Rowley Lake
Charlotte Rowland
Rowley Lake is on the outskirts of Burnley, with much to offer to the walker who goes out of their way to venture out here. It’s open scope and substantial size lend it vast appeal, while it’s natural activity and beauty make it a pretty picture, with views extending endlessly across the flat plain.
The body of water is a full seven acres, filling a wide spherical space towered by trees and circling greenery. The contrast in colours instigates a calm which comes from seeing only the most basic of natural splendours. Something so simple as blue sky and foliage opens us up, and the area here is as much about taking in the local landscape as it is taking in how you feel as you wander through it, refreshing and invigorating yourself with the expanse and extent of it.
Logistically, the route is not too strenuous. Paths are well-maintained all round, and can be followed easily and unproblematically. You can walk the full circle, which is long and brisk, or you can opt to sneak in and drop off at any point, shortening or lengthening the walk as you see fit. The joy of this flexibility is that a shorter walk does not cut short the experience. The view, given that the lake is so flat, can be seen endlessly from all sections of the route, meaning forking off won’t lose you any visual artistry or appeal.
The site attracts fishermen, too, and it’s a treat to see them mildly biding their time as you do likewise, passing them with a nod or smile that so often is the common greeting when out in the open air. In this way, a walk here is restorative, not just for the secluded traits this spot has, but for the way it allows you to dip in and out of it freely, choosing how to interact. The environment here is there for the taking, and, with no pressure, duty or obligation, the remedial, antidotal refreshment is yours, in whichever way, for the taking.
The body of water is a full seven acres, filling a wide spherical space towered by trees and circling greenery. The contrast in colours instigates a calm which comes from seeing only the most basic of natural splendours. Something so simple as blue sky and foliage opens us up, and the area here is as much about taking in the local landscape as it is taking in how you feel as you wander through it, refreshing and invigorating yourself with the expanse and extent of it.
Logistically, the route is not too strenuous. Paths are well-maintained all round, and can be followed easily and unproblematically. You can walk the full circle, which is long and brisk, or you can opt to sneak in and drop off at any point, shortening or lengthening the walk as you see fit. The joy of this flexibility is that a shorter walk does not cut short the experience. The view, given that the lake is so flat, can be seen endlessly from all sections of the route, meaning forking off won’t lose you any visual artistry or appeal.
The site attracts fishermen, too, and it’s a treat to see them mildly biding their time as you do likewise, passing them with a nod or smile that so often is the common greeting when out in the open air. In this way, a walk here is restorative, not just for the secluded traits this spot has, but for the way it allows you to dip in and out of it freely, choosing how to interact. The environment here is there for the taking, and, with no pressure, duty or obligation, the remedial, antidotal refreshment is yours, in whichever way, for the taking.
