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/
St. Annes-on-the-Sea Farmers Market – photo © Visit Fylde Coast
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/
Second Saturday of every month – St. Annes Artisan Market, in the main square in St. Anne’s a monthly artisan market featuring handmade crafts, artisan products, local food and drink producers, creative start-ups and emerging brands, with seasonal and themed traders throughout the year. Market open 10:00 – 16:00 – more details on St. Annes Artisan Market
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/
Platform Gallery, Clitheroe – photo © Visit Ribble Valley
Platform Gallery – Ribble Valley Council’s premier showcase of local arts and crafts. Opening times Mon – Fri 10:00 – 17:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:30, Sun (seasonal) 11:00 – 16:00. Just minutes walk from the arrival platform at Clitheroe station. ribblevalley.gov.uk/platformgallery
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 30 September 2026 – Tracks of Life: Trains, People and Places – in this Railway 200 year, this exhibition is curated in partnership with Ribble Valley Rail, Clitheroe Castle Museum and Community Rail Lancashire, with funding thanks to Community Rail Network/ DfT. The exhibition celebrates the life and work of talented, professional local railway photographer Ken Roberts (1928–2024). Ken was a founding member of Ribble Valley Rail, established in 1986 to campaign for the reopening of the Blackburn to Clitheroe passenger line. The images selected for the exhibition reflect the breadth of Ken’s interests and lifelong passion for railways. Also included are a selection of model trains and memorabilia. Free entry to the Steward’s Gallery at Clitheroe Castle Museum. Click the link here for more details lancashire.gov.uk/w/webpage/event-details?eventid=2725115
Wednesday 1 July 2026 – Blackburn Cathedral Organ Concert – the lunchtime concert series continues as we welcome Alessandro Bianchi to Blackburn Cathedral. This event starts at 12.15pm and all are welcome to join us. There is no charge to attend, although we rely on the generosity of guests who donate to help with our costs. We suggest a £5 donation and are grateful for any support that you can give.
Saturday 4 July 2026 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks – two guided walks led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Settle Saturday – Walk 1: The Elgar Way, is a moderately strenuous C walk of 12 miles – alight & return Settle. Walk 2 is a moderately easy E walk of 8 miles – alight & Return Settle. Full details of routes etc. on this link Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks Leaflet May ’26
Wednesday 8 July 2026 – Blackburn Cathedral Organ Concert – the lunchtime concert series continues as we welcome Jonathan Vaughn to Blackburn Cathedral. This event starts at 12.15pm and all are welcome to join us. There is no charge to attend, although we rely on the generosity of guests who donate to help with our costs. We suggest a £5 donation and are grateful for any support that you can give.
Saturday 11 July 2026 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks – two guided walks led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Walk 1: Ascent of Whernside – a moderately strenuous B walk of 11 miles – alight Dent (change of trains required) & return Ribblehead. Walk 2: Kirkby Stephen 1940s Weekend – an easy E walk of 6 miles – alight & Return Kirkby Stephen (change of trains required). Full details of routes etc. on this link Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks Leaflet May ’26
Tuesday 14 July 2026 – Community Rail Lancashire Guided Walk – led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Community Rail Week – Clitheroe Circular – a moderate walk of 8 miles, Todmorden (09:55), Rochdale Canal, Bacup Road, Pasture Side Farm, Inchfield, Long Causeway, Watergrove Reservoir, Pennine Bridleway, Hey Head Lane, Gale, Rochdale Canal, Littleborough.
Saturday 18 July 2026 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks – two guided walks led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Walk 1: Ascent of Pen y Ghent, a strenuous B walk of 15 miles – alight Horton in Ribblesdale & return Settle. Walk 2 is a moderately easy D walk of 8.5 miles – alight Garsdale (change of trains required) & Return Ribblehead. Full details of routes etc. on this link Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks Leaflet May ’26
Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 July 2026 – Heysham Village Viking Festival – get ready to embrace the Viking experience once again as the Heysham Viking Festival returns in 2026! Join us for an exhilarating weekend on July 18 and 19, in Heysham, Lancashire, where we’ll bring back the magic that’s delighted thousands of visitors over years of previous events. Immerse yourself in true Viking spirit with a captivating village encampment, thrilling battle re-enactments, and an array of Viking-themed activities. Don’t miss this unmissable event for all Viking enthusiasts! This is a free event but donations are gratefully received.
Saturday 25 July 2026 – Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks – three guided walks led by volunteers from the Lancashire Rail Ramblers. Walk 1 is a moderately strenuous C walk of 9 miles – alight & return Ribblehead (coach to Muker – fare extra). Walk 2: A riverside walk through Swaledale, is an easy E walk of 6.5 miles – alight & Return Ribblehead (coach to Gunnerside – fare extra). Walk 3: Richmond, is a gentle stroll F walk of 3 miles (coach to Richmond – fare extra). Full details of routes etc. on this link Yorkshire Dales Explorer Guided Walks Leaflet May ’26
Explore the Clitheroe Line
A brand new leaflet called ‘Explore the Clitheroe Line’ has just been published and includes a timetable for the line from Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe and also the times for the Saturdays only Yorkshire Dales Explorer service. Download the leaflet here The Clitheroe Line Guide – web version and get ready to explore this scenic line by rail.
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.
DEFINITELY DON’T GO HERE or you may find yourself enjoying some YouTube videos produced by Huckleberry Films for Community Rail Lancashire.
Gallery
