One of England's smallest Norman keeps stands on its rock above the town, with a labyrinth and a brisk, well-done museum in the grounds. The keep itself is closed to the public for restoration at the moment, so you look at it from outside, but the view from the castle hill still explains eight hundred years of border history.
Grounds are free; the museum is £5.20 an adult and free for under 18s. Add the town's famous sausage shops for lunch and Bowland Country Park up the valley for the afternoon.
What it costs: Grounds free. Museum adults £5.20, children up to 18 free, Xplorer pass £25. Museum open daily 11 to 4 until 31 October, then 12 to 4 and closed Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 November to 14 February.
Halloween crafts at Clitheroe Castle Museum: a wool castle cat for £2 or a spooky tealight holder for £3, no museum ticket needed. Drop in between 11am and 4pm, all ages.
The Ribble Valley's big bonfire night on the field below the castle, a Saturday this year, from 5pm. Adults £6, children 3 to 17 £3, under 3s free. Strictly ticket-only with bag searches, and no dogs, bikes, alcohol, fireworks or sparklers.
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Wild boar, deer and llamas in a Forest of Bowland valley, with animal feeding, an adventure play area, go-karts and river walks. Small, unslick and all the better for it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.