Clitheroe between Castle, Market and Food Festival

Clitheroe brings together several themes for a trip: a castle, a public maze, leisure activities, a long market tradition and routes linked to rail travel. If you’re looking for a hotel in Clitheroe, the focus of your stay can help you find your way around. Consider whether you’d rather focus on history, leisure, food, or a combination of walking and public transport.

Castle, Rose Garden and Maze

Clitheroe Castle was built as a shell keep between the late 11th and early 12th centuries. Its design and period make the castle a distinct historical highlight in Clitheroe. The term “shell keep” emphasises the castle’s enclosed form and, together with its early construction date, offers a specific way into the subject of local history.

The grounds of Clitheroe Castle also include a formal rose garden. The same castle grounds bring together two different design themes: the shell keep and the formally laid-out garden. If you choose a historical focus for your trip, you can consider both aspects without treating them as the same thing.

The Clitheroe Castle Labyrinth is the first public labyrinth in Lancashire. This distinctive feature adds a separate theme to the castle’s history. You can therefore choose between the castle’s historical design, garden design and public maze as different points of interest.

Leisure at Clitheroe Castle

Clitheroe Skatepark was built and opened in 2006. It is located on the grounds of Clitheroe Castle and is made entirely of concrete, with transition and street elements in its design. Its focus is therefore quite different from that of the castle and rose garden. If you also take leisure activities into account when choosing a destination, this offers a different area of interest alongside the castle’s history.

Market tradition and Food Festival

A regular market has been held at Clitheroe Market since the Norman Conquest in the 12th century. Clitheroe Market offers fresh, locally sourced food. This brings a present-day market offering together with a historical connection reaching far back in time.

The Clitheroe Food Festival showcases local, award-winning food and drink producers each year. The market and festival have different focuses: the market offers fresh, locally sourced food, while the festival puts the producers in the spotlight. Dates and programmes may vary between festival editions. If you’re planning your trip around the festival, check the announced event dates before making your plans.

Routes and rail connections

The Clitheroe Circular Walk starts and ends at Clitheroe station, making the station both the route’s starting point and its endpoint. If you’re planning to include the circular walk in your stay, check local route conditions before setting off.

The Eco-Escapes routes are based around Clitheroe and Whalley stations on the Clitheroe Line. They connect walking and cycling routes with bus and rail services. Unlike the Circular Walk, which starts and ends at Clitheroe station, the Eco-Escapes routes involve two stations and links between different routes and modes of transport. As transport arrangements can change, check current services before setting off.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Samlesbury, Worsthorne, Ellel, Holcombe, Colne, Claughton-on-Brock, Calder Vale, Pilling

For the broader travel overview: Lancashire.