Bewitched by Ribble Valley

Oct 20 2008 Craig Woodhouse discovers the delights ff Lancashire

When I told people I was going for a weekend away near Preston, I met with and a few bemused looks.

While trips to the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales are commonplace, people don't seem to know about the Ribble Valley.

First up was a trip to Clitheroe, a picturesque hilltop town, boasting some upmarket boutiques, interesting delis and a gallery housed in the old railway station. It retains a traditional feel, and offers impressive views of the surrounding area from the Norman castle. Having seen the imposing Pendle Hill from atop the castle walls, we set off in that direction.

There is a path carved out of the hillside to help with the climb, but it remains challenging - at 1,827ft Pendle is only 173ft short of officially being a mountain - and would be particularly tricky in the wet. Not to mention in the dark of Halloween, when many people make a midnight pilgrimage.

We were blessed with a lovely sunny afternoon. From the top, the rolling farmland below was shrouded in mist. It wasn't hard to believe that witches once called the area home.

The following day we paid a visit to Bowland wild boar park. The Forest of Bowland was once prime hunting ground, populated by boars, and the park offers a chance to get close to these magnificent creatures. It's an ideal place to bring children, with a play park and tractor rides in addition to the boar, wallabies, cattle and deer that have their own enclosures. From there we began a picturesque drive through the Whitewell estate to the village of Dunsop Bridge.

Passing along single track lanes without another car in sight, it was easy to imagine this was how Britain's other beauty spots looked before they became popular. All we encountered were the odd group of walkers.

In Dunsop Bridge itself we took turns to stand inside Britain's 100,000th phone box, which stands in the exact centre of the British Isles, according to Ordance Survey, before enjoying homemade meat pies and scones in the post office tea room. Weset offona magnificent drive through the Trough of Bowland, which seemed to encapsulate the best of Britain's countryside. Woodland passes, bleak heaths, narrow twisting roads through rocky outcrops, and a magnificent ascent to a plain, which afforded views as far as Morecambe

Bay and over Lancaster.

We headed on towards Lancaster. But having enjoyed the countryside so much, we decided that ending in a city might just have spoilt the feeling of magic and mystery, so set off home instead.

We'd had such a great time in the tranquillity of the Ribble Valley that it was a shame to have to tell other people about it, so we're sticking to saying we went for a weekend near Preston.

If you go to explore it, don't be surprised to find yourself doing the same.