Love Travelling Blog

Travel diaries providing inspiration for planning the perfect trip

North West

  • Holmes Mill, Clitheroe

    Holmes Mill, Clitheroe

    History Holmes Mill is a former cotton mill that’s been lovingly restored, enhancing its heritage to create a splendid leisure destination. The mill was established in 1823 and underwent several changes of use and ownership until manufacturing ceased in the 1970’s. James’ Places acquired the buildings in 2015 and embarked on a stunning £10m programme…

  • Shireburn Arms, Clitheroe

    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…

  • The Ullswater Inn, Glenridding, Cumbria

    The Ullswater Inn, Glenridding, Cumbria

    Location: The Ullswater Inn is situated in Glenridding on the south western shore of Lake Ullswater in the Lake District National Park.  The hotel was formerly known as The Glenridding Hotel but since its recent change of ownership and major refurbishment by the Inn Collection Group it has adopted a new name. Arrival and check…

  • The Fenwick, Claughton, Nr. Lancaster

    Hotel Review: The Fenwick, Claughton, Lancaster

    Hotel Review: Overview: The Fenwick is a historic pub full of character dating back over 250 years making it the perfect place for a cosy short break in north west Lancashire. Location: The country inn is located in the village of Claughton (pronounced Clafton) on the A683 east of Lancaster, just north of the Forest…

  • The Angel Inn, Bowness-on-Windermere

    The Angel Inn, Bowness-on-Windermere

    Location: The Angel Inn is a classic Lakes style country hotel situated in Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District National Park in the north west of England.  The town lies approximately halfway along the lake between Waterhead at the north end and Lakeside to the south. For motorists, the A591 is one of the main routes into…

  • Royal Kings Arms Hotel, Lancaster

    Royal Kings Arms Hotel, Lancaster

    Hotel Review Location: The Royal Kings Arms Hotel is centrally located in the historic city of Lancaster and within easy walking distance of all the main sights and shops.  The hotel was originally constructed in the 17th century in the reign of Charles 1 but was later rebuilt in 1879 following a devastating fire. Getting…

  • Midland Hotel, Morecambe

    The Midland Hotel, Morecambe

    Hotel Review The Midland Hotel is an iconic 1930’s hotel and a classic example of Art-Deco architecture with its graceful curved lines designed to reflect the sweep of Morecambe Bay. This modernist masterpiece was built opposite the former Morecambe Promenade railway station and more recently has undergone extensive renovations to return it to its former…

  • Morecambe bay

    Exploring Morecambe and Heysham

    Our day started with a delicious breakfast taking in the scenic views overlooking Morecambe Bay from the Sun Terrace restaurant of the Midland Hotel.  Our overnight stay at this iconic hotel had been fabulous and I’d definitely recommend it for a luxurious break in the town. Despite being sad to leave, we had much to…

  • Arnside pier

    Exploring Morecambe Bay

    After starting the day with a hearty breakfast at the Royal Kings Arms Hotel in Lancaster we checked out of the hotel and set off to explore the wider, rural area beyond the city. Our first stop was Arnside which lies 15 miles to the north west of Lancaster.  It’s a picturesque, small town that sits on…

  • Lancaster Castle

    Exploring Lancaster

    Lancaster is located in north west Lancashire, gaining its first charter as a market town back in 1193 but not becoming a city until 1937.  With an imposing medieval castle, historic buildings, interesting museums, parks, riverside walks and good shopping, there’s much to see and do. Getting there: Lancaster is accessible by road from the…

  • Manchester Police Museum

    Greater Manchester Police Museum

    The Greater Manchester Police Museum is located just a few minutes walk from Piccadilly Gardens in central Manchester and is housed in an 1879 Victorian police station complete with cells, charge office and magistrates court.  The museum was founded in 1981 and is funded by Greater Manchester Police. The museum is only open on Tuesdays…

  • The Swan, Grasmere

    The Swan at Grasmere

    Hotel Review The Swan, Grasmere is a characterful inn located on the edge of the village of Grasmere enjoying a backdrop of spectacular fells yet within a few minutes walk of the village centre and beautiful lakeside.  Grasmere is one of the Lake District’s prettiest villages and is famous for its association with the poet…

  • Coach and Horses, Bolton by Bowland, Lancashire

    The Coach and Horses, Bolton-by-Bowland, Lancashire

    Location: The Coach and Horses is a delightful AA five star country inn located in the picturesque village of Bolton-by-Bowland in the Ribble Valley.  This scenic part of east Lancashire is centred around the prosperous market town of Clitheroe six miles away and is easily accessible from the M6 motorway with Lancaster being 18 miles…

  • Go Outdoors Chester

    GO Outdoors Chester – Grand Opening

    Being a lover of the outdoors and walking in the countryside I was delighted to be invited to the Grand Opening Event of the newly refurbished GO Outdoors store in Chester on Saturday 20th May.  We were up bright and early to ensure we would be there on time to watch the ribbon cutting ceremony…

  • The Alma Inn, Laneshawbridge

    The Alma Inn, Laneshawbridge, Lancashire

    Hotel Review  Location:  The Alma Inn is located in an idyllic moorland setting high above the village of Laneshawbridge on the East Lancashire/ North Yorkshire border. Although seemingly remote, it lies within 5 miles of the M65 motorway and less than an hour from Manchester.  The inn is also convenient for exploring North Yorkshire and…

  • Hotel Indigo Chester

    Hotel Indigo Chester

    Hotel Review Hotel Indigo Chester is a boutique hotel located in the heart of Chester’s beautiful and historic city.  Newly built in 2019, it was designed to reflect the Roman city’s architecture and its famous racecourse. Location: The hotel is conveniently located being just a ten minute walk from Chester railway station.  Direct trains from…

  • The Rows, Chester

    Chester – Travel Guide

    Chester is a beautiful historic city located on the banks of the River Dee in north west England.  It’s famous for its half timbered buildings, Roman ruins, medieval city centre and for having the oldest racecourse in the country.  Check out my suggestions below of how to make the most of a weekend break in…

  • Golden Mummies of Egypt Exhibition, Manchester Museum

    Manchester Museum and a meal at The Butcher

    Manchester Museum I always look forward to a visit to Manchester as it’s one of my favourite U.K. cities and when I learnt that the Manchester Museum was re-opening after a closure of almost two years I planned a day out. The museum is located in a beautiful Neo-Gothic building on Oxford Road and forms…

  • Assheton Arms, Downham

    The Assheton Arms, Downham, Lancashire

    Restaurant Review The Assheton Arms lies at the foot of Pendle Hill in the picturesque village of Downham near Clitheroe in Lancashire.  After a lengthy closure, the pub has just re-opened with new owners, Bowland Inns & Hotels, the parent company behind Bowland Brewery and the James Places’ collection of hotels, inns and restaurants. The…

  • Peter Pan Pantomine Poster

    Review: The Adventures of Peter Pan, Manchester Opera House 10-31st December 2022

    Christmas wouldn’t be the same without an evening at the theatre and I can’t think of anything better to get myself into the festive spirit than a night at the panto. After being enthralled with the top notch production of Aladdin last year at the Manchester Opera House I couldn’t wait to return to see…

  • Ribblesdale Park, Gisburn

    Luxury Glamping at Gisburne Park, Lancashire

    Overview: The Ribble Valley is an idyllic part of the north of England located in north east Lancashire and covering 212 sq. miles of the Forest of Bowland, an area of deep valleys and peat moorland. It’s an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but despite booming tourism with ever increasing numbers of visitors, it’s still…

  • Leonardo Hotel Entrance, Chester

    Leonardo Hotel Chester

    Hotel Review Location:  The Leonardo is a recently opened hotel located within Chester’s historic Roman walls.  It’s just a 15 minute walk from the railway station which has frequent connections between London, Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.  It’s also just 10 miles (17 km) from Liverpool John Lennon airport for guests arriving from overseas. Arrival and check-in: We…

  • Chester Zoo entrance

    Chester Cathedral and Zoo

    We’d arranged to take a tour of Chester Cathedral but as this wasn’t scheduled to begin until 11.00 a.m. there was time for a short walk after breakfast.  Just along Pepper Street from the Leonardo hotel lies the Roman Gardens which we’d viewed from the city walls but not yet explored. The gardens were established…

  • Eastgate, Chester

    Exploring Chester

    We drew back the curtains to another bright and sunny spring morning and after enjoying a delicious breakfast in the Leonardo Hotel’s restaurant we were soon ready for a day of sightseeing. We’d arranged to take a city walking tour with Chester Tours (£10), which run at 10.30 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. each day from outside the…

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