Holidaying in Lancashire

Barnacre Holiday Cottages are beautifully located for a self-catering cottage holiday in Lancashire, with lots to do right on the doorstep, yet with easy access to the M6. Blackpool and Lancaster are nearby, and the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria and the Lake District are all within easy travelling for days out.

Barnacre is set in the Forest of Bowland in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you enjoy walking, there are many footpaths and lanes to follow, including the popular Nicky Nook and Grizedale Valley walks that follow the river through the valley up to the reservoirs. With wildlife in abundance, walking is a pleasure, whatever the weather. For those who like a break along the way, the nearby village of Scorton with its café, coffee shop and pub offers a welcome rest and the energy for the uphill walk back.

Only four miles away is the small, pleasant town of Garstang, with lots of small shops and a weekly market on the High Street every Thursday. Lancaster is just twenty minutes away, and is a truly historic city with the Castle and Prison especially worth a visit, along with the Museum, Tropical Butterfly House, Dukes Theatre, and summer plays held in Williamson Park.

If eating out is your pleasure, there is a wide range of really good restaurants, including ones offering gourmet dinners, and traditional pubs within a few miles radius of Barnacre; many are suitable for children.

Farther afield, a 45 minute drive will take you to Kendal in the Lake District. Windermere, Bowness and Ullswater possess attractions ranging from the World of Beatrix Potter to a steam train ride at Ravenglass.

Besides fabulous floral displays, the Holker Hall Garden Festival in June has lots of stalls and plants for sale. Lowther Park holds the famous Horse Trials and Country Show in August each year, with a variety of things to see, such as the ferret competition.

Blackpool is a major attraction for people of all ages. Its many attractions include the Pleasure Beach with its 235 feet high Pepsi Max roller coaster, Blackpool Zoo, the Illuminations each autumn and, of course, the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool's fine beaches should not be overlooked, as they have won awards for cleanliness, despite the donkeys!

Each of our self-catering holiday cottages has a variety of relevant walking books and lots of information about the many attractions and heritage of Lancashire and the surrounding areas. You can find more information by visiting some of the local websites listed in our links section. And, of course, we're always happy to give our guests the benefit of our own local knowledge.