Sat 25th/Sunday 26th February 2023.
We have spent a pleasant two days being chauffeured and tour guided by our friends Peter and Alison who were proud to show us the magnificent scenery and places to visit in their area.
Firstly on Saturday lunchtime we met up with another good friend we had made in France, Gwen. We had a pleasant and relaxing meal in The Royal Oak a pub close to the Bolton Football ground.
Gwen was flying to Malta the next day and couldn’t spend too much time with us and after she departed the rest of us went to Rivington, there’s a lot to be written about this area but I’m not doing that here, we went for an after lunch stroll around one of the reservoirs there.
On Sunday we were collected and driven to Whalley a large village on the River Calder overlooked by Whalley Nab a large hill. It is well known for the ruins of its Abbey, a 14c Cistercian Abbey destroyed in the dissolution of monasteries.
From here we meandered our way to Clitheroe stopping en route at Stoneyhurst College the UKs leading catholic boarding and day school for 3-18 year olds.
Clitheroe is a market town with a long history towering above the town is its castle which has its origins in Norman times, it is surrounded by a very pleasant park. On our wandering around town we stopped for refreshments in a brewery which had been created in an old mill., it had a superb range of beers.
No tour of this region would be complete without a visit to and mention of The Pendle Witches and Pendle Hill whose summit rises to 557m above sea level. The trials of The Pendle Witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in English history. Twelve people were accused with murders of ten people by the use of witchcraft. Eleven people went to trial, nine women and two men, ten were found guilty and hanged. One of those accused was Alice Nutter and we visited the village where many of her family are buried in the churchyard, Newchurch in Pendle.
We had a great weekend away, good company, a gem of a site, and a chance to get even more used to using Homer, I’m sure we will return in the near future.
taraabit 