Clitheroe

View of Castle Street.

Clitheroe is an attractive market town in the Ribble Valley in East Lancashire, which claims to be at the geographic heart of England. It lies to the south of the Forest of Bowland and is the ideal staging post for visiting that area, known as 'Lancashire's hidden gem'.

It is well known for its Norman castle, dating back over 800 years and for great food and wine shops.

Get in

Clitheroe has a railway interchange, with hourly trains to Blackburn and Manchester (Victoria Station). It is also served by regular buses from Preston, the X80 and 280, which run hourly during the day.

Clitheroe is served by the A59 from Preston in the West, where it meets the M6 at junction 31 and Skipton in the East, alternatively the A671 starting at the roundabout to the West of Whalley eventually leads to the M65, connecting to the East Lancashire towns of Accrington and Burnley, eventually heading towards Colne and North Yorkshire.

Get around

There are bus connections with Bolton, Blackburn, Accrington, Skipton, Ribchester and local villages.

Alternatively if you wish to explore the area at a slower pace, Clitheroe makes a perfect starting point for hiking, this is a perfect way of taking in the beautiful countryside surrounding the town.

See

The castle, which is often said to have the smallest Norman keep in England. It stands on a 35-metre outcrop of limestone and is one of the oldest buildings in Lancashire, and is surrounded by pleasant gardens and a park. It is also the only remaining castle in the county which had a royalist garrison during the English Civil War.

It is worth taking a gentle stroll up to the castle on a clear day as the views of the town, Pendle Hill and towards the Forest of Bowland are breathtaking. The ruins of the castle itself are also interesting, with information boards dotted around the site each offering a story involving the town and castle.

Clitheroe Market, Clitheroe is an historic market town, which has held a regular market since the Norman conquest in the 12th century. You'll find a wonderful balance of goods at competitive prices.

Top Hat Tours offer waking tours for groups taking in the town or surrounding Ribble Valley, the tours are suitable for groups of 2-10 people and take in some of the towns more hidden areas. The tour guide will be dressed in authentic Victorian costume and bring the tours to life by including 'resident ghosts and sound effects'. These tours cover the history of the area, ghost stories and tales of local legends. [2]

Do

• Wander through the main streets and experience a typical northern English market town, especially on market days. There has been a market in Clitheroe since Norman times. The market is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with a Flea market on Fridays.
• Visit the Platform Gallery at the railway station - an excellent craft gallery.
• Visit the Ribble Valley Sculpture Trail. This includes over 20 interesting sculptures, plus interpretation boards about the area and its wildlife. The trail travels through Brungerley Park and Cross Hill Quarry, combining river and woodland walking with good views and wildlife in the nature reserve managed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Starts less than a mile from Clitheroe town centre, heading north towards Waddington.
• Take a trip to the Cross Hill Nature Reserve, an abandoned quarry that is a good example of natural change on a man-made site and a refuge for wildlife.

Buy

Clitheroe is well served by specialist shop, and an award-winning off-licence, D. Byrne & Co, on King Street. It also has an excellent Booths Supermarket - an institution in Lancashire.

Eat

• A good choice of cafes and restaurants throughout the town. If you wish to enjoy a hearty meal, try a home made Lancashire hot pot in one of the many cosy local pubs that can be found in Clitheroe and the villages surrounding the town.
• For locally made cheeses, including the famous Lancashire cheese visit Cheesie Tchaikovsky’s, a specialist cheese shop and delicatessen with an evolving and diverse range of UK and continental artisan made cheeses.

Drink

Plenty of characterful inns and public houses in town.The villages surrounding Clitheroe are a great place to relax offering local beers and ales they usually serve home cooked meals with prices varying depending on the location of the pub.

Sleep

• [1]. UK Cottages has holiday cottages close to Clitheroe as well as across Lancashire including the Ribble Valley, the Forest of Bowland and Morecambe Bay.

Caravan and Camping There are a wide range of camp sites located in the Ribble Valley offering pitches for tents, trailer tents, caravans and motorhomes. Some sites also offer static caravan rentals, although these will cost considerably more than bringing your own tent.

• Clitheroe Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Edisford Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 3LA, ☎ 01200 425294. £7-£12 per person/night.  edit

Contact

• http://www.visitribblevalley.co.uk/ The tourist site for the Ribble Valley
• For information regarding the town and surrounding areas visit the Platform Gallery and Information Centre located on Station Road, if you arriving by train this will be the former station building. For information before you visit call: 01200 425566

Get out

• The Forest of Bowland - explore a beautiful and almost unknown area of Britain.
• Browsholme Hall The oldest surviving family home in Lancashire is the ancestral home of the Parker Family, who have lived there since it was built in 1507. Open some summer weekends http://www.browsholme.com/lancashire_historic_house.php
• Sawley Abbey. The remains of a Cistercian abbey founded in 1148, set on the banks of the Ribble against a backdrop of dramatic hills. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/sawley-abbey/ Free entrance.
• Whalley Abbey. A 14th century Cistercian Abbey on the banks of the Calder.

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