Many people who visit Rossendale for the first time are pleasantly surprised by the hills and varied walks the area has to offer.
This year the Rural Rossendale Walking Festival featured a host of aptly named 'foodie' walks taking in the best of Rossendale's local food producers. An annual event in its fourth year and held on the first weekend in October, saw close to 120 people enjoying a variety of walks of varying distances from 2 miles to 12 miles. Each walk was designed with a stop en route to sample local food delights, and had at least two walk leaders per walk.
With names like Fudge Trudge, Sausage Stomp, and Soup Loop, these leave nothing to the imagination - it's all about food, as well as seeing the delights that Rossendale has to offer. Whilst there were walks on both Friday 30th September and Monday 3rd October, it was the weekend walks that were inevitably better attended due to people's work schedules and, for the first time in a long while, the Rossendale weather was exceptionally kind. Recent years have seen very wet walks well attended but, with the abnormal weather at this time of the year, the weekend walk numbers exceeded expectations.
Friday 30th September saw the initial Fudge Trudge walk (10 miles) on a circular route around Whitworth departing from the Posh Pig, Market St. through Healey Dell, across Brown Wardle Hill and back around Cowm Reservoir with a short stop for some fudge sampling en route.
Saturday 1st October saw two walks scheduled - Sarsaparilla Stroll (4 miles), departing from the east Lancs Railway and ending at Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar, and the Sausage Stomp (7 miles), a circular walk from Rawtenstall Market and new for 2011). Although both were well attended, the new walk exceeded all expectations with 55 walkers on a very hot day, and they were rewarded by an exceptional sausage teacake at Riley's Butchers in Crawshawbooth.
Sunday 2nd October saw two walks - the Cheese Breeze (2 miles) at Cronkshaw Fold Farm, and the Soup Loop (12 mile circular walk from the Bacup Hub). Again both were well attended, although the infamous Rossendale weather let walkers down with a drizzly and cloudy day. For the Soup loop, though unintentional, walkers managed their quickest time yet - just over 4 hours walking time. The Cheese Breeze on the other hand is aimed at families and went at a far gentler pace, and included a tour of Cronkshaw Fold Farm too.
Monday 3rd October saw the final walk of the festival, the Black Pudding Plod (7 miles), departing from Waterside Industrial Estate. The home of the Real Lancashire Black Pudding Company, this circular route passes around Grane Valley with superb views of the reservoirs and woodlands. Free Black Pudding and Black pudding recipe leaflets were given to all participating walkers.
Official Website: http://www.ruralrossendale.co.uk/walking_festival.asp
See More: http://walkingfestivals.blogspot.com/2011/01/rural-rossendale-walking-festival.html
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