A walk along the River Ribble to a great pub: the Lower Buck, Lancashire

An easy walk on both right and left banks of the Ribble offers an abundance of history – and pubs

A small rural village with three pubs is a rare thing, but that’s what Waddington has – and that’s where this walk is heading. My specific target is the Lower Buck, because it’s the “real pub” – focusing on ales and socialising – where the other two have gone for food. That said, on this circular riverside amble along a historic county border you could, with a few short detours, easily have a pint in a different boozer for every mile traversed. Is that because Yorkshire and Lancashire are full of heavy drinkers, or because where there are rivers and bridges there are also inns?

We began at Chatburn – we being me and fellow walker, writer and historian Nick Burton. Nick has been a handy guide and friend since I moved to the Ribble Valley a couple of years ago and I knew he’d tramped the Ribble’s paths before. Chatburn is near where I live and since I’m still finding my feet, it made sense to start near home.