HIDDEN away between the great East Lancashire rivers of the Ribble and Calder is Dean Clough, a little valley flooded in the 1870s to form a reservoir supplying water to Victorian Accrington.

This walk is an easy circuit around the whole reservoir with views to Pendle Hill and the contrasting valleys of the industrial River Calder and the rural River Ribble.

Facing the Lord Nelson, turn right and walk along the road only as far as the adjacent crossroads where the road runs downhill to Langho.

Turn right at this crossroads and when the lane, Moor Lane, bends sharp left, leave it at the stile facing you at a junction of signed footpaths.

Join the path pointing slightly left uphill which skirts left around a rock outcrop.

From here, there is a good view looking north to the Ribble Valley, Longridge Fell, Bowland and Blackpool Tower — as well as the Lake District on a clear day. The path reaches a stile in the fence on the left.

Cross this and go diagonally right across the next field to a gate in the opposite wall corner.

Go through the gate and it is straight ahead downhill now towards the dam of Dean Clough Reservoir.

Pendle Hill and the Sabden valley can be seen over to the left. Continue along the track straight over the dam. Dean Brook will be seen below the reservoir outlet and this joins the River Calder only a few miles further east, just upstream of Whalley.

On the far side of the dam, turn right and go through the gates that give access to the shoreline path of the reservoir.

Follow the shoreline with the reservoir on the immediate right all the way up to the top end where there is an information board.

Go through the kissing gates, cross the stream inlet and turn right to climb uphill heading to the left end of a mature hedgerow. Ignore the gateway between fences on the left, but just keep to the path running uphill between the fence on the left and the hawthorn trees on the right.

The steep climb leads up to a higher track running left to right below a wall.

Turn right along this track and follow it for about a mile to the other end of the reservoir. It heads downhill at first keeping to the right of a walled copse.

Go through a gate and simply continue along the track with the reservoir down to the right. Go through the gate above the dam and turn left to retrace your steps uphill and over the hill to York village.

n Nick Burton’s new book Wainwright’s Way is a long-distance walk through Alfred Wainwright’s life from Lancashire to the Lakes and is available now from all good bookshops priced £13.99.