THOUSANDS of walkers will be making their way to Pendle this September, to join in the district’s annual Walking Festival.

Now in its 6th year, the Walking Festival offers over 80 free guided walks in some of Lancashire’s most beautiful countryside. It gives walkers of all abilities a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beautiful countryside of this part of Pennine Lancashire.

Mike Williams, Pendle’s Tourism Officer, said: “We’re very proud of the Pendle Walking Festival.

“It was recently crowned runner up in the Best Tourism Event category at the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourism Awards.

“The Walking Festival is always extremely popular, and I am sure that this year will be no different. “It offers a great choice of guided walks of varying lengths in Pendle’s excellent walking country.

From easy walks of two miles to more challenging ones of 14 miles, there really is something for everyone. New for 2009 is the Pendle Way – walkers can cover this fantastic 45 mile route in four stages over five days. And there’s the Three Peaks Challenge – that’s Pendle, Boulsworth and Weets. Walk leaders will be going up each of these hills six times throughout the festival!

This year’s festival will run from Saturday 5 to Sunday 13 September.

Free Pendle Walking Festival programmes, which contain information about everything on offer at the event, are available to download from the Pendle Council website – visit www.pendle.gov.uk/walking.

Programmes are also available in hard copy by calling Pendle’s Tourism Team on (01282) 661981.