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Who's heard of Clougha Pike?. A regular haunt for Lancastrians but not on any tick list, ignored by Wainwright and almost unknown to the outside world, Clougha is a rocky scarp at the north western edge of the vast expanse of the Bowland Fells. It has a fantastic view of Morecambe Bay and the Lakeland Fells and the view also takes in the Yorkshire Three Peaks, Lancaster's Ashton Memorial, the River Lune snaking up from its estuary at Heysham, all the way up to the Howgills and (if you must!) the Blackpool Tower. It is a great place to be at sunset when the Bay turns red and the power stations at Heysham turn into eerie black monoliths.
It's also the end of the great east west traverse of the Bowland Fells from Settle. If, like us, you did this by taking the train to Giggleswick, it also makes it abundantly clear that it's still three hilly miles to Lancaster. People often also take it in when ascending the Ward Stone (Bowland's uncharismatic highest point which is so flat topped the OS had to put a trig point at either end).
A less ambitious afternoon stroll for us today though. We parked up at the little car park on Rigg Lane, followed a little boardwalk around a swamp and up through the bare woods, muddy this time of year but a delight in summer, particularly at bilberry time of year. At the top of the wood we climbed over a fine pair of stepstiles.
Once on the open fell, the view started to emerge, gritty wind scoured rocks contrasting with the (unfortunately rather washed out) views to the Lancashire Plain and the Irish Sea.
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We hit the rocky escarpment at the edge of the plateau and the January wind hit us in the face sweeping down from still snow covered Ward Stone. The sun came out though and gave us some nice light contrasts from the summit which compensated for a hazy disappointing no show by the distant views.
An easy stroll off the summit and a slightly enervating bog trot trying to follow the right of way (there is a much better path on the south side of the beck and we arrived back in farming country and A fine stone barn.
. The low sun highlighted a few shortcuts in a nearby stone wall.
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Then down along the lanes, past the pretty village of Quernmore (which ought to have a tea shop and doesn't) and through rolling green fields back to the car.