1. Head southeast out of the parking towards the row of terrace houses. Follow the bridleway signs, turning right before the terraces and through a wooden bridleway gate into a grassy field. Follow the track uphill through this field (with loose horses). Pass through the gate at the top before weaving through the wooded section. At the switchback in the path, continue straight on, through a well trodden gap next to a five bar gate and follow the path that runs uphill next to a small stream. The path clims out of the woods and back onto the moors. Follow the path as it curves round to the left. Darwen tower will now be in plain sight ahead of you. At the junction, take the lefthand path and follow the track round the top of the hill to the tower.

2. Pass to the left of the tower and drop downhill. Take the obvious path to your right that contours around the side of the hill. This is a wide, gravel bridleway that drops down slowly into Darwen, past several farms. Go through a metal gate and continue downhill on the now tree-lined track. You will pop out at the end of a residential street. Take the right hand grassy path that cuts behind several gardens and follow this track round the back of the houses onto another quiet road. Turn right and follow the road, taking the gravel track straight ahead and not the road into the cul-de-sac. The bridleway passes down the back of several more gardens here. Follow the track as it bends right and passes through a small equestrian yard with stables and muckheap. At the junction, turn left onto a narrowing bridleway with steep sloping fields to your right and hedges to your left. Stay on this bridleway until you reach a small hamlet. Turn left here onto Bury Fold Lane and then shortly after turn right onto a stone wall lined narrow bridleway. Follow this downhill with a deeply cut stream on your left and several tall houses overlooking it. At the bridge, turn left and follow this road as it pops out into more residential streets. Continue straight until you reach a T junction with a park in front of you. Turn left at the T junction and ride down to the main road running through Darwen. Cross straight over with care and continue on the other side, past fishing ponds on your left.

3. Follow the road as it curves left and uphill, over a railway bridge and to a roundabout. Turn right at the roundabout and ride uphill to the end of the road. This is a long hill! And good for fitness! Turn right at the top and turn right at the roundabout onto a minor road. Continue along this road for a while, past an equestrian centre on the right until you reach the village of Edgeworth. Turn right at the start of the houses, signed for the train station and Strawberry Duck pub. Follow this single track lane down to a large reservoir and back up the other side to the train station. Cross over the railway bridge and turn left by the phone box, skirting round the side of the pub. Ride between the beer gardens and continue along the gravel track down to another reservoir. Ride past the car park on your left and away from the dam wall.

4. As the road curves left, take the right hand track marked by two large boulders and follow this path which cuts through to the second reservoir car park. Turn left just before the carpark and follow the path as it weaves it ways through the trees. Cross over the road and continue along the bridlepath through a sheep field with gates. Cross over the next road and turn left onto the main bridleway track. Follow this track through several gates until you reach the golf course (marked by the stream!). Take the bridleway gate off to the right instead of curving left, cross over the wooden horse bridge and return back onto the tarmac golf course driveway. Follow the driveway all the way through to the main golf building and putting area. Ride straight here, onto a gravel bridleway being respectful to any golfers. Stay straight until you come to a gate and the end of the golf course. Ride through the gate and turn left to skirt round the edge of this field. Pass through another gate and follow the narrow fenced bridleway to the road and Edgerton. Turn right as you pop out on the road and ride along this to the end.

5. Cross back over the A666 and follow the cobbled road until it peters out and becomes a grassy bridleway. Pass some coloured horses on your right and navigate the twin gates to start this permissive bridleway. Follow the obvious track through an open field and then through the forest, crossing over a beautiful river and back up the other side. At the cross roads with a large concrete block and a small pond, cross the road and go through the gate to your right onto the Witton Weavers Way. This path is stoney to start but does improve. The gates on this section have stiff springs and can be tricky on a horse but are easily managed if you can dismount. Follow the path all the way to the end, past an amazing house with a tibetan mastiff guarding outside (!). The gate to the road is padlocked but the bridleway continues to the right. Pass through the bridleway gate into the grassy field and enjoy a fabulous uphill blast. Ride up and over this hill, descending back to the road. Cross straight over the road and negotiate this narrow section before the path opens out into Roddlesworth woods. Ride through the manor house ruins and through the ford. Tack the next right turn and follow this track back to your parking spot.