I don’t need an excuse to go for a walk but I usually have an objective of interest in mind. Not today, we have had 24hours constant rainfall so everywhere is awash. The sensible thing is to keep to roads or forest tracks.

Once parked, it is still heaving with cars up here, I set off along the road stretch. Even this is flooded in parts. It is a challenge to take interesting photographs when plodding the road. The walls on my right are crenelated suggesting they are on the Stonyhurst Estate.

A  building is passed with some interesting architectural features and an attractive garden.

The next house is equally attractive and grade II listed.

I ignore a signed track off to the left as I know it is an ambush, but that is another story…… and I take the forest road which zigzags back up the hill. From this end of the fell Pendle Hill is always prominent. Once in the trees the views become limited for a while.

But further on where the trees have been felled there are sightings of the Ribble Valley.

I resist the temptation to break off and visit the trig point.  As I continue towards the popular end I start to meet people I know and stop to pass the time of day. Before long I’m heading down off the fell. There is water coming from everywhere but I arrive back at the car with clean and dry shoes. Mission accomplished. On my short drive home I stop to look into the flooded Chipping valley, I think I made the right choice today.

*****