Walks you can reach from Darwen by train

Challenging circular climbing steeply to the summit of iconic Pendle Hill, with sweeping views over the Ribble Valley and southern Forest of Bowland, through the village of Pendleton.

Time: 4h30

Warnings: Steep climb; chilly and exposed on the summit. Decent footwear, waterproofs and extra layers essential.

Walk details: Discover Bowland (PDF).

Abbey precinct, town centre, riverside path, golf course, open pasture, old drove road, moorland ridge, plateau summit, steep scarp, lush valley, meandering river and nature reserve.

Time: 2h30–5h

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Southern Dales fields and woodland crossing the River Aire, past Otterburn and Airton, descending over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to St Andrew's Church at Gargrave.

Time: 3h–5h30

Walk details: Community Rail Lancashire (PDF).

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

West Pennine Moors circular on the Witton Weavers Way, past a string of reservoirs, into the steep-sided Turton Bottoms valley and Grade I-listed Turton Tower. Rich in industrial heritage and birdlife.

Turton Tower: A Grade I-listed manor house built around a medieval peel tower.

Warnings: A few short steep ascents.

Walk details: Community Rail Lancashire (PDF).

Countryside circular to a never-used railway cutting, crossing the Ribble on the Dinkley Suspension Bridge on the Ribble Way, past the twelfth-century Old Langho Church and an old Roman road.

Walk details: Community Rail Lancashire (PDF).

River Calder circular contrasting two viaducts: the 48-arch brick Whalley Viaduct and the disused ten-arch stone Martholme Viaduct, near the historic village of Whalley with its parish church and abbey ruins.

Whalley Viaduct: A 48-arch brick railway viaduct striding across the Calder valley.

Whalley Abbey: The ruins of a 14th-century Cistercian abbey beside the River Calder.

Walk details: Community Rail Lancashire (PDF).

Recommended: The views are great - especially from the top of the hill. Climbs steadily out of Settle, the first kilometres uphill and quite steep but on tarmac and good tracks, then becomes a wide track over open moorland before descending towards Long Preston, finishing across lanes and fields. A few gates, no stiles and a lot of it is on old tarmacked tracks. Long Preston, about two thirds of the way, has pubs and a station, so the walk can be split there.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Time: 2h30–5h30

Lunch: A couple of pubs at Long Preston, roughly two thirds of the way.

1 end-of-walk reward: the Black Horse

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Recommended: A largely urban route that is mostly along the canal towpath, avoiding a nasty motorway roundabout. The towpath is gravel or degraded tarmac with a couple of uneven patches; there are some interesting old mills and but a lot of pylons and nearby roads. Some interesting old mills along the towpath. Dragonflies and a weasel were seen.

Lunch: A cafe at Home Bargains in the retail park near the midpoint (accessed via steps).

Warnings: There are cycle barriers and a couple of uneven patches on the towpath. Leaving the towpath in Blackburn involves an unavoidable kerb and a cobblestone roadway.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A wheel-friendly route on good surfaces through the centre and suburbs of Blackburn, where cars often park partly on the pavement and opening into more interesting countryside with improving views after Ramsgreave & Wilpshire. Passes Ramsgreave & Wilpshire and Langho stations, useful for doing only part of the walk; also served by several buses.

Time: 3h–6h

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a third of the walk. Take care crossing Ribchester Road near the Wilpshire Hotel, where a sweeping filter lane carries traffic at speed.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Some spectacular scenery through Hoghton and Pleasington. A mostly picturesque and enjoyable route with wide views across Lancashire's hills, including a gorgeous descent to Hoghton Bottoms and a section through Witton Country Park. Fields can be very waterlogged and parts (especially around gates) exceptionally muddy after wet weather; a mossy ford and stepping stones to cross and plus some steep sections and two railway level crossings. Includes a 1.5km detour to use the next footbridge after the collapsed bridge over the River Darwen at Hoghton Bottoms; passes through Witton Country Park.

Time: 4h30–9h

Warnings: Two railway level crossings (at Gregson Lane and Hoghton); careful navigation needed through the fields at Gregson Lane. The road at Butler's Bridge can be very busy (a playing field alongside avoids it). Some steep sections. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A long route with a very enjoyable, good-surfaced opening section to Bamber Bridge and with a minor road to cross and a narrow 62 cm gap. Avenham Park near the start has free toilets.

Time: 5h30–10h30

Walk details: Slow Ways.