Clitheroe Castle
One of England's smallest Norman keeps on a rock above the town, with a labyrinth, sculpture trail and a museum that tells the Ribble Valley's story briskly. The grounds and the views cost nothing.
Bowland Country Park
- Cost
- £6.50 per car
- Ages
- 4 to 8
- Where
- Clitheroe & Ribble Valley, Lancashire
- Weather
- Mostly outdoors
- Booking
- Just turn up, weekends in term time
Wild boar, red deer, llamas, alpacas and meerkats on the banks of the River Hodder in the Forest of Bowland, with feed to buy for the animals, an adventure play area, go-karts and woodland walks. Unslick, family-run and better for it.
Entry is £6.50 a car, not per head, which makes it one of the cheapest days out in Lancashire. The catch is the calendar: weekends only in term time, Thursday to Sunday in the holidays. It pairs naturally with Clitheroe Castle for a Ribble Valley day, and wellies in the boot are never wasted here.
What it costs: £6.50 per vehicle, not per person. Animal feed is bought on site. Open weekends 10 to 4 in term time and Thursday to Sunday in school holidays, plus most bank holidays, with some closed dates in winter.
Looking for more days out in Clitheroe & Ribble Valley?
Sending it to the group chat?
What visitors say
★★★★★ 4.6 across 998 Google reviews.
Read all 998 reviews on Google - filter by star rating thereAlso in Clitheroe & Ribble Valley
Brungerley Park & Sculpture Trail
Woodland, riverbank and an old quarry scattered with more than 20 sculptures, a mile from Clitheroe town centre. Turns an ordinary walk into a treasure hunt, and it costs nothing.
Edisford Bridge
The Ribble runs shallow over shingle on the town side of the bridge, which is why half of Clitheroe turns up on a warm Sunday. Picnic space, a miniature railway at weekends, free to use.
Leaping Lizards Play Centre
Clitheroe's soft play: a two-storey frame, a sports pitch and a 0 to 3 zone, in two hour booked sessions for £7 a child. Friday after school is £2.50.
Mrs Dowsons Farm Park
A working dairy farm on the Blackburn edge of the Ribble Valley that makes ice cream from its own herd and opens to visitors at weekends and in the holidays. Talks, animal feeds, a milking parlour and an indoor natural play barn.
Gisburn Forest
Forestry England's big forest in the Forest of Bowland, with a Room on the Broom trail for 3 to 9s, a play area, four walking and four cycling trails and the Hungry Pine cafe. Entry is free. Parking is not cheap.
What’s on near you, every Friday
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.