Combining gorgeous landscapes with a bustling centre, Blackburn is a busy town with loyal legions of football fans and countryside wanderers alike.
Visit Blackburn Cathedral
Situated in the centre of the town, Blackburn Cathedral is one of the newest in England, completed in 1967 – although, there’s been a church here for more than 1,000 years.
The rugged stone exterior is contrasted by a stark white and gold interior, with bold arches and vibrant stained-glass windows. Take a stroll through this majestic building to see the incredible architecture.
Browse Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery
Built in 1874, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery was one of the country’s first purpose-built free museums outside of London. It has grown to house artefacts from all over the world, including over 1,000 antique Japanese prints and coins from a myriad of ages.
The Grade II-listed building is packed full of coins, books and manuscripts from Robert Edward Hart, a notable resident who donated his impressive collection in 1946.
See a game at Ewood Park
Football fans will adore the atmosphere at Ewood Park, the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Take a tour or rekindle your love for the sport by watching a live game.
Home games are held regularly at the 31,000-seater stadium and are booked through the club’s website.
Explore centuries of history
Just 15 minutes from Blackburn, via the A674, 16th-century Hoghton Tower is a fortified manor. Take a guided tour through the stately rooms to see how the upper classes once lived, or take a tour through the eerie passages and dungeons that have appeared in crime drama Peaky Blinders.
On the other side of town, closer to Burnley, Gawthorpe Hall is a beautiful Elizabethan house, completed in 1605. It was heavily featured in the bestselling novel The Familiars, by Stacey Halls, which is based on the 1612 Pendle Witch Trial.
Delight in delicious food
This small corner of Lancashire is ripe with fantastic places to eat.
Michelin-starred Northcote – formerly Northcote Manor – is just over 15 minutes’ drive from the centre of Blackburn, and has a menu full of ingredients from across the north and the UK, including a plant-based tasting and gourmet menu.
Head north through the Ribble Valley, through Clitheroe, and you’ll reach the award-winning Inn at Whitewell, where big, hearty dishes are the order of the day. If you’re looking for a friendly, cosy atmosphere, it’s hard to do better – little wonder, then, it won the 2020 Good Pub Guide Awards.
Other nearby highlights include the Parkers Arms, in Newton-in-Bowland, and the exceptionally cosy Fleece Inn, in Dolphinholme, just outside the Forest of Bowland.
Walk in the Forest of Bowland
The Forest of Bowland – also known as the Bowland Fells – is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering 213 square miles of valley, fell and woodland.
The best walking routes include the Chipping to Parlick Pike circular, which is great for exploring the rugged terrain in areas such as Fair Snape Fell. The Sawley to Bolton-by-Bowland route is ideal for heritage lovers since it passes through villages that have been touched by every era of British history, from the 12th century to the 20th.
The Pendle Witch Way is the crowning jewel of local routes, however. The 48-mile route follows in the footsteps of the accused in the 1612 trial, starting in Sabden and concluding in the historic city of Lancaster. Pendle Hill has become a symbol for the route, and can be eerily remote.
Blackburn is a typical northern English town, with plenty to see and magical surroundings. Get around the area with ease when you hire a car with Hertz.
