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Aighton, Bailey And Chaigley

View of the River Ribble – River Hodder loop from Stonyhurst College

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Aighton, Bailey And Chaigley

View of the River Ribble – River Hodder loop from Stonyhurst College

Moderate

4.6

(8)

hikers

View of the River Ribble – River Hodder loop from Stonyhurst College

03:50

14.1km

210m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: April 16, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Forest of Bowland National Landscape

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

720 m

Blackburn Corporation Aqueduct over the River Ribble

Highlight • Historical Site

Crafted in the 1880s by the Blackburn Corporation, this elegant stone aqueduct served as a conduit for water sourced from Whitewell.

Tip by

2.23 km

Bench With View of the River Ribble

Highlight • Viewpoint

Bench to enjoy picnic with view of wildlife and occasional kayakers

Tip by

3.10 km

Confluence of the Rivers Calder and Ribble

Highlight • Natural Monument

This is the confluence of two of Lancashire's great rivers, the Ribble and the Calder. From here, the Ribble flows out to the Irish Sea at the Ribble Estuary beyond Preston. The estuary is of international importance for over-wintering birds.

You can follow the Ribble to its dramatically situated source at Ribblehead, close to the eponymous viaduct, by hiking the Ribble Way, which passes by this spot. The Calder's source is on the moors above Burnley, not far from the source of the Irwell and West Yorkshire's own River Calder.

A ferry once operated near this spot and may have been the inspiration for Bucklebury Ferry in JRR Tolkien's 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. Tolkien regularly stayed at nearby Stonyhurst Cottage while he was working on his epic Lord of the Rings saga and there are many links between this part of the Ribble Valley and locations in the Shire.

Tip by

4.23 km

View of the River Ribble

Highlight • Viewpoint

Beautiful views of the Ribble Valley and generally quite quiet along this section, even at the weekends.

Tip by

4.65 km

Winkley Piggeries

Highlight • Settlement

Keep an eye out for the animals on this working farm, along the Tolkien Trail.

Tip by

5.03 km

Spring Wood

Forest

6.05 km

Cromwell's Bridge Over the River Hodder

Highlight • Historical Site

This ancient crossing over the River Hodder is named after Oliver Cromwell, who, in 1648, lead his army across it on the way to the Battle of Preston. Today, it is out of use, though it is possible to walk across it and it makes for a great photo. The River Hodder is a major tributary of the River Ribble, one of North England’s greatest rivers.

Tip by

6.76 km

River Hodder

Highlight • Forest

Beautiful views of the Ribble Valley and generally good walking conditions along this section all year round.

Tip by

7.72 km

Over Hacking wood

Forest

14.0 km

Shireburn Arms Pub & Tolkien Trail Start

Highlight • Trail

The Shireburn Arms is a gorgeous, characterful pub in the picturesque village of Hurst Green. Set in prime walking country, there's plenty to see in the surrounding area, from beautiful walks alongside the Rivers Ribble and Hodder to the magnificent Stonyhurst College.

After a walk, there's excellent food and accommodation options in the pub, which retains a cosy, olde-worlde feel.

The pub is a great start point for the popular Tolkien Trail, a circular trail that explores some of the landscapes that inspired the Lord of the Rings author. He spent many months at Stonyhurst during the Second World War when he was working on the great fantasy epic. Many of the local landmarks and landscapes are thought to have inspired locations in the series. One only has to consider the name of this pub...

Tip by

14.1 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

6.77 km

5.64 km

1.63 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

9.77 km

1.63 km

1.51 km

1.15 km

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (170 m)

Lowest point (30 m)

Weather

Friday 26 June

26°C

16°C

63 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 24.0 km/h

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View of the River Ribble – River Hodder loop from Stonyhurst College

Blackburn Corporation Aqueduct over the River Ribble

Bench With View of the River Ribble

Confluence of the Rivers Calder and Ribble

View of the River Ribble

Winkley Piggeries

Cromwell's Bridge Over the River Hodder

River Hodder

Shireburn Arms Pub & Tolkien Trail Start

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