The scenic Ribble Valley is one of northern England’s best kept secrets being an area of outstanding natural beauty noted for its rural landscape and welcoming hospitality. How do we find this hidden gem, you may well ask? Well, it’s quite easy actually as the Ribble Valley is located in Lancashire and accessible from the M6 motorway, Junction 31. For those travelling by train direct rail services operate to Clitheroe from Manchester Victoria.

The area, nestled between the Yorkshire Dales to the east and the Lake District to the north is equally beautiful but without the crowds and problems of driving around finding somewhere to park. It’s also a foodies paradise so I couldn’t wait to explore.

Our first stop was to the Trough of Bowland, a valley and high pass reaching 295m above sea level. Driving along the road it is steep and narrow with passing places but it’s worth the drive up as this sparsely populated area is idyllic with spectacular scenery and heather moorland.

We stopped at Langden Brook where we found some off-road parking and a food truck offering light snacks and drinks. A ‘Welcome to Langden’ signpost leads down a tree lined track to a lovely stretch of riverside along the valley into the Forest of Bowland.

The path took us past the Langden Intake waterworks which has been in use since 1871. It’s a collecting point for the unpolluted clear water, enabling it to be channelled along pipes to where it is needed.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t at its best and although the views were still stunning, I’m certain you can imagine how beautiful it looks when the sun is shining. We were happy just to stretch our legs with a gentle stroll but there are opportunities to continue further and enjoy a scenic hike.

Returning to the car we stopped a couple of times to admire the breathtaking views before dropping down into Dunsop Bridge which has two car parks, one of which is free and located just over the bridge to one side of the cafe.

Dunsop Bridge is a very pretty little village with a big claim to fame as it is noted for being the very centre of the United Kingdom. We’ve all heard of John O’Groats and Lands End at either end of the country but I suspect very few will have heard of Dunsop Bridge slap bang in the middle. The BT phone box even has a plaque in it marking it as the one closest to the geographical centre of the British Isles.

The rain showers were still persisting so it was a good excuse to pop into the Puddleducks Tearoom overlooking the village green for a bite to eat. I definitely recommend their cakes as our slices of Lemon Drizzle and Victoria Sandwich were homemade and delicious. Alongside tasty snacks the cafe also sells duck food to feed the local webbed feet community on the village green opposite.

Feeling energised after our coffee stop we were ready for some more exercise, this time on an e-bike from Ribble Valley E-Bikes who are based just a few doors from the cafe.

After getting kitted out with our bikes we discussed a suitable route with a member of staff, put on our helmets and were ready to go. The Forest of Bowland is an historic Royal Forest and an ancient hunting reserve with its rural trails being popular for both cycling and walking.

It had been suggested that we start off by pedalling along the private road (no cars) beside the River Dunsop for 2.5 miles each way until it splits for access to two farms (5 miles total) as there were some beautiful valley views. The scenery was so beautiful it still looked impressive under leaden skies.

From there, we cycled along the relatively quiet main road before turning up the steep Hall Hill which extends for 1.4 miles until just before reaching Cow Ark. The beauty of riding e-bikes is that you can exert as little or as much effort as you wish and believe me, they are perfect for hilly terrain.

We then continued along the hill tops on a country lane where there were no cars before descending through Newton-on-Bowland (4 miles) and then taking the relatively quiet main road back to Dunsop Bridge (2.7 miles). The total distance we covered was 15.4 miles (5 miles along the private forestry road and then 10.4 miles on the loop to Whitewell, Cow Ark and Newton), taking us just under two hours allowing for photo stops.

This is just a suggested route as if you hire bikes for longer periods you can of course explore more of the surrounding area. The hire shop are able to arrange for bikes to be delivered to numerous hotels in the Ribble Valley and can also organise guided cycle safaris taking in the local beauty spots.

After thoroughly enjoying our e-bike ride despite the inclement weather, we hopped back in the car to visit the Bowland Wild Boar Park around 20 minutes drive away, just outside the village of Chipping. Standard adult admission £7.50.

The park is set in 65 acres surrounded by fells and woodland and bordered by the River Hodder. There are numerous family orientated walks and nature trails of varying lengths to follow from where we came up close to a variety of animals from wild boars to meerkats, goats, deer and eagle-owls. It’s very well organised with friendly and welcoming staff and educational too as children can pick up a map, follow its route and search out answers to questions on the park’s animals, trees and other wildlife.

The park also includes an indoor petting area where we found rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. and nearby a picnic area, shop, cafe and ice cream parlour. As our visit was late in the afternoon a quad-bike was being driven around the park supplying food to the animals who were all eagerly running to the edge of their pens to start eating. I’d recommend visiting the park as a family activity as with the addition of an adventure playground and tractor rides, there is ample to keep young children amused for several hours.

After a busy day of walking, cycling and visiting the Wild Boar Park it was then just a few minutes drive to the Gibbon Bridge Hotel and Restaurant on the edge of the village of Chipping where we had been invited to stay. This privately owned hotel is nestled in 23 acres of beautiful gardens surrounded by the Forest of Bowland. On arrival, we were shown to our spacious split level suite where we relaxed in the jacuzzi bath before having dinner a little later in the hotel’s restaurant.

From our window table in the restaurant we had splendid views of the beautiful gardens. The restaurant has a reputation for its excellent cuisine and each of our dishes were beautifully presented and tasted delicious, coupled with faultless service.

After enjoying a stroll through the gardens we returned to our suite and over cups of coffee and slices of the hotel’s irresistible homemade shortbread, we reflected on what a lovely first day we had spent in the Ribble Valley.
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Hola, Thank you! As usual, good photography and a well-expressed summary of what you discovered. How could you not have had tea and cake in the PuddleduckTea Rooms?!.
Thank you for reading my post on humour – food for the soul…Take care. Safe travelllnig., Cheers. x
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Great to hear from you Joy and thank you for your ever welcome thoughts. Hope life is treating you well in the circumstances!
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This looks beautiful
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It’s a lovely area, thank you for commenting.
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Lovely summary and photos. I live in Preston, which the Ribble flows through – always a delight to see the river. Bowland is great too.
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Thank you for taking an interest in my series of posts on the Ribble Valley. It really is a very scenic part of the country.
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My Grandmother, Florence Smith, was from central England, and my parents were able to visit there late in their lives. Having read, with great delight, your description of the Ribble Valley and its charms, I hope more than ever that I’ll be able to visit in person someday! Thank you so much for bringing it to life for me with your words and pictures. (I’m a cool weather fan myself, so I’m delighted you had a grand time despite the clouds.)
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Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking such an interest in my short series on the Ribble Valley. It really is beautiful and I do hope you get a chance to visit someday.
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Pingback: The Gibbon Bridge Hotel, Chipping – A Review – Love Travelling Blog
Amazing
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Thank you
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Beautifully written 👌🏻👌🏻
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Thank you for your kind words.
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Ribble sounds a funniest place ever,, looking forward to cycle around it someday
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I hope you get an opportunity to cycle around the Ribble Valley as it’s so scenic.
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For sure ,, looking forward for that
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Beautiful photos of animals and place
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Thank you Pratik, the Ribble Valley is stunning. Hope you get to experience it for yourself one day.
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Amazinggg
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Thank you
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Wonderful post, so pleased you enjoyed Lancashire’s hidden gem, the scenery is breathtaking often reminds me how insignificant we are but in a good way if that makes sense 😂 so many excellent places to eat and you kinda get used to the weather 😂😂😂
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Thanks for your kind words and interest in my series of posts on the Ribble Valley Sarah. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking even when the weather isn’t at its best!
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You write awesome do visit my blog
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Thank you so much for your kind words.
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This is absolutely idyllic Marion. Love this post; the countryside is amazing and so lush and the birds and animals are fabulous – aren’t Meerkats the cutest little animals ever. x
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The Ribble Valley is absolutely gorgeous Sue and despite the weather not being at its best we loved every minute of our first day. Thanks so much for your thoughts. Marion x
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That’s amazing
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Thanks for taking an interest in this post is much appreciated.
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Will want to visit this . Thank you for an introduction.
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Thank you for your interest. I hope you get an opportunity to visit the Ribble Valley before too long.
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Beautiful place
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Thank you.
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Beautiful
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Thank you
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mine pleasure. If you don’t mind please visit my writing, I want your opinions.
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Beautiful!
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Thank you, it certainly is!
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This post reminds me of the pre-pandemic days. Oh, te joy of traveling. 🥰
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It’s so good to be able to travel once again and no better place than in the Ribble Valley Gilan. Thank you for commenting.
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This very amazing
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Thank you for your kind words
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The lush greenery looks fantastic even in a cloudy day. But then it’s a good day for cycling🙂
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The scenery of the Ribble Valley is gorgeous whatever the weather Christie. Thanks so much for your welcome thoughts.
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excellent walk in the wilds
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Thanks for taking an interest and your welcome thoughts Shane.
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Ribble Valley looks like a place I would enjoy. The scenery looks so lush and lovely. That’s too bad that the weather wasn’t ideal, but you’re right, it still looks gorgeous.
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I think the Ribble Valley is gorgeous whatever the weather Corna but obviously it’s even nicer when the sun is shining which thankfully it did for the remainder of our visit. Thank you for reading and commenting, it’s much appreciated. Marion
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It’s so beautiful. You get to so many great places and thanks for taking us along with you 🙂
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Thank you Hannah, the Ribble Valley is beautiful and I hope you get a chance to explore it in 2022. Apologies for the lengthy delay in replying to this message, somehow it must have slipped through the net!
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so beautiful! I am not a fan of the bike but this is the perfect place to go riding!
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The Ribble Valley certainly is a great place for cycling or e-biking with its stunning scenery and quiet roads. Thanks for taking an interest Andy and have a great day. Marion
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Wow, what a stunning spot! Ribble Valley looks to be truly untouched, and that sinuous river among the lush greenery looks like something out of a computer screen-saver. It must be incredibly tranquil to stroll all the acres of the valley, and to come across such pristine, snowy owls is certainly a unique experience to be had. 🙂
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The Ribble Valley is an absolute delight Rebecca and the scenery stunning even on days when it’s overcast and wet. We loved the tranquility of the area so much. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Marion
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Loved this post. Lots of scenery for hiking and biking and plenty of good food choices. The Gibbon Bridge Hotel looks like the perfect hotel to stay in. As to E-bikes, I can’t say enough good about them, whether renting or owning. We would not trade ours. Thanks for taking us along Marion. Allan
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Thanks so much for your kind words Allan. Even on a dreary day the Ribble Valley is stunning. Marion
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Ah gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous Marion! I wasn’t at all familiar with the Ribble Valley, but just about every spot mentioned literally oozes with charm. A slice of Lemon Drizzle Cake at the Puddleducks Tearoom is surely what life is all about. Love the wildlife, the stunning landscapes and all the little slabs of quintessential Englishness in between.
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The Ribble Valley is gorgeous and totally unspoilt Leighton and even in wet weather manages to look stunning and isn’t Puddleducks a delightful name for a cafe overlooking the village green? Thanks for reading. Marion.
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Reminds me of the scenes from the “All creatures great and small” movie series. Really beautiful.
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It is really beautiful Ian. Not too far away from All Creatures Great and Small as it was filmed in the neighbouring county of Yorkshire. Thanks so much for taking an interest. Marion.
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Wow everything looks so green!
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The Ribble Valley is very lush and a lovely place to take a walk. Thank you for commenting.
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I thought the same thing! I love it!!
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Thank you for telling us about this hidden gem. It sounds like a perfect place to bicycle in.
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The Ribble Valley is a perfect place for cycling. I hope that you get an opportunity to visit sometime.
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Stunning pictures Marion! What a gem of a place to ride along with you today. I cant get enough of those lush valleys and the moody skies. And I love that theyve marked the center point. Wonderful post!
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Thank you s much Meg for taking an interest in this post on the beautiful Ribble Valley. It’s unspoilt and perfect for hiking or cycling and fun to think that we were right in the middle of the country! Marion.
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You are in my neck of the woods as I live in Clitheroe! I would love to try out an E Bike, and have seen the E Bike hire in Dunsop Bridge and wondered about it. Can you just turn up or did you ring up first? Looks like you made the most of your first day 🙂.
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I think it’s preferable to call the e-bike hire shop first so that they can have the bike ready for you but it’s not essential as long as they are not all booked out. Clitheroe is a lovely town and if you continue reading my posts you will see it featured in Day 3. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, it’s much appreciated.
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Wow- you packed a lot into one day! What a beautiful place. How appropriate that you tucked into a tea room called Puddle Ducks on a rainy day. One more great area to put on my list of places to visit when we return to England!
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I’m certain you would enjoy a few days exploring the Ribble Valley Sandra and I loved the name of the Puddleducks cafe too.
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Wow Marion, how beautiful the Ribble Valley is! The scenery is breathtaking at Trough of Bowland (as you said, even on a cloudy day) – I would love to go hiking here! And cycling on an e-bike sounds great to me (especially on the hills 😉) … and even here you have beautiful views.
The Gibbon Bridge Hotel also sounds like the perfect place to end a day after exploring – that jacuzzi should definitely be a winner! Lovely post and enjoyed it thoroughly!
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Thank you for your kind words Corna. The Ribble Valley is a delightful, unspoilt part of the country and we enjoyed a lovely first day despite the rainy weather.
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What a green and pleasant place to spend the weekend at, Marion. I love unspoiled countryside with gorgeous green rolling hills and glistening lakes without any of the crowds. Thanks for sharing and have a nice day 🙂 Aiva xx
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The Ribble Valley is absolutely beautiful Aiva and totally unspoilt making it even more appealing. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment. Hope your week goes well too! Marion
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This is a truly gorgeous spot
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Thank you Sheree. It really is and perfect for cycling too.
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I know, I have cycled around there.
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That’s great to know!
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This post tugs at my heartstrings. I love this part of England and north to the Lake District. Not surprising, given I have discovered ancestors hailed from Cartmell Fell. No wonder I felt so at home when I worked at Grasmere and travelled the area.
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The Ribble Valley is really beautiful Gwen even on days when the sun isn’t shining. Hopefully you will get back to the area one of these days. Marion
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I used to tell people I could happily spend my dying days in that area 🙂
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This feels like one of the best ways to spend your day. Amazing place 🙂
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It was a splendid way to spend the day Arnold as the Ribble Valley is beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
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So I love reading travel blogs about the European countryside and honestly this takes me back to my Enid Blyton days. There is something so quaint and ethereal about this, it touches my heart. I’m moving to UK soon, Birmingham to be exact and I so look forward to such trips.
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Thank you for your kind words and interest in this post on the beautiful Ribble Valley. I’m sure you will be able to visit easily from your base in Birmingham and wish you well for your move to the U.K.
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