Top 7 beauty spots to visit and walk in Lancashire
Lancashire is full of natural wonders that make an ideal day trip whether you are lucky enough to live here or are just visiting. There’s nature reserves, parks, forests, hills and villages scattered all across the county just waiting to be discovered.
Here’s our guide to the very best that Lancashire’s countryside has to offer:
The Ribble Valley
It’s called ‘the Cotswolds of the North’ and ‘the food capital of the North’ and it’s even been compared to Tuscany. The Ribble Valley is a beautiful place to live or to visit, with a wide range of unspoilt countryside to enjoy, from heather moorland and fells to bogs, valleys and rivers.
A large part of the Ribble Valley has been classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it’s full of quaint villages to visit, whether you’ve come for the scenery or the Michelin-starred gastronomic treats on offer – or both.
The Forest of Bowland
Covering 803 square kilometres of Lancashire and home to just 16,000 people scattered across villages and hamlets, the Forest of Bowland is the real heart of the county. Our homes at Hollins Green sit right on the edge of this area of incredible beauty, making them an ideal location for a rural retreat.
From ancient woodlands to hay meadows to moorlands, the Forest of Bowland can be explored on foot or bike or by taking the skies paragliding or hot air ballooning, while there are family activities galore and a wild boar park to visit.
Goosnargh & Beacon Fell Country Park
Some of the best views of the Forest of Bowland come from the summit of Beacon Fell. At nearly 900 feet above sea level, it has spectacular views all around, including the beautiful Morecambe Bay, making it one of the best places to see Lancashire’s rugged splendour.
Beacon Fell Country Park is more than just the summit though, as the journey up to it is just as impressive, from the delightful village of Goosnargh to the 271 acres of woodland, moorland and farmland waiting to be explored.
Hest Bank
Whether visiting the quaint village shops or wandering the salt marshes on guided walks, there’s plenty to see and do in and around Hest Bank itself, not least looking out for the spectacular sunsets across the Bay.
Rivington
We’ve mentioned beautiful villages several times so far in this guide and Lancashire is certainly blessed with lots of them. One of the most stunning is Rivington, set amongst the natural beauty of the West Pennine Moors and famous for its chain of reservoirs, built in the 19th Century to supply water to Liverpool.
There’s plenty to see in Rivington, not least the Terraced Gardens, which were built by local soap magnate William Hesketh Lever and offer 45 acres of beautiful sights, including the Japanese Garden.
Pendle Hill
Lancashire is full of beauty but some of it is definitely more rugged than quaint. Pendle Hill falls into that category and not just because of its dark history of witches and trials. The Hill itself isn’t an easy climb but it’s a rewarding one with views across the county, and if you’re a serious walker you can take on the 43-mile Pendle Way, taking in many delightful inns and country pubs on the way.
Williamson Park
There are many beautiful parks across Lancashire but one of the most spectacular is Williamson Park in Lancaster, best known for its iconic Ashton Memorial, which dominates the local skyline and offers views across Morecambe Bay. There’s plenty more to do at the park, with woodland walks, a Butterfly House and animals like meerkats and marmosets to meet.
