Regular updates and any changes will be displayed here and other parts of the CRL website and via the Community Rail Lancashire Facebook Page.
REGULAR EVENTS
Every Saturday – Yorkshire Dales Explorer, a twice a day Saturday’s only service between Rochdale, Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn, the Ribble Valley and Ribblehead. Full details on Yorkshire Dales Explorer or via a weekly news item on the website.
Every Tuesday – Clitheroe Country Market, in the Church Hall on Moor Lane, Clitheroe BB7 1AZ, 09:30 – 12:00 – a country market with quality home-baked, hand-made and home grown produce. A wide selection of goods from a co-operative of local producers. Home-made cakes, pies and jams also handicraft items such as cards, knits and textile gifts. More details on https://www.facebook.com/Clitheroe-Country-Market-307301586087846/
First Thursday of every month – St. Anne’s Farmers Market, in the main square in St. Anne’s a monthly farmers market with locally and regionally produced food and drink on sale. Meet the people who grow, rear, make and bake your food. More details on www.visitlancashire.com/
Third Saturday of every month – Clitheroe Piano Meet Up, would you like to meet fellow players, share knowledge and develop your performance skills on a Bechstein grand? Then get along to Clitheroe Library on the third Saturday of the month 12:45 – 15:30 for more details contact Janet or Liz on clitheroepiano@gmail.com or download the poster on this link Clitheroe Piano Meet Up
Last Saturday of the month until October – Darwen Artisan Market – a celebration of creativity and community on the last Saturday of the month, at Darwen’s Monthly Artisan Market on the vibrant Darwen Market Square. Immerse yourself in the charm of this lively town and experience a delightful event that celebrates local creativity and craftsmanship.
Fourth Weekend of each month – Whalley Monthly Artisan Market, located in the heart of Whalley, this weekend market brings together art, design, fashion, vintage and much more from over 35 local North West creators, makers and curators. 10:00 – 16:00. Full details on this link: Whalley Artisan Market
Clitheroe Castle Museum. Opening hours are 11:00 to 16:00 daily. Details of this over 800 year old castle can be found on this link: lancashire.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums/clitheroe-castle-museum/
Blackburn Library & Museum
Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday 12:00 – 16:45 with free admission. Please visit blackburnmuseum.org.uk/plan-your-visit/ for details.
OTHER EVENTS
Now and until further notice – Blackburn Market Hall is hosting an exhibition called ‘The Clitheroe Line – A Picturesque Journey’ which showcases photographs, poetry and drawings created through an Arts 2 Heal community-led project. Just five minutes from the station it is open 09:00 – 17:30 Monday to Saturday.
Now and until 5 July 2025 – Annual Craft Open Exhibition – the annual local craft exhibition in the Platform Gallery in Clitheroe. A search for talented and imaginative people from across the region was launched earlier this year and attracted a wide range of eye-catching creations. The exhibition features works in textiles, ceramics, jewellery, metalwork, woodwork and glass from around 40 new and returning artists. Opening times are Mon – Fri 10:00 – 17:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:30 & Sun 11:00 – 16:00. Free entry and just a few minutes from Clitheroe station. Full details on this link: Annual Craft Open Exhibition
Now and until 15 August 2025 – Savage Beauty @ Lytham Hall – The Fylde Gallery @ Lytham hall reopens with a New Exhibition! ‘Savage Beauty’ celebrates the life and work of Richard Ansdell. Ansdell was born in Liverpool and lived predominantly in London, but he had a special affinity with Lytham St Annes and kept a summer home in the part of the borough now named after him. Frequently compared to Landseer, Ansdell’s paintings often depict hunting scenes and unforgiving landscapes, savage in their beauty. The gallery is FREE to view and is situated in the former Long Gallery at Lytham Hall. Opening hours are 11:00 to 16:00 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday (with last admittance at 3:30pm).
Now and until November – The Ditchburn Jukebox Museum – learn about the history of juke boxes from one of the first manufacturers of juke boxes in the country. Open May to November, Thursdays to Sundays (& Bank Holidays) 10:00 – 16:00. Find them at 19 Alexandria Drive St. Annes-on-the-Sea with a cafe on site.
Tuesday 10 June 2025 – A CRL Guided Walk – a guided walk led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers, the walk is a moderately easy 6 miles starting (10:55) and finishing at Todmorden (Towpath & Trail). Full details of this and other guided walks can be found on CRL Guided Walks Spring 2025
Saturday 14 June 2025 – Accrington EcoFest – EcoFest returns for its fourth year on Broadway from 10:00 to 15:00 showcasing everything environmentally friendly and sustainable. Expect free entertainment, workshops, and engaging stalls for all ages.
Community Rail Lancashire will be taking part, so do come and visit us to learn more about our local rail projects and green travel initiatives.
Saturday 14 June 2025 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks – two guided walks led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Walk 1 – a moderately strenuous B walk of 13 miles (Whernside) – Alight Dent and return Ribblehead. Walk 2 – an easy E walk of 8 miles, Kirkby Stephen Circular – Alight & return Kirkby Stephen – for full details of these and other guided walks see Yorkshire Dales Explorer Summer 2025 or communityraillancashire.co.uk/walks/guided-walks/
Saturday 21 June 2025 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks – two guided walks led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Walk 1 – a moderately strenuous C walk of 13 miles (Settle Circular) – Alight and return Settle. Walk 2 – a moderately easy E walk of 8 miles (Appleby Circular) – Alight and return Appleby (change trains at Hellifield or Ribblehead) – for full details of these and other guided walks see Yorkshire Dales Explorer Summer 2025 or communityraillancashire.co.uk/walks/guided-walks/
Saturday 28 June 2025 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks – two guided walks led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Walk 1 – a moderate C walk of 11 miles (Slaidburn Circular) – Alight and return Clitheroe. Walk 2 – a moderately easy D walk of 8.5 miles – Alight and return Clitheroe (both walks involve a bus to Slaidburn fare extra) – for full details of these and other guided walks see Yorkshire Dales Explorer Summer 2025 or communityraillancashire.co.uk/walks/guided-walks/
Explore Lancashire By Rail
A series of films is being made for Community Rail Lancashire by a local creative film company Huckleberry Films which are designed to encourage people to Explore Lancashire by Rail. Details of this exciting project that covers the four CRPs across Lancashire can be seen on this page Lancashire-by-Rail/
Places to Visit
Click on the link here communityraillancashire.co.uk/local-places-to-visit/ to see a host of interesting places to visit that are close to CRL’s community rail stations.
Destinations
Click on the link here communityraillancashire.co.uk/destinations/ for a page of suggestions for places and towns to visit – all suggestions and content considered.
Make a Beeline for the Station
‘Make a Beeline for the Station!’ is a community marketing project, that combined the vital elements of local education and wider group engagement with tourism attractions and professional marketing. The project, funded by a Northern Seedcorn Grant and by the Community Rail Development Fund is designed to encourage use of Northern’s hourly weekday service from Preston to Ormskirk and then on into Liverpool using Merseyrail services.
The project is supported by a video that can be seen on this page: Make a Beeline for West Lancashire and a leaflet that can be downloaded here: Make A Bee Line
Discover the South Fylde Line
Discover the South Fylde Line is a brand-new line guide launched by the South Fylde Line Community Rail Partnership (SFLCRP) and Community Rail Lancashire (CRL) during Community Rail Week 2022. The leaflet takes you along the South Fylde Line from Preston to Blackpool South highlighting many things you can do along the line. The full leaflet can be viewed by clicking on this link: Discover the South Fylde Line.
Discover Amazing Women by Rail
Discover Amazing Women by Rail is a project initiated by the Mid Cheshire Line CRP and invites people to leave their car at home and use the train (along with buses and trams) to explore the fascinating, and often hidden, histories of women who lived and worked in areas along the Mid Cheshire and Calder Valley railway lines, including the Blackburn to Manchester via Todmorden route.
The project is supported with a website (www.amazingwomenbyrail.org.uk) by an A5 booklet available from local stations, tourist information offices and libraries. The booklet can also be downloaded using this link: Amazing Women by Rail