Join in the 7th Annual Pendle Walking Festival

The festival, which is packed with over 80 free guided walks, gives walkers of all abilities a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Pendle's beautiful countryside.

Mike Williams, Pendle Council's Tourism Officer, said:

"We're very proud of the Pendle Walking Festival, which is now in its seventh year.

"The festival has gone from strength to strength, last year being named as the runner up in the Best Tourism Event category in the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourism Awards.

"The Walking Festival is always extremely popular, and I am sure that this year will be no different.

"It offers a great choice of guided walks of varying lengths in Pendle's excellent walking country. And don't forget - all the walks are free!"

This year's festival will run from Saturday 4th to Sunday 12th September.

From easy walks of two miles to more challenging ones of 14 miles, there really is something for everyone. 

New for 2010 is an 11 mile walk along the southern half of the Pennine Bridleway which runs through Pendle.

Also we're relaunching our ever popular circular walks package with the addition of two new walks. Why not join us on the first to take a tour up to the ancient iron age fort of Castercliff?

Returning to the festival programme is Pendle's version of the Three Peaks Challenge - that's Pendle, Boulsworth and Weets. Complete the challenge, and we'll give you a certificate to prove it!

There's also a wide choice of pub walks on midweek evenings, which take walkers between pubs to sample the beers, most of which are CAMRA approved.

Colne resident and keen walker John Belbin is one of the festival's main organisers. He said:

"We think the Pendle Walking Festival is the largest free walking festival in the UK! It attracts people from all over the country. 

"We're looking forward to welcoming back some walkers who come to Pendle for the festival every year, as well as saying hello to some new ones.

"Last year we had walkers coming from Prestwick in Scotland, Colwyn Bay in Wales, all over England and even the Isle of Wight and Isle of Man.

"And we even had some visitors from Spain joining us on the walks.

"I wonder where our furthest visitors will travel from this year!"

This year's Walking Festival is being promoted on social networking site Facebook.

Search for the Pendle Walking Festival Facebook page to network with other walkers before and after the festival, and to share your photographs.

The 2010 Walking Festival will be officially launched by the Mayor of Pendle, Councillor Tony Beckett, on Saturday 4th September at 10am at the Pendle Heritage Centre, Barrowford.

Following this launch, 10 walks of varying length and difficulty rating will begin.

Councillor Beckett said:

"I'll be waving off plenty of walkers from the Heritage Centre at the launch of the festival.

"Then I'll be getting out my own walking gear the following Monday to join in the Nelson town centre history walk.

"It promises to be an interesting walk around the town that used by called Marsden, led by local librarian Fiona McIntryre."

Councillor Jonathan Eyre, who is responsible for tourism in Pendle, said:

"Pendle is so popular with walkers, with its fascinating landscape and stunning scenery.

"The Walking Festival is a great way of attracting more visitors to the area to show them all that we have to offer.

"And, of course, anyone making the trip to Pendle for the Walking Festival will find a good range of accommodation to make a longer break of their visit.

"We've got everything, from friendly B&Bs to a fine hotel with leisure facilities, from homely self-catering cottages to a pretty village Youth Hostel."

Free Pendle Walking Festival programmes, which contain information about all the walks, are available to download from http://www.visitpendle.com/.

Programmes are also available in hard copy by calling Pendle's Tourism Team on (01282) 661981.

You can also search for accommodation in the area online at http://www.visitpendle.com/ or download a copy of our Visitor Guide. 

For more information about the 7th Pendle Walking Festival, contact Mike Williams, Tourism Officer, on (01282) 661963 or mike.williams@pendle.gov.uk.