Lancashire Set-Jetting Film Itinerary: East Lancashire, the Ribble Valley and the surrounding areas

Iconic mills, rolling hills and a national landscape that rivals the beauty of the Lake District means that East Lancashire and the Ribble Valley are often used to showcase the quintessential British countryside on our tv and cinema screens. Many great movies and shows have been filmed in the area, so why not jump in the car and find see some of the onscreen treasures for yourself. 

Day one: Clitheroe and its surrounding towns and villages 

Start your road trip with a visit to Clitheroe itself. This beautiful market town boasts a whole host of independent retailers, its own castle and stunning views across the Ribble Valley. The town will be very familiar to any Take That fans who watched the fictional fan film Greatest Days which released in 2023 as it was used for the hometown of the five main characters growing up. You can take part in the Greatest Days selfie trail, taking in the castle, the high street, the local church and the stunning Grand Theatre – why not stop by for a show?  

Clitheroe also had its place in the spotlight during the 2022 film We Are Not Alone, and the classic Whistle Down the Wind back in 1961, but the majority of filming for the movie was done in nearby Downham, where our next stop will be. The Bostock family farm scenes took place on a farm on the outskirts of the village. The film is considered one of the greatest British films of all time and those who love it will be sure to recognise much of the areas rugged landscape. 

While visiting Downam be sure to call into the Assheton Arms for a bite to eat. This quintessential English countryside pub was renamed The Signalman’s Arms in the BBC drama Born and Bred which aired between 2002 and 2005 and is a must visit for sure.  

Also nearby is Stonyhurst College, which is the UK's leading Catholic boarding and day school for 3–18-year-olds. If your visit is within school holidays, be sure to check if the Stonyhurst Museum is open and pop by for a visit. Not only will you be able to see one of the only copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio, but you’ll be able to drive down the impress school driveway and see the beautiful building for yourself, which you may well recognise from the Three Men and A Little Lady film from 1990.  

The area is well known for its beautiful wedding venues, the ability to hire alpacas for your wedding day and the availability of amazing wedding supplies such as photographers, florists and bridal boutiques. Many of these were featured in the 2023 TV Show Wedding Valley, which followed real life couples getting married at various venues across the Ribble Valley. While in the area you could also choose to stop by places such as Browsholme Hall, Stirk House, Mrs Dowsons Farm, Mytton Fold and more wedding venues which also offer visitors a great day out including tours of historic houses, mouthwatering restaurants, farm parks and more. 

Our final stop for day one is the Inn at Whitewell, which starred in the very first episode of the BAFTA ward winning The Trip back in 2010. The TV series stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as they take a road trip around the north west visiting different restaurants and for Steve to “review”. The episode hilariously resulted in Steve and Rob having to share a bed – but don’t worry, the Inn at Whitewell will be perfectly suited for you on your first evening stopover in the area on this itinerary.  

Day two: Ribble Valley to East Lancashire  

Start your second day by travelling across to East Lancashire. You can choose to have a stop off in Barnoldswick, a little town that offers a traditional high street which has been voted as one of the best in Britian. It’s in the town centre where you will find The Parade from the film A Private Function, an Alan Bennett screenplay starring none other than Maggie Smith and Michael Palin in 1984. 

Our next stop is Colne, another fantastic east Lancashire market town, head for a walk around the town and see if you can spot the streets used during the “Every Sperm is Sacred” scenes from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life which was filmed between 1982 and 83. 

After a morning of enjoying East Lancashire market towns it's time to head towards Burnley – one of the largest of the area's towns. On the way, stop at Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, a Grade I building which houses a museum where you can witness the last surviving 19th century steam powered weaving mill in operation. The mill was used in the 2010 Colin Firth film The King’s Speech.  

Before heading to Burnley, BBC comedy fans may want to swing into Padiham which was used as the fictional town of Roker Bridge in the 1990s All Quiet on the Preston Front starring a young Alistair Mcgowan, Colin Buchanan and Adrian Hood. The series ran for three seasons from 1994 to 1997, becoming known as just Preston Front in the final two seasons. Why not stop at Gawthorpe Hall which has been the subject of tv shows in the past and used in music videos too!  

The town of Burnley has had a whole host of success on screen in recent years, and it continues with the story of Dave Fishwick. There are various places within the town that have appeared on the Netflix hit all about Dave’s life – Bank of Dave, and now the January 2025 follow up Bank Of Dave 2. Fans of the movie will be able to spot Burnley Manchester Road Station, the Magistrates Court and Turf Moor, Burnley Football Club's home ground, during a visit to the town.  

After a whistle stop tour of Burnley, we head down the road to Bacup. On your way through the rolling moors separating Burnley and Bacup any fans of the Sky TV hit Brassic may find themselves in familiar territory. These roads, and those surrounding Bacup appear throughout the series as Vinnie and co speed their way out of many of the mindboggling situations they find themselves in.  

As soon as you step into Bacup you’ll find yourself in the heart of the show. This is, of course, due to the fact that Bacup has been transformed into the fictional town of Hawley for all six seasons of the show, which features Michelle Keegan and has been running since 2019. 

The town has been used for filming in a number of great shows and movies over the years with Lee Quarry, a well loved mountain bike trail, used as part of the filming for a Peaky Blinders episode in 2022. Both the quarry and Future Park were used in the BBC drama Waterloo Road and The Swan, now a popular restaurant in the town, featured in the BAFTA award winning movie My Summer of Love starring Emily Blunt in 2003. 

For your second night enjoy a peaceful stay at Rossendale Holiday Cottages and Glamping Pods which offer beautiful views over the moorland in the area.  

Day Three: Rossendale, Blackburn and Darwen  

For day three head into the Rossendale market towns, the towns and the surrounding countryside in this part of Lancashire have featured in many small screen shows over the years due to their quintessential nature.  

ITV Drama Ridley, starring Adrian Dunbar, which aired in 2022, used a number of locations in and around Rossendale for filming, including a pub in Crawshawbooth, a farm near Rawtenstall and residential homes in the area.  

Rawtenstall is home to one of the stations on the East Lancashire Railway heritage line, which offers a beautiful way to explore the Irwell Valley during your visit. Trains and stations on this line have been used in a number of shows and movies including Paddington 2 in 2017, Millions from 2004, starring James Nesbitt, and Amy Foster (Swept from the Sea), a 1997 film starring Rachel Wiez and Ian Mckellan which features Rawtenstall Station in one of the scenes.  

While the main filming location of the 2008 BBC Sci-fi show Survivors was a residential home in Helmshore, the market towns of Haslingden and Rawtenstall were blocked off for a period of filming looting scenes in the apocalyptic world.  

Helmshore is home to the marvel that is the Helmshore Mill Textile Museum and both history and film lovers should definitely make this a stop off in any itinerary. For the history lovers, this textile museum offers a glimpse into the past, bringing industry back to life through a mutli-sensory experience like no other. The cotton and wool mills at Helmshore offer lots of insight info the industrial heritage of the area and the blast to the past has been recognised on screen too with the museum having been used in the BBC’s 2004 adaptation of North and South. Some scenes in the adaptation were also filmed at the previously mentioned Queen Street Mill in Burnley.  

Our next stop is Accrington which was the main location for the BAFTA Award Winning adaptation of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. The location was chosen as the town was the home of author Jannette Winterson so why not take a walk down the streets of this literary great during your tour, or stop by the Haworth Art Gallery during your visit? The town was also used in scenes from Juliet Bravo, a popular 1980s TV show about a female police inspector.  

Nearby Blackburn was used as the location for Kidnapping By Indians, believed to be the first dramatic films in the Western Genre. At just under 2 minutes long, the silent film which dates back to 1899 does not offer a specific location to visit, but its fascinating to see that Lancashire’s screen time goes so far back.  

Our final stop on this tour is the town of Darwen, which was the town used by the producers as the home of Hetty Wainthropp, played by British icon Patricia Routledge, throughout the four season run of Hetty Wainthropp Investigates from 1996 to 1998. Filming also took place at Blackburn train station, a guest house in Fleetwood and Burnley Central Library, the Wharf and the Town Hall. Darwen is located on the hillside on the edge of East Lancashire, while here we recommend taking in the views from its prominent landmark; Darwen Tower.