RURAL HOTSPOT

LAND OF BEAUTIFUL FELLS, GOOD HONEST FOLK AND RENOWNED GASTROPUBS

We’ve fallen in love with Lancashire’s Ribble Valley

Enjoy rolling green fells and majestic buildings, such as Stonyhurst College

With Clitheroe at its administrative centre, the Ribble Valley occupies more than 200 square miles of north-east Lancashire countryside along the River Ribble, and is something of a charmed realm.

A far cry from the industrial towns that border it, this is a land of Best Kept Villages and towns that have changed little over time, dotted among the heathery heaths of the Forest of Bowland. Truly a happy valley, the Ribble scored highly on the Office for National Statistics’ wellbeing index 2019.

IN THE ESTATE AGENT’S WINDOW New developments have eased the market making now a good time to up sticks to Clitheroe or Whalley, where good schools attract families. Stone-built terraces, originally for mill workers, are typical; a sizeable one will cost £260,000. For a rural five-bed haven, prices rise to £450,000. Flooding isn’t unheard of, but riverside homes in villages are very saleable, according to Angela Lorek of Anderton Bosonnet estate agents. ‘You’ll pay a higher pound per square foot for Waddington, Downham or Wiswell,’ she says. BUTCHERS, BAKERS & COFFEE MAKERS Best known for Lancashire hotpot, the valley is now a hub for gastropubs. The Inn at Whitewell (featured in BBC2’S The Trip) and the Assheton Arms in Downham are both commended by The Good Pub Guide. Star attraction in Clitheroe is former textile mill Holmes Mill, now a beer and food hall. And with 50 sausage types, Cowman’s Famous Sausage Shop is a banger. COUNTRY LIFE & CULTURE Overlooked by a medieval castle, with an excellent museum, is vibrant Clitheroe – Ribble’s largest social centre. Ease your way in with a lunch club or pop choir. The Everyman Cinema offers good films. For festivals, expect everything from the sublime to the ridiculous, from Last Night of the Proms at the castle, to a rubber duck race on the river. SCHOOLS ‘Good’ village primary schools abound. Of the secondary provision, Ofsted rates technologyfocused Ribblesdale as ‘Good’; Bowland High and St Augustine’s RC High are ‘Outstanding’, as is Clitheroe Royal Grammar.

GET AROUND Country lanes are predominant, yet the A59 reaches the M6 in 30 minutes. Trains are regular from Manchester to Clitheroe over the Whalley viaduct. West of Clitheroe, they’re patchier. IN THE AREA For literature buffs, the Tolkien Trail is not to be missed. The Lord of the Rings author worked on his novel while visiting his son at Stonyhurst College. The local tourist office suggests ‘Walks with Taste’, which all start and finish at great places to eat. Or, rip round Gisburn Forest’s bike trails, then indulge.