I always liked to think that the Forest of Bowland is on my door step but today I'll be visiting an area of the Bowland that I haven't walked before which borders the Lancashire / Yorkshire border, in-fact, the border passes across the top of Bowland Knotts with both counties divided by a stone wall but I'll get to that later. I wasn't supposed to be walking this weekend instead, I was meant to be taking it easy after a stressful week in work and the forecast favoured this so I didn't feel too bad about missing out on the fells. I'd enjoyed a lie in on Saturday morning; my body clock going haywire at the very thought of sleeping in past 6am but I needed it and I ended up mowing the lawn (not many cuts left now) and taking the dogs for a good five miler. I was looking at local walks when my attention was diverted to the Forest of Bowland firstly towards Totridge Fell before remembering how last year I'd mapped out this walk, copied it to file then totally forgot about it. It only took five minutes of scouring over my mapping software to reignite the enthusiasm I felt when I'd originally planned the walk and within the hour I'd drafted the walk.

The only thing I needed to do was to convince Paula I was feeling human again and three hours later ... (I'm joking) I'd planned to set off in the morning after another lie in. I woke at 8:20am and by 9:00am I was heading north before leaving the M6 at the Broughton interchange my SatNav set for Cross of Greet Bridge. I can reach certain areas of Bowland in less than an hour but this mornings destination was in the far east which took me through the Lancashire town of Clitheroe and the quaint villages of Slaidburn and Waddington before finally arriving at Cross of Greet Bridge nearly an hour and half later. I'd left home under patchy skies with a heavy dew underfoot and it had remained that way until drove over the top of Waddington Fell where I left the cloud in my rear view mirror to be confronted by blue skies and sunshine, the Lancashire countryside looked stunning. Given the forecast I'd expected the car park to be at least half full but I was shocked to find I was the first to arrive after passing two cyclists nattering against the bridge wall getting ready to take on the incline of Lythe Fell road. I knew the start of the walk was close starting on the banks of the River Hodder but during my kit up I was getting increasingly concerned why I couldn't see the path instead just tall grass growing over marshland, mmm OK. The two cyclists had set off and I followed them leaving my boot up in search of the path before finally spotting a narrow trod on a high bank which looked the dryer option and, it was pointing in the right direction.

I had to cross many a tributory to the River Hodder before having to wade through a Ford where Kearsdon Holes flows into the Hodder. It was here I had to step aside to let a farmer driving an old school Landrover Defender pass who wound his window down for a quick chat, he was the spits of my old general manager me half expected his first words to say "hello Paul" We got chatting him asking me where I was heading - his reply after hearing I was walking over Catlow Fell was "you'll love it, we do a lot of shooting round there"

We continued to chat and as it turned out I learned he was born and bred in Coppull just outside of Wigan, what a small world eh. The farmer left passing through the Ford churning the clear water into a thick brown which I waded through next. From the Ford the path began to rise, the Landrover now long gone, it's muddied tyre tracks, not so.

Its isn't widely known how old the stone actually is but its thought to date back to the seventh century when Vikings settled in the area, One theory on the origins of the stone is that it is the base for a wooden cross which has long since been lost.

The cross would have sat in the square hole which still remains carved into the gritstone and would have marked the way between chapels for local parishioners on their way to church or for pilgrims on longer journeys across the country. A second theory is that the stone was actually a plague stone and the shallow hole was used to wash your hands, coins or even food to help prevent the spread of disease on what was a common trade route.

The stone wall ascends over Catlow Hill all the way to Catlow Fell secondary summit of Ravens Castle at 481' - The fell side here was so steep it would give the direct ascent on Dollywagon Pike from Grisedale Tarn a run for its money.

The worst of the bog laid in wait in between Crowd Stones and the Lythe Fell Road but by then I'd enjoyed the walk so much I was in two minds to care. The bogs were relentless swallowing my boot up to the ankles and at one point, my right leg up to the knee. I descended regardless. Two hundred yards from the fell road I watched another Landrover Defender reverse into the layby out of which a farmer emerged and began his walk towards Ravens Castle like he had done it a hundred times or more, we pass - I note his wellies, a silent nod and off we trudged in our respective directions. Ten minutes later I emerged at the rear of his Landrover and onto welcome tarmac of Lythe Fell Road.

I look back the farmer who is half the way up the slope. I feel the suns warmth on my neck. This is like no other fell road at just ten feet in width in places you'd be hard pressed to get a car up here with passing places few and far between but as it turns out it's popular with motorbikes and I am passed by dozens of riders in each direction, no wonder they loved it. The road continues to descend - the sunshine making it feel like the middle of July rather than two weeks into Autumn. In the distance the light from the windows of two cars parked in the car park at the Cross of Greet Bridge reflect back, as does the River Hodder flowing alongside. It was a spare of the moment decision to even walk today let alone explore an area of Lancashire I hadn't visited before. I would expect these hills to be the grimmest of grim in the low light of Winter where few venture but on a day like today I was reminded it wasn't rest I needed.