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We’re not short of a famous face or two in Lancashire, whether they’re born and bred Lancastrians, have found inspiration in our great county or simply love our ‘Lanky’ ways. Follow in their footsteps and bask in their greatness.
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Gawthorpe Hall
Re-modelled by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament, Gawthorpe Hall near Burnley, was used by its staunch Parliamentarian owner, Colonel Shuttleworth, as a base for the roundhead armies during the civil war in the 17th Century. You can relive history by watching one of the annual battle re-enactments held in the grounds of the hall.
Pendle Heritage Centre
Park Hall Farm, now Pendle Heritage Centre, had been the family home of the Bannisters from the 15th Century. You might have heard of their most famous descendent, Roger Bannister, who became famous for being the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes. The exhibition includes a small section on the Bannister family and Roger’s achievement.
Hoghton Tower
In 1617 Sir Richard de Hoghton invited King James I to stay at Hoghton Tower, welcoming the monarch with a ¾ mile red velvet carpet that stretched the length of the driveway. It is said that the King was so enamoured by a loin of beef he ate during a banquet at Hoghton Tower that he knighted it ‘Sir Loin’. Today you can take a tour of the banqueting hall and staterooms visited by James I.
The Brontë Way
Charlotte Brontë visited her neighbour Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth at Gawthorpe Hall on a number of occasions in the 1850s and it was whilst staying at Gawthorpe that her pseudonym ‘Currer Bell’ was blown. The Brontë sisters also liked to visit to the pretty hamlet of Wycoller and the secluded ruins of Wycoller Hall which would have been a four mile walk across the South Pennine Moors from Haworth. The ruins are said by exper ts to have been the inspiration for Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. Explore the ruins for yourself.
Helmshore Mill
The achievements of Lancastrian engineers Richard Arkwright (inventor of the spinning frame) and James Hargreaves (inventor the spinning jenny) can be seen and heard at Queen Street Mill Textile Museum in Burnley and Helmshore Mills Textile Museum near Haslingden. Once you’ve experienced the noise of 300 working looms at Queen Street Mill you’ll not be surprised to learn that workers honed their lip reading skills to communicate with each other.
Stonyhurst College
As a guest and teacher at Stonyhurst College during the second world war JRR Tolkien spent much of his time working on The Lord of the Rings in one of the upper floor classrooms. Intriguingly many fans have noticed that a number of place names that appear in the novel are similar to those found locally, but what do you think? Find your inner Hobbit by following the five mile Tolkien Trail starting from the village of Hurst Green.
Pendle Hill
Although most famous for its connection to the Lancashire Witch Trials of 1612, did you know that George Fox was inspired to start the Quaker movement after experiencing a vision whilst on Pendle Hill in 1652? We can’t promise inspirational apparitions but the view from the top, at 557 metres high, is still pretty impressive.
Lancaster Castle
Owned by the Queen, or the Duke of Lancashire as she’s known locally, Lancaster Castle has been the property of the monarch since 1399. The Shire Hall has a collection of over 650 heraldic shields bearing the arms of every English monarch from Richard the Lionheart.
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An Elizabethan Gem in industrial Lancashire, period rooms, work by Charles Barry and Pugin, nationally important Rachel Kay - Shuttleworth textile collection, National Portrait Gallery paintings, connections to English Civil War.
The Pendle Heritage Centre is open daily and includes a Garden Tearoom, 18th Century Walled Garden, Cruck Frame Barn, a Parlour shop, Tourist Information Centre, Pendle Arts Gallery and a Conference Centre.
An historic house with magnificent state apartments, banqueting hall, ballroom, grounds and dolls' houses on display.
In a valley largely devoted to sheep and cattle rearing, Wycoller Country Park has a good network of footpaths for walkers. The hamlet of Wycoller includes historic Wycoller Hall.
The hall was built by the Hartley family at the end of the 16th century and subsequently extended in the 18th by Squire Henry Owen Cunliffe, in order to attract a wealthy wife. Charlotte Brontë is thought to have frequently visited Wycoller village.
Visit a place where Lancashire’s industrial past is brought to life through a multi-sensory experience like no other. Witness our spellbinding historic machinery in action; where the noisy clicks, clunks, thumps and distinctive scents will transport you to another era.
Queen Street Mill is Grade 1 listed and the last surviving 19th century steam powered weaving mill in the world.
One of the largest buildings in the North West. This magnificent 16thC manor house is home to a famous Catholic co-educational independent boarding and day school. Tours include dormitories, library, chapels and school rooms.
History and legend has woven a spell over Pendle. Pendle Hill rises above this ancient hunting ground, once the home of wolves and wild boar and to this day dotted with tiny hamlets and farms.
Steeped in almost 1000 years of history including the trials of the Pendle Witches and the Birmingham Six, Lancaster Castle is one of the most important historic monuments in the North West. Come and visit the old cells, Shire Hall and Crown Court.
A 9km (5 1/2 miles) circular walk starting and finishing at Hurst Green in Ribble Valley, Lancashire. The village of Hurst Green is situated in the Ribble Valley, one of the most glorious landscapes in Britain.
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