Nice route in Lancashire please - Bowland ?

[Rushy]

On Thursday I need to leave my car near Bilsborrow on the A6 just North of Preston for the day.

I'll have Lou & little Phoebe with me and with a whole day to kill I was hoping someone could recommend a nice scenic drive (75 to 100 miles MAX , or less) with a nice picnic or lunch stop . The Lakes is the obvious choice but we've been many times and I know the Forest of Bowland is nearby which we haven't seen .

Start and end point needs to be close to Jnc 32 / Broughton on the B5269

Coastal or inland . What have you got ?

Ian

 

[Doc Savage]

Rushy Just head for Whitewell which is smack bang in the middle of the trough - lunch at the Inn at whitewell. Have an explore around there.

On your return have a quick stop off for a brew at Beacon Fell country park on the way back ! sorted

 

[Kritou]

Seriously, there is only one place for lunch - the Inn at Whitewell .......... www.innatwhitewell.com

Weather is not looking too brilliant for Thurs so you may have to sit inside rather than on the terrace overlooking the river Hodder, but it is still the most scenic spot in the Northwest

Drive on to nearby Dunsop bridge to feed the ducks - you/they will not be disapointed - then west along Langden Brook and over the moors to rejoin the M6

50 miles or so in God's own country ('though much of it is owned by The Queen/Duchy of Lancaster)

 

[mikeTR]

if you haven't done the Bowland run, then you should try it.

If I knew how to send a route on google maps, then I could identify some of the better roads as without local knowledge they are easily miss able. (I live in Inglewhite, so its my local area)

I will have a little play with google maps

 

[Rushy]

Thanks for the tips guys The Inn at Whitewell it is then.

Mike, I got your PMs . The last one with the google maps route looks really good thanks very much.

Ian

 

[trebor]

.....The Inn at Whitewell it is then

You'll not be disappointed, I'm sure. This is one of my favourite (if not the favourite) eating out places in the Lancs/Cumbria region.

 

[Rushy]

Drive on to nearby Dunsop bridge to feed the ducks - you/they will not be disapointed -

This is a definite . Phoebe is 11 mths old , not walking or talking yet BUT if you say to her " What does a duck do Phoebe ?" she replies "quack, quack quack" ..........its the only thing she does apart from smile all day long !

 

[ricardo]

Check out the phone box at Dunsop Bridge. Claims to be the centre of Britain.

 

[ricardo]

Check out the phone box at Dunsop Bridge. Claims to be the centre of Britain.

 

[dakarDude]

Rushy Just head for Whitewell which is smack bang in the middle of the trough - lunch at the Inn at whitewell. Have an explore around there.

On your return have a quick stop off for a brew at Beacon Fell country park on the way back ! sorted

+1 on The Inn at Whitewell! Good shout from Doc there - its the dogs doodahs.

There is a nice run up to it under a canopy of trees.

Have a good day.

 

[Colt]

sounds like you have some good routes sorted.
if you are in bilsborrow nearby is owd nells http://www.guysthatchedhamlet.com/index.php?id=136
you can get an icecream or a pint of guinness .on the canal with ducks

 

[Rushy]

Thanks everyone, especially Mike for the route .

We had a very pleasant day out.

I missed your message Colt but I spotted ‘Guys ‘ as I entered the village around 8.15am so after dropping the car off I walked back there for a breakfast , cup of tea and a read of MCN whilst I waited for Lou & Phoebe to turn up an hour or so later. Food & drink very good value , staff really nice too. Lou couldn’t believe the size of the place when she turned up . Very quiet though with it being out of season.

We drove all around the quiet lanes following Mikes suggestion and stopping off briefly at Brock Valley Park , Low Dolphinhome and Abbeystead before stopping for a brew and some carrot cake at Puddleducks in Dunsop Bridge.

Phoebe had been whinging a little bit in the car so we made her ride outside for the last few miles to Dunsop . Discipline you see, they need to know you mean business……….unfortunately, like a dog with its head out of the window , she seemed to enjoy it.

From her vantage point she spotted the ducks as soon as we pulled up...

She loved feeding the ducks…..

They didn’t seem to bother her & she didn’t bother them...

We left forgetting to check out the phone box.... despite Ricardo mentioning it ....twice

We then drove on and had a lovely, but pricey, lunch at ‘The Inn’ ………..great recommendation .

Then off again and back to Brock Valley Nature Trail to spend an hour or so by the river playing with pebbles & doing a bit of skimming.

Surprisingly despite the storms further south the rain held off all day except for a couple of very light and extremely brief showers so we had a very pleasant day .

Lou hasn't ridden pillion since she found out she was pregnant but even she said how much more fun it would be on the bike ............go if you haven't been