Barrowford & Pendle
The characterful charming village of Barrowford in Pendle, sits on the confluence of two rivers, Pendle Water and Colne Water, where trout can often be seen leaping through the clear waters.
It’s an upmarket place full of attractive 17th and 18th century farmhouses and pretty handloom weavers’ cottages. The independent boutiques that line the high street are jammed with smart designer fashion, attracting some of the North West’s most affluent customers including footballers and their other halves.
The village also happens to be on the Leeds to Liverpool Canal, which at 127 miles is the longest canal in Northern England. The canal has 91 locks seven of which are in Barrowford. The oldest bridge in town, the Packhorse Bridge near Higherford Mill, dates back to the end of the 16th century.
If you are travelling into the Pendle area for the first time why not make a day of it and see some of the local attractions and wonderful countryside?
The famous and mystical Pendle Hill is only 3 miles away from the studio, and if the weather is kind its a great walk to the top to see panoramic views of the Lancashire and Yorkshire countryside, on a clear day from Morecambe Bay in the West to the Yorkshire Dales in the East.
The lovely villages of Barley and Downham hug the base of Pendle Hill, and are really worth a visit. Both villages have excellent pubs that serve food and are dog friendly.
Its a very short walk along the river bank from my studio to the Pendle Heritage Centre. You will find a Tea Room overlooking a restored Eighteenth Century Walled Garden – always a lovely place to relax with a home-cooked lunch, whatever the weather. The Pendle Art Gallery has jewellery, silk scarves, ceramics and prints by local artists and the Parlour Shop is a great place to find that perfect gift, book or greeting card. The centre also has a Museum on Pendle life,focusing on life in the 1600s, the Pendle Witches, George Fox and the Quakers and the Bannister family.