Discover Lancashire’s wind-powered sound sculpture set on top of the Pennine’s hill

Summary

I love walks/hikes, especially the ones where you make an impulsive decision, they generally seem to be great days out and one of the best sometimes. We woke up craving a day of hiking but unsure where to go, as we searched on Alltrails, the Singing Ringing Tree popped up. Although visited by many, we were keen to explore a circular hike around the area that led to the sculpture which overlooked Burnley and the Pennine surroundings. The tree itself compiles of multiple steel pipes that are stacked one on top of each other; it is designed to look like a windblown tree, and on a blustery day you can hear the chimes resonate throughout the pipes.

The Hike

We began from Towneley Park where parking is available, as we strolled through the expansive park it wasn’t long before we entered the woodlands, venturing through whilst gradually ascending higher towards Burnley Golf course. When we approached, we quickly realised that copious amounts of snow had fallen, opening up onto wide panoramic views of snow-capped rolling hills. Roaming through the golf course, the soft snow crunched beneath our feet, and the sounds of children joyously sledging down the hillside echoed throughout.

We relished in the surroundings, it was beginning to feel like a proper winter’s day!

Upon arrival at the summit of the golf course, we meandered our way through a wintery wonderland of white powder filled trees, opening up to a sparse moorland of sweeping paths and dustings of fluffy white heather, leading to the summit of the Singing Ringing Tree.

After taking a few photos at the sculpture, admiring the view, we descended through snow-capped fields. The terrain quickly changed to hard concrete where we found ourselves crossing main roads, and a long train track, leading back towards Towneley Park.

Had it not snowed; I am sure the hike would have been very different. However, I am confident that this can be enjoyed by most in all seasons if you are looking for something that offers a bit of diversity.

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