker’s Companion, J. Gillham, 1990, Grey Stone Books

Exploring Pendle with Ron Freethy, R. Freethy, 1984, A Countryside Publication

Mist Over Pendle, R. Neill, 1992, AG Northern Ltd.
Pendleside and Brontë Country Walks for Motorists, G.Banks, 1974, Gerrard Publications.
Walking in Lancashire, M. Welsh, 1996, A Cicerone Guide
Walking in Bowland and Pendle,  C. Spiby, 1984, Dalesman Books

Alfred Wainwright:

A Ribble Sketch Book, A.Wainwright, 1980, Westmorland Gazette Ltd.
Ex-Fellwanderer, A.Wainwright, 1987, Westmorland Gazette Ltd.
Fellwanderer, A.Wainwright, 1966, Westmorland Gazette Ltd.
Wainwright, The Biography, Hunter Davies, 1995, Michael Joseph


Old Pendle
A song by Milton / Allen and sung by school children

 

The Pendle snow witch - spooky!
Snow Witch!
 

 

 




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