Clitheroe campsites

The town of Clitheroe is located in Lancashire and offers a hodge podge of enticing fun, from well-attended festivals to ancient architecture.

Not to be missed is Clitheroe Castle, said to be the smallest Norman castle in England, is now home to a Museum and 16 acres of landscaped gardens, which houses attractions to appeal to every age group. They include a bandstand, children’s playground, skate-park and Lancashire’s first labyrinth. The Rose Garden also features quirky metal and limestone sculptures. Plus, a trip to the castle is a great opportunity to admire the views over the town.

The Clitheroe Mystery Treasure Trail is full of unanswered questions and needs a crack team of spies to solve the case. Are you up to it? At approximately 1.2 miles long the trail should take around 1.5 hours to complete, but there’s plenty to see along the way. Tucked away in the Ribble Valley, begin with the Castle Museum near the keep before winding your way through some lovely old streets. The case can wait!

A trip to 4Kids Play and Party Centre does what it says on the tin: lets kids play and you guessed it, party! Children can run riot with a controlled indoor soft play centre, slides, a ball pool and the sure favourite, a big bouncy castle! For entertainment of the spooky variety, take a stroll after dark on the Clitheroe Ghost Walk with Top Hat Tours.

If you prefer green spaces The Forest of Bowland has been given its AONB status because of its beautiful countryside, amazing wildlife, cultural heritage, and the fantastic opportunities it offers, from forest walks, mountain biking and spotting woodland birds to hill climbing and sculpture trails.

The majestic Pendle Hill towers over the picturesque towns and villages of East Lancashire and Ribble Valley. It’s an exhilarating and fantastic walk. Astonishingly, on a clear day and just off the summit, you can see Blackpool Tower and the sea. 

The landscapes of the Forest are captivating by day but after the sun sets there’s a whole new world to discover in the dark skies over Bowland. The night skies over Bowland have recently been recognized as some of the darkest in England and granted official status as Dark Sky Discovery Sites. On a clear cloud-free and ideally moonless night, the skies above the Forest become home to all manner of legendary figures and mythical beasts.

Looking for action, Battlestorm Clitheroe is a family friendly indoor Laser combat centre. Battle through a derelict warehouse, disused shop, or defend the military base. Battlestorm is perfect for drop in games, where you can simply turn up and play.

Sporting fans might want to enjoy a day at Clitheroe Golf Club, one of the country’s best inland courses.

The local shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs are great places to include in some laidback exploration of the town. The town also hosts a regular market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the perfect way to taste the best of Lancashire.

Whalley Abbey, a 14th century gatehouse which belonged to the nearby Cistercian abbey is also a great place to explore - it was once the second wealthiest monastery in Lancashire.

Nearby Gisburn Forest, in north east Lancashire, in the heart of the Forest of Bowland AONB, is a great place for mountain biking with two fantastic trails to really test your skills. Both start at Gisburn Forest Hub, which also has a skills loop, viewpoint over the forest and the Forest Den Café. Walking trails around the adjacent Stocks Reservoir add more gentle options to the forest’s activities.

In addition, the towns of Blackburn, Burnley and the city of Preston can be reached in around half an hour by car from Clitheroe.