Facts about Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley Facts & Figures
The village of Dunsop Bridge is the nearest village to the centre of the British Isles according to Ordnance Survey. The exact grid reference is S.D. 64188.3 56541.43 - seven kilometres north west of Dunsop Bridge, on Whittendale Hanging Stones. BT put their 100,000 phone box there as a mark of recognition in 1992. More recently a 46 mile walk around the valley has been developed entitled 'Journey through the Centre of the Kingdom'.
Ribble Valley is the largest district in Lancashire in terms of area (over 244 square miles, most of which is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), but has the smallest population - around 54,000
The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is the first protected area in England to be awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, joining just 30 other protected areas across Europe. This is awarded to protected areas that are delivering tourism that is both nature and landscape friendly and contributes to the economic development of the region.
There are over 44 villages, many of which have changed very little over the years. Downham is owned by Lord Clitheroe, who does not allow overhead electricity cables or excessive signage. It was used for the filming of 'Whistle Down the Wind' and is currently the location for a BBC drama series entitled 'Born & Bred' starring James Bolam & Michael French (Eastenders). Downham was also the runner up in a competition organised by Period Living Magazine for its readers to nominate their favourite village in the country.
Ribble Valley is dominated by Pendle Hill where George Fox is believed to have had his vision in 1640 prior to founding the Quaker movement. Pendle is 1,835 ft. high and therefore not quite a mountain (2000ft is the qualifying height!) Pendle is also associated with the Pendle Witches who were taken from their homes under the hill, trailed through the Ribble Valley and sent for their trial at Lancaster Castle before being hanged on 20th August 1612.
Clitheroe is famed for its specialist shops, the most popular being Byrnes wine shop which has an enormous cellar and does business all over the world, Cowmans who sell over 75 types of sausages, Dawsons the traditional ironmongers and Exchange Coffee Company which offers over 35 of the world's finest coffees and 60 specialist teas.
Ribble Valley is full of award-winning restaurants and country hotels. Heathcotes in Longridge was the first of the chef's many ventures and the Gibbon Bridge Hotel prides itself on a luxurious experience for its many visitors whilst Northcote Manor prides itself on its gourmet evenings and cookery demonstrations.
Annual events include a number of agricultural shows including Hodder Valley Show and the Goosnargh and Longridge Show. The Clitheroe Festival Weekend saw its first year in 2007 and will come back in 2008 even bigger and better. For music lovers the Ribchester Music Festival and the International Piano Festival at Stonyhurst are a real treat.
Heritage attractions include Clitheroe Castle and Museum, Whalley Abbey, Sawley Abbey, Ribchester Roman Museum, Stonyhurst College and Browsholme Hall.
The Platform Gallery, Clitheroe received a £170,000 lottery assisted facelift in 2001. The gallery specialises in exhibiting contemporary crafts and hosts 7 or 8 exhibitions per year. There is a retail area and an education space for hosting workshops which are available to the public.
The area has its own resident Ghost Walker, Simon Entwistle who, dressed in authentic costume, recounts some his favourite legends as he accompanies you on his guided walk exploring haunted ginnels, cobbled street and burial grounds in Clitheroe and Whalley. Contact the Clitheroe Visitor Information Centre for more information.
It is thought that the landscape around Stonyhurst College in Hurst Green, Ribble Valley was influential in J.R.R. Tolkien's writing as he regularly visited his son who was studying there during the period that he was writing 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings.' This has produced much publicity for the area with the recent release of the first of the Tolkien trilogy 'The Fellowship of the Ring.'
Stonyhurst College was visited by Oliver Cromwell who is said to have slept on a table there for fear of attack prior to his journey to the Battle of Preston in 1648. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories attended as a scholar and it is believed that many of his characters and locations were influenced by his schooldays at Stonyhurst.
The Ribble Valley boasts 2 main urban areas of Clitheroe and Longridge. The latter boasts a row of stone cottages known as Club Row which were reputed to have been built by the world's first building society between 1794 and 1804.
The district can claim one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the country at 0.7%
Chipping village is reputed to have a haunted pub. Lizzy Dean worked as a serving wench at the Sun Inn and was engaged to a local man. On the morning of her wedding she heard the church bells ring and saw her bridegroom leaving the church with another bride on his arm. She hanged herself in the attic of the pub and her last request was that her grave be dug in the path to the church so that her ex-boyfriend had to walk over it every Sunday. She died aged 20 and is said to haunt the Sun Inn.
Dunsop Bridge is also famed for St. Hubert's Church which has the painting of a horse on the ceiling above the altar which is reputed to be of the Derby winner 'Kettledrum.' The horse was owned by the Towneley family and it is said that the church was paid for with the horse's winnings.
The craft shop and post office in Chipping is the oldest continuously trading shop in Great Britain since 1668.
Information about Clitheroe
What is Clitheroe's population and local history?
Longridge Blue Heritage Plaques
Learn more about the history of some of Longridge's oldest buildings.
