Photo by GEORGESPERSPECTIVEEngland's quiet north-west, from fell to seashore
Lancashire stretches from the Irish Sea coast across the Ribble Valley to the wild fells of the Forest of Bowland, a county of stone villages, historic halls and celebrated food pubs in England's north-west. A luxury country house here offers private grounds, log fires and easy reach of the Lake District, Manchester and the Yorkshire Dales.
- The Forest of Bowland's fells, one of England's least-crowded protected landscapes
- The Ribble Valley, among the country's best-regarded food-pub territories
- Pendle Hill's brooding slopes and the villages of witch-trial legend
- Lancaster's castle and Georgian quarter, and Morecambe Bay's vast sands
- Country houses with grounds, fires and concierge-arranged chefs and outings
No villas to show yet for Lancashire.
Lancashire in pictures
Events not to miss in Lancashire
- Early July
Lytham Festival
One of the UK's biggest outdoor concert series, staged on Lytham Green beside the sea with international headline acts across several nights. Book accommodation well ahead for festival week.
- Late August, lights until early January
Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On
A celebrity switch-on launches six miles of illuminated promenade that glow for over four months. The lights are a beloved English institution and an easy evening drive from anywhere in the county.
- Late May to early June
Blackpool Dance Festival
The world's most prestigious ballroom dance competition, held in the Winter Gardens' Empress Ballroom since 1920. Even non-dancers find the spectacle and the venue remarkable.
- Late August
Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival, Colne
The Pennine town of Colne fills with blues acts across multiple stages each August bank holiday, one of Europe's leading festivals of the genre and a lively end to the Lancashire summer.
Lancashire through the seasons
- Spring (March – May)
Lambing, bluebells and river walks
Bowland's farms fill with lambs, bluebells carpet the Ribble Valley woods and the first warm days open the riverside paths from Whalley to Clitheroe.
- Summer (June – August)
Fell walks and village shows
Long northern evenings, heather colouring the Bowland fells from late July and a calendar of agricultural shows and festivals across the county.
- Autumn (September – November)
Harvest menus and copper fells
Game and harvest dishes headline the Ribble Valley's famous pubs, bracken turns the moors copper and Blackpool's Illuminations light the coast after dark.
- Winter (December – February)
Firesides, frost and festive gatherings
Log fires, hot tubs under cold clear skies and festive markets in Lancaster and Clitheroe make winter the season for gathering the whole family in a country house.
The Area and Where to Stay
Lancashire divides into distinct worlds within an hour of each other. The Ribble Valley, around Clitheroe and Whalley, is the county's gastronomic heart: trim stone villages, riverside walks and a remarkable density of serious pubs and inns. North and east rises the Forest of Bowland, a protected landscape of heather fell, gritstone and steep-sided valleys where the Trough of Bowland road is one of northern England's great drives. Lancaster brings Georgian streets, a castle with a thousand years of history and the sweep of Morecambe Bay beyond, while the coast runs south past Lytham's genteel greens to Blackpool's unabashed seaside theatre. Our houses favour the rural east and north: converted halls, farmsteads and country residences with generous grounds, hot tubs and fires, well placed for the Dales and Lakes as well as the county itself.
Things to Do
Walkers have the pick of it: Pendle Hill's summit for views across three counties, the fells and river valleys of Bowland, and the long sands of Morecambe Bay, which should only ever be crossed with an official guide. Drive the Trough of Bowland, browse Clitheroe's food shops and castle keep, and tour Lancaster Castle's courtrooms and cells. Families can ride the trams and towers of Blackpool, from the famous Pleasure Beach to the sea-life attractions, then retreat to countryside quiet the same evening. Golfers are spoilt, with Royal Lytham & St Annes, one of The Open's storied venues, on the coast. The Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks each sit within an hour, making a Lancashire house a base for three landscapes at once.
Food and Local Flavour
Lancashire's food reputation has quietly become one of England's strongest. The Ribble Valley is dense with acclaimed gastropubs and inns, the county's cheesemakers produce creamy and tasty Lancashire from farmhouse dairies near Preston and the Fylde, and Bowland's farms supply exceptional lamb and beef. Traditions run deep: Lancashire hotpot, Morecambe Bay shrimps potted in butter, Eccles cakes and black pudding from Bury's markets just over the county line. Clitheroe's independent butchers, cheesemongers and wine merchants make provisioning a country house a genuine pleasure. For celebration weekends, the concierge can arrange private chefs, tasting menus at the county's flagship dining rooms and afternoon teas delivered to the drawing room.
When to Visit
May to September brings Lancashire's best walking weather, long evenings on the terrace and village shows and agricultural fairs through the summer. Autumn is the county at its most flavourful: game and harvest menus in the Ribble Valley pubs, bracken turning copper across Bowland and clear, crisp days on the fells. From September into the new year, Blackpool's Illuminations light six miles of promenade, a gloriously eccentric English spectacle. Winter suits the properties themselves, with log fires, hot tubs under cold skies and festive gatherings; snow occasionally dusts the high fells. Lancashire weather is honest north-west England, so pack for four seasons and let the house do the rest.
Getting There
Manchester Airport (MAN), one of the UK's best-connected hubs, sits around an hour from the Ribble Valley and Bowland, with Liverpool John Lennon (LPL) a similar distance from the county's south. The West Coast Main Line calls at Preston and Lancaster, putting London under two and a half hours away by direct train. By road, the M6 runs the county's length, making the Lakes, the Dales and Manchester easy excursions. A car is essential for the rural east, where the pleasure lies in moorland lanes and village-to-village pottering. The concierge can arrange private transfers, hire cars and chauffeured days out.