November Hill Walk - Darwen Tower

Sometimes you don’t have to travel far to find a hill to climb, and sometimes that walk up the hill need not be that long. It is just nice to get away for a few hours to blow the cobwebs away. Both can be said about our November walk to Darwen Tower in… erm, Darwen.  I have fond memories of going up Darwen Tower as child with my Uncle Allen and my sister and cousins. I would have been maybe ten years old? I also recall a walk there with a school friend when I was maybe fifteen. But since then, I had not been to Jubilee Tower, as it is also known as, even though it is a common sight from anywhere in East Lancashire. A few facts: the tower was erected in 1898 to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria and has been a prominent sight since. It was also built to celebrate the victory of the locals to have access to the moor. It was opened 24 September 1898 and the architect was R. W. Smith-Saville. It is 85 feet in height, while Darwen Hill is 1,220 feet high.

 

We parked in Darwen next to the Sunnyhurst Pub and started up the road: it was me, Amy and Jake today. We passed Sunnyhurst Wood on our right and walked for a while before we saw a path to our left that headed straight up to the tower. This was a bit slippy with recent rain. It did not take long to reach the top. Plenty of views all around, of Pendle Hill and Ewood Park; we had a sandwich and then returned along the path that went to the right of the tower (if you are facing towards Darwen). This was a nice easy track to the bottom and back to the pub. Covid restrictions  meant it was shut, so we had a look at the woods and headed back home.