Northwest Walks: Grit Fell, the Three Sisters and the Three Chairs

In the far Northwest of the Bowland fells the geology and scenery dramatically changes to the extent that it feels like an entirely different part of the country.

The peaty earth is thinner, the gritstone below exposed to the northern gales, the backdrop is of that of the wide, sweeping, Morecambe bay and Fylde plains and the far-off, misty mountains of the Lake District line the northern horizon.

This walk takes you right through the heart of this part of the Bowland fells up to one of the most remote and highest peaks and past a few striking landmarks too.

It is not a gentle lowland stroll through fields like the other walks I’ve written about, being more of a mountainous trek, so make sure to pack appropriately and wear decent walking boots and waterproofs. As it’s very remote and the hilltops can suddenly become shrouded with cloud it’s a good idea to take a compass and map too, OS (Ordnance Survey) map OL 41 covers this area.

Mobile phone coverage disappears up here as well so make sure you tell people where you’ve gone in case you need help.

The ‘What 3 Words’ location for the carpark is ‘tadpoles.swatted.balconies’, and for the Three Chairs, officially known as ‘Andrew Goldsworthy Clougha Pike Chambers’ it is ‘chipper.nerves.waving’. Emergency services will know exactly where you are if you quote these three words.

To Begin

Beginning at Little Cragg car park off the side of Littledale road on the way to the village of Quernmore the total length of this walk is about 8 miles long.

First walk from the car park along the road towards a farm called Cragg Farm, when at the cattle grid turn right and follow a footpath down towards Skelbow barn.

After passing the barn turn right again and along a small brook up to a ladder stile, once over this you are on a steep path through the heather which follows the wall on the left, after about 600 yards this path turns away from the wall and climbs up the hill, through a line of Grouse butts to reach a gravel track.

You are on Abbeystead estate now and this track is one of many that wind their way all over the fells here. In the Grouse shooting season (12 Aug to 10 Dec) they might be in use and the chunky looking Land-rovers and Range-rovers roaring along them could hold any manner of tweed-clad foreign dignitary or businessman on their way between Grouse drives.

This means it’s a very good idea to stick to the path within the season and be aware that you may be being watched too!

The Three Chairs

When on the track turn left and walk for about quarter of a mile until you reach a peculiar trio of stone rectangles. These are called the ‘Three Chairs’ and were built by the environmental artist Andrew Goldsworthy who studied at Preston university.

They were paid for by the late Duke of Westminster who wanted to encourage the public to enjoy this part of the hills, and constructed of gritstone from the many ancient quarries and pits around here that were used to make millstones, water troughs and paving slabs for the Lancaster area.

You can stand inside the sculptures and if it’s clear you can see the distant landmarks they line up to, I’m not sure they represent chairs so much as stone eyes or some other kind of organic form?

After the 3 chairs the route resumes down the track until there is a right turn, keep along this for about a mile, passing a left turn in the track, another line of Grouse butts, and a beater’s hut until you reach a marker post on a broad expanse of moor called Cabin Flat, where a path takes you up to the summit of Grit Fell.

Grit Fell

At 1535ft above sea level the peak of Grit Fell is one of the highest of the Bowland fells and in very clear weather you can see from its summit the mountains of Snowdonia, Snaefell on the Isle of Man, the peaks of the Lake District, Ingleborough, Pen y Ghent and Whernside in Yorkshire.

In exceptionally clear weather you can even make out the majestic form of Slieve Donard in the Mountains of Mourne, which is the tallest mountain in Northern Ireland, this will be just to the left of Snaefell but is has to be really clean air to spy him!

This part of the fells is also a very good stretch of Heather moorland for spotting some of the iconic birds of Bowland such as the Hobby and the Hen Harrier which thrive up here.

The path west down from Grit Fell is long but not too arduous and there are some great views of the Conder valley from here, and eventually this takes you to a ladder stile. Once over this follow the wall on the right until it becomes a fence and then cross another stile and continue across what can be a very boggy stretch of moor in a north-westerly direction.

After a second stile in a fence continue to a trig point right on a path that follows the escarpment of Clougha Pike, this is a summit worthy of its own article though so I’ll not cover it here otherwise this walk will end up even longer! After this you will reach a gap in the wall on the left just before a fence coming in from the right.

The Three Sisters

Here continue downhill with the wall to your right and then after going through a kissing gate at a dog-leg in the wall carry on with it on your left for about 200yds, then you’ll drop down into a small valley called Little Windy Clough, after going through this turn right onto a stretch of moor with no discernible path until you reach another trio of rocky sculptures.

These are called ‘The Three Sisters’ (pictured here with John Shaw Rimmington, president of the Canadian Drystone Wallers Association striking a pose!) and I like to think of them as three witches which have left their resting places in the three chairs further up to slowly, but determinedly, amble across the hills to some unknown destination.

A short distance after these three cairns you end up back on the track you walked up earlier in the walk, here turn left and go down hill until you pass through a wooden gate, soon after this you’ll cross a stream, then go past a farmhouse, the driveway to the farmhouse will take you to Littledale Lane, turn right here to get back to the car park.

I hope you enjoy this walk and the sights, wildlife and scenery you can see along it, if the weather’s clear that is! if you know of any other good walks around the area why not share them here?

A B-H

(June 2025)