Bowland Country Park
Wild boar, deer and llamas in a Forest of Bowland valley, with animal feeding, a barrel train and river walks. Small, unslick and all the better for it.
Edisford Bridge
Clitheroe & Ribble Valley, Lancashire
Start with the bad news. The playground is shut: Ribble Valley began a 300,000 pound rebuild in June 2026 and it is fenced off until roughly September, and the council's own park page does not mention it.
The river is the better half anyway. Edisford Bridge is where Clitheroe goes when the sun comes out, because the Ribble widens and slows here and at low water a gently sloping shingle beach appears. That means paddling, skimming stones and one child who goes in fully dressed within ten minutes. Ribble Valley Borough Council looks after the site and it costs nothing to use.
On dry land there is picnic space on the banks and the Ribble Valley Live Steamers running a miniature railway at set weekend times. An ice cream van usually finds its way there in summer. The Changing Places toilet is a genuinely useful piece of kit for a riverside site, with hoists, an adult sized changing bench, a shower and privacy screens, available 24 hours a day to anyone with a Radar key.
Two parking notes. The main Edisford Road car park is short stay pay and display with 233 spaces. The disabled bays on the riverbank itself need a security card from The Platform Gallery in town, released against a £20 refundable deposit, which makes it a job for the day before.
What it costs: Free to visit. Ribble Valley Borough Council's Edisford Road car park is pay and display and the tariff is not published on the park page. The Changing Places toilet needs a Radar key. The riverside blue badge car park needs a security card from The Platform Gallery in Clitheroe with a £20 refundable deposit.
Know before you go
- The playground is shut. Ribble Valley started a 300,000 pound rebuild in June 2026 and it is fenced off until roughly September, which the council's own park page does not mention. Come for the river.
- When the river is low a shingle beach appears and the paddling is the main event. Take old trainers, because the stones are unkind to bare feet.
- The miniature railway only runs at set times at weekends, so do not promise it on a Tuesday in term time.
Seasonal: Play area closed for rebuilding until Sept 2026. Check before travelling.
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