Things to Do

More Places to Visit close to Barnacre Cottages

I will continually be adding to these lists as I find things that I think might interest you. The times in minutes, relate to the time it should take you to drive from here, although at peak times it may take longer.

Blackpool has been undergoing major investment and there are some attractions that might be worth having a look – even if it’s somewhere you would normally not go anywhere near! From August Bank holiday weekend until the end of the October half term, Blackpool has the Illuminations. The promenade is lit up for miles with coloured lights, there a light tableaux and even some of the trams. Firework displays at weekend and laser shows. We can actually see Blackpool Tower from here all lit up at night!

The illuminations are not something that you would go to see every year, but certainly worth a walk or drive through if you have never seen them before. Weekends, the traffic will be busier than during the week.

Lancaster is only a 20 minute drive from here. It is a nice little city, mainly pedestrianised with a weekly market on the main street with lots of food stalls on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Lancaster Castle, has dungeon tours and hosts quite a few seasonal activities throughout the year, on Halloween at Half term there is a Horrible Halloween Party with Spooky Street Theatre including jugglers, acrobats, stilt walkers and fire dance performers from 5pm-9pm.

The website is www.lancastercastle.com.
Telephone 01524 582394

Just further along the coast from Blackpool is the more sedate area of Lytham. Each August (2-9th this year), is held the Lytham Festival of Music, Comedy and Culture. This year featuring, Faithless, Billy Ocean, Jimmy Sommerville, Vengaboys, Chesney Hawkes, Sinitta, East 17, 5ive, McBusted, Elaine Paige, Marti Pellow, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
www.lythamfestival.com

From the mid July until mid September, take a return steam train journey through the Yorkshire Dales over the spectacular Settle to Carlisle Railway, including the Ribblehead Viaduct. Departing from Lancaster and Preston every Wednesday.
www.statesmanrail.com
Tel. 0845 310 2458

GOOD WEATHER DAYS
The Wild Boar Park at Chipping, about 30 minutes drive from here. Excellent place to visit. A favourite place. Family tickets, reasonable cost. open all year, animal feeding, small animal petting area, meerkat and racoon feeding, tractor rides, play area, cafe.
www.wildboarpark.co.uk
Tel: 01995 61554.

Quad Biking, Fly-Fishing and Clay Shooting
15 minutes drive
www.forresthills.net
Tel: 01524 752566

Go Ape
45 minutes
Tree top adventure,rope ladders, tarzan swings, zip wires
Rivington Lane, Horwich, BL6 7RZ
www.goape.co.uk
Tel: 0845 6439215

Singleton Maize Maze
30 minutes
Open during the summer months until the end of October when the maize gets cut! Halloween fright night and other special events.
Carr Lane, Singleton, Blackpool FY6 8LG
www.singletonmaizemaze.co.uk
Tel: 01995 670381

Ribble Steam Railway
based down in Preston at the old Docklands on Chain Caul Road, Riversway- about 25 minutes drive.
Lots of special events including Halloween and Santa Specials.
www.ribblesteam.org.uk
Tel. 01772 728800

Lancaster Canal Cruises
4th May – 10th October
Cream tea and afternoon tea cruises, collection from Barton Grange Garden Centre and various points along the canal.
www.lcboats.co.uk
Tel. 01524 389410

Brockholes Nature Reserve
On the site of an old quarry, 250 acres of wetlands, woodlands, trails and hides.
Different events throughout the year.
www.brockholes.org
Tel. 01772 872000

Martin Mere Wetlands Centre
Bird watching, ducks, downy duckling days.
45 minutes
Fish Lane, Burscough, L40 0TA
www.wwt.org.uk
Tel: 01704 891220

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail
1 hour
(walked this on a primary school trip many years ago!)
Broadwood Ent, Ingleton, LA6 3ET
www.ingletonwaterfallswalk.co.uk
Tel: 01756 795 621

Hot Air Balloon Rides
45 minutes
Rides over the Forest of Bowland and surrounding countryside.
195 Moor Road, Croston, PR2 9HP
www.balloonsoverlancashire.co.uk
Tel: 01772 601525

West Lancs Light Railway
1 hour
Steam trains and workshops.
Station Road, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6SS
www.westlancs.org
Tel: 01772 815881

World of Beatrix Potter
1 hour
The home of the author of Peter Rabbit.
Old Laundry, Bowness on Windermere LA23 3BX
www.hop-skip-jump.com
Tel: 015394 88444

Blackpool Zoo
45 minutes
nice size zoo for little ones. Cafe and big soft play area.
East Park Drive, Blackpool FY3 8PP
www.blackpoolzoo.org.uk
Tel: 01253 830 830

There is a larger zoo at Chester which would take about an hour to get to, plus another small one in the Lake District.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach
45 minutes
Roller coasters, carousels. Teamed with Nickelodeon, rides with Spongebob and Dora! Lots of special events throughout the year, including spectacular Hot Ice Shows, Night Riding,
The Promenade, Blackpool.
Open from Easter to the end of October. Family tickets and discounts via internet.

RAINY DAYS

The Flower Bowl at Barton Grange
A Premium Cinema with three screens, showing a variety of classic films, recent releases and live events.

A Curling Rink with four ice sheets, to be used by club curlers, social curlers and hopefully school groups, with the potential to become a centre of excellence. Open to everyone to come and have a go!

Ten Pin Bowling with eight bowling lanes, two of which are in a private room which can be booked for parties.

There are also two Golf Simulators which use the latest technology to offer the virtual experience of playing some of the best golf courses around the world!
Approx 10mins drive from the cottages
email enquiries@theflowerbowl.uk or call 01995 676210

Lancaster University Unisports Centre
20 minutes
Newly built facility
Huge swimming pool and gym facilities
Tel. 01524 594000
Private Swimming Pool Hire
20 minutes

Our 2 older girls had swimming lessons here when they were younger!
Nicks Swim
101 Halfpenny Lane, Longridge, PR3 2EA
Tel: 01772 785730

Waves leisure Pool
45 minutes
Lagoon shaped pool, shipwreck slide, alien space bowl.
Nab Lane, Blackburn, BB2 1LN
Tel: 01254 51111

Sandcastle Waterworld
50 minutes
Tropical adventures, water features, rides and slides.
South Beach, Blackpool. FY4 1BB
www.sandcastle-waterworld.co.uk
Tel: 01253 343602

Ice Skating
50 minutes
Lower Audley, Waterside, BB2 3DY
www.blackburnicearena.co.uk
Tel: 08712 223388

Ice Skating
50 minutes
The Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. Also ice dance shows, lessons.
www.skateblackpool.co.uk
Tel: 01253 341707

Chill Factore
50 minutes
Learn to ski and snowboard indoors!
7 Trafford Quays Leisure Village, Manchester. M41 7JA
www.chillfactore.com
Tel: 0161 749 2222

Vue cinema
Church Street, Lancaster LA1 1LP
Tel. 08712 240240
Cinema
Odeon
35 minutes
Portway, Preston, PR2 2YQ
Tel: 0871 224 4007

Cinema
The Palace
30 minutes
Tiny family run cinema, only 1 screen, armchair seats
Market Place, Longridge, PR3 3RR
www.the palace-longridge.co.uk
Tel: 01772 785600

Williamson Park Lancaster
30 minutes
Mini Beast House, Butterfly House, Foreign Bird Aviary
Lancaster.
www.williamsonpark.u-net.com

Harris Museum & Art Gallery
30 minutes
Market Square, Preston. PR1 2PP
www.harrismuseum.org.uk

Legoland Discovery Centre
50 minutes
Actually, mum could do some shopping in the Trafford Centre whilst the children were in Legoland with dad! There is a very nice Selfridges and a big John Lewis, plus lots of other shops. You could also make a full day of it here as there is a multiplex cinema and loads of restaurants to eat in the Orient part.
Barton Square, Trafford Centre, Manchester M17 8AS
www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk Tel.0871 222 2662

SeaWorld
50 minutes
Also at Barton Square, the Trafford Centre, Manchester.

Knowsley Safari Park
45 minutes.
You could actually visit here both rain or shine. Drive through the safari park, but be careful of the monkeys, they can destroy your car! They removed our daughter Kendall’s car windscreen wipers! Sea lion show, bug house, woodland walk, mizzy lake farm, amusement rides.
Knowsley, Merseyside, L34 4AN
www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk

Blackpool Tower
45 minutes
Actually a good day out!
Circus Show, Jungle Jims, Skywalk, Blackpool Tower Dungeon, Tower Ballroom (as seen on the Final of Strictly Come Dancing!)

www.theblackpooltower.co.uk
Dukes Theatre
30 minutes
A small, friendly theatre, great at panto time.
Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE
www.dukes-lancaster.co.uk.org
Tel: 01524 598500

Lancaster Castle
30 minutes
Shire Hall, LA1 1YJ
www.lancastercastle.com
Tel: 01524 64998

Madame Tussauds Waxworks
On the Promenade at Blackpool.
madametussauds.com/Blackpool
Tel. 0871 2829200

Blackpool Sea Life
50 minutes
The Promenade, FY1 5AA
www.sealifeeurope.com
Tel: 01253 621258

Local Places for Fishing
If you enjoy fishing and wish to try out some of our local fisheries, here are some ideas of places to try:
Bank House Fly Fishery
Low Mill, Caton Nr Lancaster LA2 9HX
www.stocksreseviour.com
tel. 01524 770412

Barns fold Water
Barns Lane, Goosnargh PR3 2NJ
www.barnsfoldwaters.co.uk
Tel 01995 61583

Cleveley Mere Fishing
Cleveley Bank Lane Forton PR3 1BY
www.cleveleymere.com
Tel 01524 793644

Slaidburn (King Wilkinson) Estate
Central Stores and Post Office, Slaidburn BB7 3ER
Tel. 01200 446268

Forrest Hill
Hazelrigg Lane, Ellel, Lancaster LA2 0PL
www.forresthills.co.uk
Tel. 01524 752566

Stocks Reservoir
Carlow Road, Slaidburn BB7 3AQ
www.stocksreservoir.com
Tel. 01200 446602

Wyreside Lakes
Sunnyside Farmhouse, Bay Horse, Lancaster LA2 9DG
www.wyresidelakes.co.uk
Tel. 01524 792093