Darwen Tower from Abbey Village

The walk starts on road side parking opposite the Hare and Hounds pub in Abbey Village, postcode PR6 8DP.

This walk is by no means the usual route to Darwen tower, but if you fancy a longer walk with plenty of options this is a lovely alternative with a bit of everything, hills, fells, forest and reservoir paths.

You will find the start of the walk through a gate at the side of the pub, take this and head on down to Rake brook reservoir, follow the track round and across the foot bridge over the over flow channel and onto Lower Roddlesworth reservoir, cross the dam and head into the woods. Eventually you will come to a fork in the path, take the left hand path and head gently upwards until you see a style heading over the wall. Cross here and take the feint track up the hill to the road at the top, turn right down the road and take the public footpath behind the 1st houses. eventually this path will take you down to Earnsdale reservoir, cross the reservoir head up the road on your left, at the bend you will see a slightly over grown path on you right, it is quite steep but short and will bring you out on a road at the top, turn right and after around 200 yards you can join the track on your left to Sunnyhurst Hey reservoir. Take the path keeping the reservoir on your left, after 100 yards you have some choices, both left and right paths will take you on a longer more gentle ascent to Darwen tower or you can simply cross over and climb the steep direct route straight to the tower, this is the option we chose, however it is quite strenuous so only attempt this if your fitness is adequate.

After a brew stop we headed back down the path away from the tower towards Dragon Hill in a south westerly direction toward the tree line in the distance of the Tockholes plantation. At the fork in the path take the right hand route and head down the hill and join the wide path on your right, after  500 yards or so cross the road at the bottom and head into the plantation. You are faced with another fork in the path here, the right hand path would have taken us on a scenic route back to Roddlesworth reservoir, however given this was an early spring walk and there wasn’t much light left in the day we took the more direct left path through the woods, after a short walk there is a junction with 3 paths, ignore the left and right paths and head up the road eventually passing 2 farm houses before joining the main Bolton road and heading to your right for a few hundred metres you will pass the back of Rake brook reservoir again and back to the Hare and Hounds pub.