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Eccleston Area

There are quite a few shops in the centre of the village worth browsing, alternatively the sister "mill" to Botany Bay called Bygone Times is located across the road from the Brown Cow pub.

For a great meal try the Original Farmers Arms. Accommodation is also available at Parr Hall Farm


Heskin

Heskin HallConstruction started on the new hall in 1548 and it is one of the finest examples of Tudor architecture in Northern England. A modern conference centre masks the hall which is haunted by a White Lady.

Her Story:

I was a simple Catholic woman. I was at this hall during the Civil War and times were hard. However bad things got I never thought I would be betrayed by a priest. I was taught you could trust a man of the cloth. How wrong people were.

An army of Roundheads came to the house. They found the priest hiding here. He was such a coward. He offered to hang me himself to prove he was one of them and gain his freedom. The commander kept him to his offer and the priest hung me from a beam which can still be seen at the hall. My only consolation was that the commander did not believe the priest and had him executed anyway.

I still visit the hall; my favourite place is the Scarlet Room.


Mawdesley

Mawdesley HallMawdesley Hall stands in a commanding position on a sandstone outcrop. The black and white timber framed building dates back to the early 17th century when William Mawdesley lived there. The central hall is Tudor where there are initials of the Mawdesley family, RM 1625 and RM 1640; some of the inner walls are made from wattle and daub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blackpool Illuminations

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The illuminations will be shining in 2024 from Friday 30th August

www.visitblackpool.com


Pleasure Beach

Blackpool Pleasure BeachWhen it comes to full-on excitement, look no further than the UK's officially-busiest tourist attraction - Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

More than six million revellers flock to this 42-acre thrill-seeker's paradise every year, and no wonder, with its 10 rollercoasters, famous white-knuckle rides and countless other brilliant attractions for kids of all ages.

 

www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com

 


The Tower

Blackpool TowerDominating Blackpool Promenade, of course, is the 518-foot Blackpool Tower which houses a magnificent ballroom, and an undercover playground with floor upon floor of amazing adventures from the all-action coloured ball pools of Jungle Jim's to the grace and splendour of the beautiful Victorian ballroom.

An all-inclusive admission price gives you access to all this plus evening entertainment in the ballroom and a highly-prized seat in rococo surroundings for the award winning Tower Circus.

Finally, right at the Tower top you are invited to tear yourself away from the amazing views inland and over the Irish Sea and step out onto the Walk of Faith where a section of the floor has been replaced with clear reinforced glass giving visitors a perfect view......320 feet down!!!

 

The tower, now fully refurbished featuring The Blackpool Dungeon and Blackpool Tower Eye are now open!

www.theblackpooltower.com


The Zoo

Why not take your little monkeys for what has to be one of the resort's best-value days out at Blackpool Zoo? which - on the voting of visitors - is a holder of Attraction of the Year from Blackpool's Tourism Awards. The zoo is home to scores of species including lions, tigers, elephants, otters, even an army of tiny ants. Look out too for Lemur Wood and the award-winning Gorilla Mountain.

There's also a restaurant and picnic site, a Wild West miniature train and an adventure playground! Parking is free.

 

www.blackpoolzoo.org.uk

Croston

Picturesque countryside following the twisting course of the River Yarrow makes a fine setting for this tiny village.

Amongst its most notable buildings are 17th century almshouses and a 15th century church containing a curious memorial brass. Next to Church St is an early fifteenth century cobbled pack horse bridge which crosses the river Yarrow opposite The Grapes public house.

Continuing through the village, the village green can be found surrounded by The Nelson, The Wheatsheaf public houses and the Brambles Restaurant. The village green is the venue for the annual May Day Madness and Bastille Day celebrations


Pub Crawl

There are seven establishments in Croston where you can drink. Most also provide food and the occasional entertainment.

  • THE BLACK HORSE
  • THE CROWN
  • THE DE TRAFFORD ARMS
  • THE GRAPES
  • THE LORD NELSON
  • THE SPORTS CLUB
  • THE WHEATSHEAF

Chorley

Industry is this old textile centre's way of life. It was once known for cotton weaving and calico printing but in recent years these traditional concerns have been largely replaced by a variety of modern enterprises and now boasts a clean and thriving urban environment with all the amenities you'd expect from a town of its size.

The town stands at the edge of farming country, its location on the fringe of the West Pennine Moors and beneath the protective gaze of Rivington Pike. Magnificent countryside is right on your doorstep with the area dominated by the imposing height of 628ft Healey Nab which rises to the east.

Moreover, Astley Park provides hundreds of acres of scenic countryside in the very centre of the town.


Shopping & the Market

Chorley's early prosperity was due to its weekly market, originally granted a charter in the 1250's but little is known about this early period. However, by 1498 there was firm evidence of a regular market being held in Chorley. Today the town has two markets - The Flat Iron Market, whose name comes from the practice of displaying goods flat on the ground, and the Covered Market.

Market Days

  • Monday - Flea Market (Covered Market)
  • Tuesday - Flat Iron & Covered Market
  • Thursday - Craft Market (Covered Market)
  • Friday & Saturday - Covered Market

As well as a Town Centre which boasts a pleasant mix of independant shops and big high street names such as Boots, Woolworths, Dixons and JJB, Chorley has a wealth of unique shopping attractions where you can buy something really special or a bit different.


Astley Hall

The magnificent 400 year old house demonstrates the wealth of its past owners, yet keeps a pleasant lived in atmosphere - almost as if the great families who lived here will return at any time from a walk they are taking in the hundreds of acres of parkland surrounding the Hall. The plaster ceiling of the Great Hall is simply breathtaking and the house is filled with fine oak furniture, Flemish tapestries and wooden panelling. Then of course the infamous bed where Cromwell is alleged to have slept after the Battle of Preston and the boots which it is said that he left behind.