CRL - Community Rail Lancashire

Although the full programme of Lancashire Rail Rambler guided walks has now finished there is still plenty to do if you want to explore the Ribble Valley, the Yorkshire Dales and beyond.

Using the outward service, you can still connect into a northbound service on the Settle to Carlisle Line at either Hellifield or Ribblehead and spend some time in Appleby or Carlisle.

Appleby

St. Lawrence Church Appleby-in-Westmorland is open all day on a Saturday and is approximately a 10 minute walk from the station.

Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery – Saturdays 10:00 – 16:00

Tullie is a museum, art gallery, community hub and generally cool place to be (even if we do say so ourselves).

We’ve been part of Carlisle life since 1893. We’ve even been referred to as “Carlisle’s first learning centre”. Before the city had a university, Tullie gave Carlisle a museum, library, art school and technical school.

Admission: Adults £15, under 18s free.

  

Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life – Saturdays 10:00 – 16:00

Covering over 300 years of military history the museum tells the story of 34^th Regiment of Foot, the 55^th Regiment of Foot, the Border Regiment, the Kings Own Border Regiment, and the current serving Regiment of The Duke of Lancaster’s.

The museum inside the Castle grounds and can be visited separately – admission for adults is £4.95 and children £2.95.

 

Using the first return service from Ribblehead, with connections from the Carlisle and Leeds directions you can explore the Ribble Valley and beyond.

Other Things to do using the Yorkshire Dales Explorer

Clitheroe

There are plenty of places to eat, drink and visit in Clitheroe including:

Clitheroe Castle & Museum – open Saturdays 11:00 – 16:00, approximately 10 minutes from the station

Clitheroe Market – open Saturdays 09:00 – 16:00 (a traditional open-air market), approximately 5 minutes from the station.

Byrnes Independent Wine Merchants Shop and Warehouse, shop 5 minutes from station & warehouse 10 minutes from station.

Exchange Coffee – an independent coffee roasters & tea merchants – an excellent coffee shop just 10 minutes from the station on Wellgate, Clitheroe. spread over three floors and with a rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee and over 30 to choose from there is nowhere better to spend an hour. Open Saturdays 09:00 – 16:30.

Whalley

A good number of cafes and pubs available in the village centre, approximately 10 minutes from the station.

Whalley Abbey & East Gatehouse – visit the ruins of this former Cistercian abbey, mostly demolished after the dissolution of the monasteries, 10 minutes directly from the station or approximately 15 minutes via the village centre.

Whalley Wine Shop & Bar – a top end wine shop and bar in the centre of the village, approximately 10 minutes from the station. Shop open 10:30 – 18:00 and the Wine Bar opens at 12:00 but booking is essential on thewhalleywinebar.com/

Blackburn

There is a lot to explore in Blackburn and the town centre is just a short walk from the station. Here are some things that you might like to go and see.

Blackburn Cathedral offers the chance to explore the stunning architecture, rich history and one of the country’s best collections of religious art including Penny Warden’s ‘The Journey’ and a 35ft sculpture, ‘Healing of the Nation’ on the exterior – often described as one of the most innovative pieces of modern sculpture at any English cathedral. The cathedral is just two minutes from the station and is open on Saturdays 08:30 – 16:30.

Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery is the local museum service for the borough of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. It is a museum with collections of Christian icons, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and local history, as well as those of the former Lewis Textile Museum. The museum is approximately 10 minutes from the station and is open on Saturdays 11:00 – 16:45.

Blackburn Market is a modern take on a traditional indoor market with food and clothing stalls and much more. Just five minutes from the station it is open 09:00 – 16:00 on Saturdays.

Darwen

Darwen Market – Saturdays 08:00 – 16:00

Our range of food stalls rivals the very best farmers markets with fresh, locally sourced produce and regional specialities. You won’t find any excess plastic packaging here and our fruit hasn’t come from the deep freeze! Everything is freshly picked each week giving you longer lasting, better tasting food. And, with meat that travels on average less than 2 miles from farm to stall, we give a whole new meaning to shopping local.

But the food is just the start. Our market has got you covered for all the essentials from key cutting to gift shopping, arts and crafts or picture restoration.

For more information about the Yorkshire Dales Explorer including times and fares visit Yorkshire Dales Explorer and for other suggestions of places to visit Places to Visit