Bewitched by stunning scenery

6:50am Saturday 16th August 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

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

While trips to the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales are commonplace, for some reason people just don’t seem to know about the Ribble Valley.

I had been tipped off about the area by a friend from nearby Bolton, who swore it was a great place for a getaway.

Our hotel for the weekend, the Gibbon Bridge near Chipping in the Forest of Bowland, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

We stayed in a spacious split-level suite, with a whirlpool bath, and although the temptation was to stay in and enjoy the food prepared by head chef Gary Buxton –using local ingredients and vegetables grown in the hotel's grounds – we decided to venture out after a good night’s sleep.

First up was a trip to Clitheroe, which to be honest was an accidental stop on our way to follow the Pendle Witches Trail.

A picturesque hilltop town, Clitheroe boasts some upmarket boutiques alongside interesting delis and a gallery housed in the old railway station. But it also retains a traditional feel, and offers impressive views of the surrounding area from the Norman castle which dominates its skyline.

Having seen the imposing Pendle Hill from atop the castle walls, we set off in that direction to explore the rolling countryside and six tiny villages that surround it.

It was this area that was home to the Pendle Witches – nine women convicted of witchcraft in 1612 and sent to the scaffold at Lancaster, some 50 miles away.

Having made our way through Worston and enjoyed a cup of tea in the post office at Downham, we continued driving down country lanes through farmland and countryside that evokes a bygone age.

With Pendle Hill always in our sights, and seeming to invite us to climb it, we stopped at the Pendle Inn in Barley (motif: a witch on a broomstick) for a Lancashire ploughmans and a pint of Blond Witch to muster up the energy.

The following day we continued our pursuit of the witches trail by paying a visit to Bowland wild boar park.

The Forest of Bowland was once prime hunting ground heavily populated by boar, 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.

Destination information is available from Clitheroe Tourist Information (01200 425566) and Forest of Bowland (01772 534140 and www.forestofbowland.com).

BY CRAIG WOODHOUSE