Try these wonderful routes to walk off the festive excess.

Great British Life: The canal at BarrowfordThe canal at Barrowford (Image: John Lenehan)

Barrow-Whalley

Distance: 3.9 miles

Start: The Eagle at Barrow car park

Leave the car park and turn left, then turn left going behind the pub through the yard and then, follow the footpath between a fence and a hedge to a stile. Cross this and follow the path over to a stile at the railway line and cross this and the railway and enter a field keep the fence on the right and reach another stile cross this go diagonally right to a stile in the field corner near the farm buildings. Cross this into a track and turn left then after a few metres turn right and follow the track to a stile on the left cross this and head diagonally left across the field to a stile leading onto the main road. Cross the road and go down the track opposite known locally as Turkey Lane then keep on the track as it passes behind a housing estate and then the grounds of Calderstones Hospital. Cross a stile by a gate then another stile by a gate then keep on the track until in enters a field then bear right to a gate and a stile, cross this and go downhill to the riverbank.

Follow the path along the bank then turn left and follow the path that turns into a tarmac track passing the Water Treatment Works on the right and keep on and go under the bypass bridge and then on until the track reaches a road. Carry straight on the road under the arch of Whalley Viaduct and through the old Abbey Gatehouse. Keep on the road passing the white English Martyrs Church, Whalley Abbey entrance, the Parish Church St Mary and All Saints and join King Street and Whalley Village centre. Turn left and follow the main road back to the Eagle at Barrow.

Suggested eating: The Eagle at Barrow.

Great British Life: Whalley Viaduct and gatehouseWhalley Viaduct and gatehouse (Image: John Lenehan)

Barrowford Locks

Distance: 3.7 miles

Start: Small car park off Colne Road by canal bridge

Leave the car park and walk toward the canal and turn right under the road bridge and then, with the canal on the left, follow this all the way to the entrance of Foulridge Tunnel.

Leave the canal and turn left over the tunnel/canal and follow the track until it reaches a road then turn left and in about 20 metres take the stile on the right then turn left and go uphill to reach Slipper Hill Reservoir and turn right and follow the reservoir bank to reach a stile cross this and follow the footpath until it reaches a lane at Sand Hall then turn right and follow the lane downhill to a road junction. Turn immediate right and go through a stile to the left of a metal gate then follow the lane until it meets a road then turn right and follow the road to the point where you joined it coming from the canal then turn left. Retrace the route to the canal and follow the towpath back to the car park.

Suggested eating: Pendle Heritage Centre on Colne Road.

Great British Life: Bolton by BowlandBolton by Bowland (Image: John Lenehan)

Bolton by Bowland

Distance: 3.6 miles

Start at village car park next to public toilets.

Leave the car park and turn right into the village and carry on passing the Coach and Horses Hotel on the right (see the prominent road sign that indicates this village was once in Yorkshire) and then the historic church of St Peter and St Pauls on the left and simply follow Gisburn Road until it bends very sharp right at a telephone box. At this point leave the road and carry straight on up a narrow road Stumps Cross Lane (not sign posted) passing a house Closes Lodge on the right.

Keep on the road, passing the buildings of Closes House and a farm and keep on until the road reaches a wider road Hellifield Road and turn left. (The cross from which Stumps Cross Lane gets its name is in the garden of the house on the right.) Follow Hellifield Road all the way back to Bolton by Bowland.

Eating suggestion: The Coach and Horses or Village Tearoom at the Post Office.

Great British Life: Brinscall LodgeBrinscall Lodge (Image: John Lenehan)

Brinscall-White Coppice

Distance: 3.4 miles

Start at the car park next to Brinscall swimming baths

Leave the car park and turn left and follow the road with the lodge on the left. The road eventually becomes a track but keep following it until it reaches an entrance to a house. Drakes Head. There is a track going right and just past this there is a footpath sign and a stile follow the footpath as it goes behind the house and then cross a stile into a field then follow the path diagonally left and cross a stile.

The footpath arrow points right but ignore this and bear left and follow a wire fence on the left to reach the bank of a brook known as The Goit by a steel bridge then turn right. Follow the path as it passes a bridge on the left and keep on to the next bridge on the left and just past this there is a stile on the left. Don’t cross the stile but keep to the right of it and follow the path downhill then go left over a small footbridge. Follow the path until it reaches a stile on the left that leads to a footbridge and a path that leads to the cricket pitch. Cross this to a bridge over to the left and once on the bridge take the stile immediately on the left and, with the Goit on the right, follow the track back to and past the point where you initially joined it but then keep on and cross the iron bridge and keep following the track. The Goit goes underground but the track keeps on all the way back to lodge and the car park.

Eating suggestion: The Cottage Tearoom on School Lane, three minutes from the car park.

Great British Life: Rocky Brook waterfallRocky Brook waterfall (Image: John Lenehan)

Tockholes Reservoir

Distance: 2.5 miles

Start at the Roddlesworth Information Centre car park, Tockholes.

Leave the car park and turn right. Go over the stile directly across from the Royal Arms, then down some steps, then bear right and go downhill. At the bottom reach a track and turn right and keep on the track with reservoir on the left. The track goes very steeply uphill and then starts to descend, look for a track on the left coming uphill and take this down to the reservoir dam. Cross the bridge then follow the footpath signs to a path that crosses the dam face (not the dam top) then follow the path uphill then turn left and pass the Fishing Club hut on the left and the end of the dam enter the woods and follow the path. The path gives way to a wide track, keep on this until a stile on the left with two red no cycling signs.

Go through the stile and down some steps to the river crossing a footbridge at the bottom. Keep the river on the left and keep on to a metal stile by a stone bridge. Cross the stile and the bridge then turn sharp left past a metal gate and follow a track uphill. The track forks, take the right hand fork and follow the track all the way up hill until you reach a junction on the right, take this to a stile that leads into the road and turn left to the car park entrance.

Eating suggestion: Vaughn’s Café or the Royal Arms, both at the car park.