THE dense network of paths and tracks around Rivington Barns means that you can quickly leave the car park crowds behind and find yourself a quiet spot.

This walk doesn't head for the honey pots of the Pike, the Dove Tower and Liverpool Castle, but instead heads northwards from Rivington village along tracks and field paths past Yarrow and High Bullough Reservoirs before descending into Lead Mines Clough, a pretty wooded valley taking its name from the old lead mining workings to be found here. The walk is relatively flat as it wanders through the rolling pastures of reservoir country but there is one short steep climb from the shores of Anglezarke to the Moor Road.

DISTANCE: 6 miles (allow two to three hours)

START: Rivington Barns car parks. (OS Grid Ref. 628 138) There are two car parks at the lower and upper barns connected by the avenue, which can also be used for parking. There is ample parking but the area around the barns can be very busy at summer weekends.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Regular bus services to Horwich and Rivington from Bolton.

Use these route directions in conjunction with the relevant OS map sheet (Explorer 287 West Pennine Moors)

Start the walk from the Lower Barn car park (the one with the caf and gift shop). Walk to the rear of the car park past the picnic tables and you enter woodland on the shores of the Lower Rivington Reservoir.

Turn right along the main track which skirts the edge of the woodland and keeps the reservoir down to your left. The track leads to another parking area. Continue straight ahead here passing the village primary school on the right to reach a lane junction. Turn left along the lane and follow the pavement downhill for a short distance heading for the reservoir. You pass the social club on the far side of the road, then cross over to turn right along the walled access lane keeping the reservoir on your left. The lane leads ahead, then bears right before it reaches a junction where paths fork. Ignore the path forking right but keep to the bridleway track by going through the gateway.

Follow the track for the next half mile. It runs between woodland and the high bank of Yarrow Reservoir on your right. When the track forks again, ignore the track dropping downhill through woodland on the left but keep to the track running along the shore of Yarrow. The reservoir is revealed on your right with views of Winter Hill and Spitlers Edge. It crosses a high dam with a steep drop down on the left hand side forming the inlet to Anglezarke Reservoir. When you reach the lane turn left and follow it downhill to this reservoir. At the road junction turn sharp right along the minor lane signed for Heapey. This leads towards another car park but when the lane zigzags uphill on your right, go straight ahead by the bollards and follow a well-used shoreline path with Anglezarke Reservoir on your immediate left.

The path runs between the shore and a wooded bank for nearly half a mile before it re-enters woodland and crosses a stream. Ignore a path leading off on the left and keep to the main track. It kinks left then right below the dam of High Bullough Reservoir, then climbs to the reservoir, which soon becomes visible on the right hidden in woodland. The waymarked path leads along the reservoir edge, through a gate then drops below the dam to a junction of paths. At the path junction turn sharp right along the waymarked path which crosses the outlet stream below the dam, then climbs to the opposite side of the dam. At the corner of the reservoir keep going uphill alongside a wooded stream. This is a steep climb but eventually you emerge on a lane close to cottages.

The climb is not quite over as you turn right along this lane and follow it as it bends left uphill then turns right to level out on a hillside leading to a moorland gate ahead. Leave the road here and go through the gateway which forms a boundary to open access country. A bridleway track leads ahead with hopefully views across Lancashire including Chorley and Preston. Keep going straight ahead and the track eventually crosses a stile and zigzags downhill to cross the stream in Lead Mines Clough. There is an information board here. You may wish to wander up the valley but the walk continues by continuing downstream along the path, which re-crosses the stream lower down before passing through a gateway and reaching a lane.

Turn left along the lane, re-crossing the stream in the process. The route now follows country lanes back to Rivington Hall barn for the next mile. The lane climbs gradually to a farm before winding across a wooded clough and climbing to a road junction (Sheep House Lane). Turn left along the adjoining road and then first right along a lane leading to a car park below the Dove Tower above Rivington Gardens. Before you reach the car park turn right along a bridleway track. This runs downhill alongside a wooded valley and leads to Rivington Hall Barn car park. Skirt right around the car park and the front of the Hall to join the tree-lined avenue leading down to the Lower Barn on the far side of Rivington Lane.