Pendle
Most famous for its links to the now notorious witch trials of 1612, Pendle Hill and its surrounding towns and villages are a truly bewitching area of Lancashire.
With stunning countryside, popular with walkers and cyclists, the market towns of Colne and Nelson and celebrated events like the Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival and Colne Grand Prix, this area has more than one trick up its sleeve.
There’s no escaping the attraction of the Pendle Witches who were tried and sentenced to death over 400 years ago for so called acts of witch craft. Sorcery and magic aside, their story is woven through the landscape giving you the opportunity to walk, cycle or drive through some pretty spectacular Pennine countryside, whilst brushing up on your history.
All this great countryside also gives you plenty of opportunities to buy and eat locally reared meat and produce at places like Roaming Roosters, and visit family friendly farm attractions like Thornton Hall Country Park.
The mill towns of Barnoldswick, Nelson, Barrowford and Colne are a quirky mix of traditional and trendy with mill outlets and old school weekly markets alongside vintage and designer shops.
Pendle's Quirky Towns
Nelson - home to the Shuttle . . . visit the new look town centre complete with its very own 12m weaving shuttle. Whilst you’re here why not see if you can translate the Lancashire phrases engraved on stone cubes around the shuttle. Nelson recently won a bid to become one of the country’s first Mary Portas towns.
Barnoldswick - Affectionately known locally as Barlick, and distinctly different to “clone town” Britain, the town has a great market and the second highest concentration of independent shops in the UK. Barnoldswick was recently voted as being better than the Trafford Centre, winning hands down for shopper experience!
Colne - If you haven’t visited Colne recently you’re really in for a treat, it’s a great town bursting with lots to do and see.
Picturesque villages
Barley and Roughlee - Rural delight doesn’t come much better than in these two beautiful villages. Barley is a honey pot for visitors as it’s the base from which people climb the iconic Pendle Hill or visit the Pendle Sculpture Trail. Roughlee was the home of one of the most famous of the Pendle Witches, Alice Nutter, who has had a sculpture built of her which sits proudly in the village.
Trawden and Wycoller - These pretty villages offer the visitor a real escape in the country. Wycoller is home to the beautiful Wycoller Country Park and was visited frequently by the famous Bronte sisters. There are many local walking and cycling routes icluding the trail that takes you to the landscape sculpture known as The Atom. Nearby are the villages of Foulridge and Laneshaw Bridge. All are visitor gems in their own right. Foulridge for its historic canalside buildings and boat rides. Picturesque Laneshaw Bridge, and Trawden, where many a walker starts his ascent of Boulsworth Hill.
Barrowford is a small town with a village feel, full of chic designer shops, spa and beauty parlours as well as specialist food and drink stores. All this is just seconds away from the relaxation of Barrowford park and the idyllic canal. You don’t have to travel to big cities to get your fix of glitz and glamour Barrowford has all that you could need . . . and more!
Want to find out about what else Pendle has to offer? Why not check out our feauture in our Visitor Magazine '24 hours around Pendle' for some ideas.
Discover more www.visitpendle.com
View the Pendle Visitors Guide here.