Attractions in the Forest of Bowland
Country Gardens
Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens
 Cobble
Hey Farm and Gardens is a successful example of farm diversification.
Eight years ago, it was transformed from an ordinary working farm
into a country garden, open to the public.
A winner of the 2004/2005 Tourism Awards for Lancashire
and Blackpool, the farm includes an on-site tea room and gift shop.
It also has rare breed farm animals and a wide selection of rare
and unusual, herbaceous perennials for sale, all originally grown
and propagated from the garden stock.
Find
out more about Cobble Hey...
Other Gardens
Also worth a visit are the Coronation Gardens in
the centre of the village of Waddington, and the gardens surrounding
Clitheroe Castle.
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Gifts and Shopping
Penny Productions
 Anyone
who regrets the loss of traditional skills may find renewed faith
in the standard of British craftsmanship after a visit to Penny
Productions. Based at Lees Farm in Barnacre, Sally Hull's workshop
is the birthplace of many interesting, hand made wooden gifts that
are full of character and made to last.
Penny Productions makes all kind of wooden products
from locally sourced timber. Gift ideas include jewellery and memorabilia
boxes, hand crafted furniture, oak chests and many more unusual
items such as wine bottle holders and motorbike-rocking horses.
Find out more
about Penny Productions...
Tamarack Outdoors
 Based
in Great Eccleston, Tamarack Outdoors sells a wide range of outdoor
clothing and accessories, as well as high performance gear for climbers
and cyclists. It also stocks a range of specialist bushcraft products
including equipment for shelter and storage, firelighting, cutting
and for rural skills such as dry stone walling. Visitors can visit
the shop or browse on-line at the Tamarack
website, which also lists many special offers.
Fell walkers will find many well known brand names
in stock and the products typically on offer include walking boots,
base layers, waterproofs, mid-layers and wind-stoppers, headwear,
gloves and a comprehensive range of outdoor equipment including
tents, rucksacks and sleeping bags.
Find out more about Tamarack...
Other places to shop
As noted above, Cobble Hey
Farm and Gardens sells a wide selection of rare and unusual, herbaceous
perennials, and has its own gift shop.
For more general purchases, the small market town
of Garstang offers unhurried shopping in a historic environment,
while Lancaster provides all the facilities and amenities of a thriving
city. Elsewhere, many a happy hour can be spent sampling locally
produced food and other wares in the myriad villages situated within
the Forest of Bowland.
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Fishing Lakes
Cleveley Mere Fishing and Lodges
 Cleveley
Mere is a beautiful and very peaceful 23 acre lake set in a private
nature reserve, and is considered to be one of the finest smaller
trout fly fishing venues in the North West of England. Guests are
welcome to come and enjoy first class fly fishing, bird watching,
walking, and shooting in season, and to stay in very comfortable
self catering accommodation in beautiful surroundings.
The lake is rich in insect life, providing excellent
growing conditions for Rainbow and Brown trout weighing up to 20lbs.
The maximum depth of the lake is 14 feet, with the North Eastern
basin varying from 2-6 feet and the West, centre and Southern sectors
varying from 6-14 feet - all of which creates a rich and varied
fishery. The full extent of the fishing can best be enjoyed from
the Mere's 12 well-maintained boats or from strategically placed
piers and casting platforms around the banks.
Following painstaking restoration, the Mere is
now established as a private nature reserve for water fowl and wildlife
including kingfishers, deer and otter. It has become an area of
outstanding natural beauty and is now designated a Heritage Site.
Cleveley Mere is open all year round for fly fishing
and holiday lets. Private fishing parties and Corporate Hospitality
Days (based on a mixture of fly fishing and clay pigeon shooting)
are a speciality.
Find
out more about Cleveley Mere...
Wyreside Lakes Fishery
 Set
in approximately 300 acres of land, Wyreside Lakes Fishery offers
a range of attractions for anglers, including eight different fishing
lakes, a restaurant and licensed bar. The lake complex features
a mixture of carp, pike and coarse fishing - offering a variety
of species and size which will provide a challenge to both the professional
and novice angler alike. The Fishery is renowned for the quality
of its carp and was bestowed the ‘Cooper Heyman’ cup
award for excellence in restoration and conservation.
Able to cater for everything from a casual visit
to a long weekend stay (or even longer), Wyreside boasts a comfortable
farmhouse B&B as well as a caravan and campsite. Day tickets,
over night tickets and season tickets are all available.
Find out
more about Wyreside Lakes Fishery...
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Countryside Visitor
Centres
The Bowland Visitor Centre
The Bowland Visitor Centre is situated in Beacon
Fell Country Park, near to the villages of Inglewhite and Chipping.
Managed by Lancashire County Council Countryside Services, it features
a small cafe and provides information about the local environment
and wildlife. There is ample parking and the cafe serves as an excellent
starting point for walks around Beacon Fell itself. More information
about the centre can be found here.
Garstang Discovery Centre
The Discovery Centre is located on Garstang's High
Street, near to the riverside car park. It features houses an exhibition
room for special events, tourist information and a booking service
for the Wyre Countryside Activities.
Other Visitor Centres
See also Museums and Heritage
Centres.
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 Art
and Sculpture Trails
Ribble Valley Sculpture Trail
Situated towards the north eastern region of the
Forest of Bowland, this trail follows part of the well known 'Ribble
Way' and features works by both professional and amateur artists.
Beacon Fell Country Park
For a short walk, combining forested paths with
interesting sculpture, Beacon Fell is the perfect destination. It
features a number of large and impressive works carved by local
artist Thompson Dagnall. They include a snake, a bat and "Orme
Sight", a large stone head which is situated close to the visitor
centre. More about the trail can be found here.
The Lunesdale Studio Trail
For two weeks every summer, artists living and
working in Lunesdale open up their studios to public visitors. A
rare treat for art lovers, this annual event provides an opportunity
to see top quality paintings, sculpture, ceramics and other works
in a picturesque environment. More information about the trail can
be found here.
Oakenclough Buildings
This rural business designs and manufactures a
range of timber garden buildings. However, it has plans to host
a working artist in a purpose made workshop within its outdoor display
area, further details of which will be posted soon.
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Museums
and Heritage Centres
Roman Museum, Ribchester
In the early '70s of the first century AD, Ribchester
was established as a Roman fort. Today, the museum provides a fascinating
insight into military and civilian life in the town (then called
Bremetenacum Veteranorum) almost two thousand years ago. Run by
the charitable organisation, the Ribchester Museum Trust, it is
open weekdays between 10am and 5pm and weekends from noon until
5pm. More information about the museum can be found here.
Clitheroe Castle Museum
Clitheroe Castle was built in 1186 by Robert de
Lacy and has been a proud feature of the town ever since. The Castle
Museum can be found next to the Castle Keep in the Castle Grounds.
There is a reconstructed lead mine, clogger's shop and an Edwardian
kitchen (with hearing loop), all with sound. There is also a cafe
in the grounds open from Easter to September which is five minutes'
walk from the Museum. More information about the museum can be found
here.
Slaidburn Heritage Centre
Slaidburn Heritage Centre features a range of exhibitions
and displays that tell the history of this region of Bowland. The
displays, tearoom, toilets, shop and tourist information are all
located at ground level. More information about the centre can be
found here.
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Historic Sites
Bleasdale Circle
Discovered in 1898, Bleasdale Circle is an ancient
monument, thought to be of the Bronze Age but possibly dating to
Neolithic times. Originally formed from wooden posts, the extent
of the circle is still visible in the form of two concentric ring
ditches, although the wooden post fragments have long since been
replaced with concrete markers. Early excavations unearthed burial
remains and a small cup and two urns, which were subsequently removed
for display at the Harris Museum in Preston. Lancashire County Council
is planning to erect a new visitor information board at the site
and greater public access will be provided. See the Lancashire
County Council website for more details.
Other Historic Sites
Within the Forest of Bowland, there are many historic
sites ranging from the very ancient to those giving an insight into
our relatively recent industrial heritage. There are ruined abbeys
at Sawley and Whalley, well known castles in Lancaster, Clitheroe
and Hornby, and many interesting relics of the industrial revolution.
The Bowland Experience organises various themed walks and other
events, so if you have an interest in a particular subject or period,
please let us know.
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