Journey to the centre of England
Ribble Valley, Lancashire
Head to the geographic centre of England, the Forest of Bowland, via pretty English villages, traditional pubs and film and literature locations.
It’s been designated an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, so expect to be impressed by The Forest of Bowland. The exact geographic centre couldn’t be quainter – the tiny village of Dunsop Bridge – with its teashop, riverside ducks and stunning fell views.
Head to Hurst Green and enjoy a traditional pint of ale at The Shireburn Arms, whose surrounding landscape was inspiration for Middle Earth in Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was another author moved by the area, depicted in the Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Visit the historic market town of Clitheroe and explore its independent shops, admire the picture perfect English village of Downham, regularly used as a film and TV location, and visit the Roman museum and baths at Ribchester.
Lancashire is in northwest England, around 250 miles (400 km) from London, and 60 miles (97 km) from Manchester.
Content provided by Visit Lancashire