Love Travelling Blog

Location:

Steeped in history and renowned for its good food and its friendly welcome, the Shireburn Arms is situated in the idyllic village of Hurst Green in the scenic Ribble Valley. This beautiful part of east Lancashire is centred around the prosperous market town of Clitheroe five miles away and is easily accessible being only 10 miles from the M6 motorway. With Preston lying 9.5 miles to the south west, the hotel is perfect for both leisure and business travellers and for guests arriving by train there are regular services between Clitheroe and Manchester.

Arrival and check-in:

It was approaching 2.30 p.m. when we arrived at the hotel and had no trouble finding a space in the large car park to the rear of the property. Unlike some country inns where you check in at the bar, The Shireburn has a dedicated reception desk in its spacious lobby.

Here, we were greeted with a smile from Elisha who was on duty. As check-in officially begins at 3.00 p.m. we were politely requested to take a seat in the bar whilst housekeeping were contacted to confirm that the room was ready. Fortunately it was and Elisha led the way to our suite assisting with our bags.

The Room:

We’d been booked into the fabulous Valley Suite on the first floor. Everything about the spacious suite was to my liking with its extremely comfortable bed, two large windows overlooking the beautiful countryside, a well equipped shower room with thick, fluffy towels and fragrant H2K vegan toiletries.

Not only was there a shower room, but also a freestanding roll top bath in an alcove at one end of the bedroom. It was blissful soaking in the bath, gazing out of the window at lambs frolicking in the meadow and listening to their gentle bleating.

Also at our disposal was a large television which could be viewed from either the bed or armchairs, and a well equipped hospitality tray filled with teas, coffee, hot chocolate, bottled water and delicious Borders biscuits.

Dining:

Dinner: Meals are served in the charming oak beamed bar which was very cosy with its two roaring fires, comfy chairs upholstered in country tweeds and matching banquette seating around the edge of the room. We’d reserved a table for 7.00 p.m. and shown to a candlelit table beside the fire. Whilst sipping glasses of wine we studied the menu and selected starters of prawn and crayfish cocktail for me and chicken liver and bacon pâté for my husband.

These were both beautifully presented and tasted as good as they looked. For mains, there was no dithering on my part when I spotted roast beef and Yorkshire pudding on the menu. In the majority of restaurants, roasts are only available on Sundays so it was a real bonus to find this on the daily menu.

When my roast arrived I could hardly believe its size, with large, tender slices of beef sitting on a bed of sweet potato mash topped with a gigantic Yorkshire pudding. Surrounding the meat were fresh vegetables, roast potatoes and a jug of delicious, thick gravy. Meanwhile, across the table my husband’s pan seared herb crust cod fillet wasn’t of the huge proportions of my roast but I was reliably informed that it tasted fresh and flavoursome and he was very happy with his choice. We then needed a little rest before ordering desserts.

I had my eyes on the lemon tart but sadly for me, it must have been very popular that day and was off the menu. Instead, I opted for a white chocolate cheesecake whilst across the table Mr. C. was in raptures with his favourite sticky toffee pudding.

Breakfast: This is served between 7.30 – 9.30 a.m. so we popped down around 8.30 a.m. Cereals, pastries and fresh juices had been laid out on the bar top and after helping ourselves, a waitress brought us a large cafetière of coffee and took our orders for hot dishes.

Whilst my husband opted for a full English, after eating so much the previous evening I was more restrained ordering eggs Benedict on a toasted muffin.

My poached eggs were served lovely and runny, just as I like them and as requested, the hollandaise sauce was in a separate jug enabling me to pour over just what I needed. We relaxed awhile reading the morning newspapers on our iPads sitting back in the comfy chairs whilst sipping more coffee.

The Facilities:

The country inn is licensed to hold weddings and boasts an attractive function room with balcony overlooking the gardens. A wedding was taking place the day we were leaving so I’m unable to include a photo of the room as it was closed for decoration.

In addition to the bar lounge there’s a second room overlooking the gardens with sofas and armchairs. This large lounge also acts as a games room with a snooker table and a table football game for guests use.

To the side and rear of the inn are beautifully maintained gardens with a large terrace where guests can sit out and enjoy the views. Food and drinks ordered at the bar can also be served out on the terrace.

The hotel benefits from strong Wi-Fi which was easy to connect to, was lovely and warm throughout despite being an old building and is dog friendly. Due to the age of the building there isn’t a lift but help with luggage is readily available.

Walks:

Walks with Taste

The Shireburn Arms is part of the Ribble Valley’s Walks With Taste initiative with printed leaflets of pub walks starting from numerous local hostelries.  We popped on our walking boots and followed the five mile walk which starts and finishes at the inn.

Leaflets include step-by-step instructions and an ordnance survey map of the route to avoid getting lost. This riverside ramble descends through farmland to the River Ribble, crossing a footbridge and then following the river downstream, returning through the woods and open pasture to the Inn in Hurst Green. Allow up to three hours to complete the walk.

Tolkien Trail:

J.R.R. Tolkien spent a lot of his time in a classroom at Stonyhurst College working on the Lord of the Rings during the Second World War. Connections have been found with the Ribble Valley landscape around the college and the 5.5 mile Tolkien Trail may have inspired his writing. This trail also starts and finishes at the Shireburn Arms.

Out and About:

Here are my suggestions of some of the lovely things to see and do whilst staying at the inn.

Hurst Green

Hurst Green is home to the famous Catholic boarding school, Stonyhurst College with guided tours of the College buildings, historic libraries and museum being available to the public on selected dates outside term time. Stonyhurst College.

Clitheroe

Visit Clitheroe, a prosperous market town with a bustling high street lined with small independent shops and cafes that includes Cowman’s Famous Sausage Shop and D. Byrne’s wine merchants.  Call into Holmes Mill, a former textiles mill transformed into a food hall, deli, beer hall, hotel and Everyman Cinema.

Explore Clitheroe Castle which stands on an elevated position overlooking the town.  This medieval fortress has dominated Clitheroe for more than 800 years and now contains a museum which is located over two floors.  The museum has numerous interactive exhibits, a recreated office and a Victorian kitchen containing its original cast iron range and laundry.

Browsholme Hall

Explore this Grade I listed historic house set within the Forest of Bowland.  It’s approached by a sweeping driveway and surrounded by extensive gardens and parkland.  The house was built in 1507 by Edmund Parker and has been occupied continuously by 16 generations of the same family.  One hour guided tours of the house are available from May to September.  Browsholme Hall.

Forest of Bowland 

Explore the Forest of Bowland, an idyllic part of north east Lancashire covering 212 sq. miles.  Its deep valleys and peat moorland are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Put on your walking boots for a hike or rent an e-bike and let the bike take the strain up the steep hills.  Ribble Valley E-Bikes are based in Dunsop Bridge, a picture perfect village famous for being the geographical centre of the United Kingdom.  It’s also home to the gorgeous Puddleducks Tea Room, a great spot for a well earned drink and slice of cake.  Ribble Valley E-Bike. Other ideas include spending time at the Bowland Wild Boar Park, walking up Pendle Hill and exploring the pretty villages of Downham and Waddington.

Overall:

Our stay at the Shireburn Arms was delightful. Not only was the Valley Suite gorgeous but we also had an opportunity to glance inside some of the other rooms which were all furnished to a high standard. Food was superb and reasonably priced for a gastro-pub with attentive service from a well trained team. I’ve been to many country inns to be greeted by a roaring log fire only for it to be left to go out by late afternoon. This wasn’t the case with the Shireburn as the bar staff attended to them frequently from morning to night creating a warm glow for everyone to enjoy. The Ribble Valley is one of my favourite parts of the country and I would have no hesitation to recommend a stay at the inn as it ticked all the boxes for me.

Details: Shireburn Arms, Whalley Road, Hurst Green, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 9QJ.

During our stay we were guests of the Shireburn Arms and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.

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