A delightful discovery in the heart of Lancashire.

Lancashire contains many hidden gems and Gibbon Bridge is definitely top of our list. Nestling in a part of the country, purported to be a favourite of the Queen, it is hard to believe that this country hotel is so easily accessible from Manchester Airport and the motorway network. A typical Lancashire welcome awaits where friendliness, comfort and excellent food make guests feel instantly at home. Maybe that has much to do with the owner herself, Janet Simpson, whose parents bought Gibbon bridge farm around forty years ago. Janet’s dream of running a small country café serving afternoon teas burgeoned into a much more ambitious project, a country hotel which first opened its doors in 1982.

Return visits to Gibbon Bridge are almost like a home-coming and the staff are part of one big family. A log fire burns in the comfy lounge and bar area during the winter months and, in summer, the gardens are a riot of colour. Janet’s eye for detail has ensured extremely comfortable accommodation and her cooking skills the serving of exquisite food. Fruit and vegetables are grown in a huge plot in the hotel grounds whilst locally sourced produce is used wherever possible. Just writing about it fills me with the urge to return as soon as possible!

Brian and I have sampled an overnight stay so have experienced first-hand the lovely, big comfortable beds and have also visited for lunch or an evening meal on special occasions. Janet will prepare and cook an extra special meal of your choice by prior arrangement and, from next summer, as well as the BBQ area already in use for groups of family, friends or business colleagues, there are plans afoot for outside, separate thatched covered alfresco dining areas in the garden for groups of around eight.

What to do whilst you are there shouldn’t present too much of a problem. The Forest of Bowland lies on the doorstep and the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales are all feasible on a day trip. Nearby Chipping is a typical Lancashire stone built village with pubs and a church. It’s a good stepping off point for hikes onto the surrounding fells to climb Parlick Pike maybe or visit nearby ‘Witch’ country. Overlooked by the brooding presence of Pendle Hill, where in 1652 George Fox was inspired to found the Quaker movement, the area around Sabden, Downham and Barley was the setting for the ‘so-called crimes’ committed by a group of unfortunate women, who were carted through the Trough of Bowland to their trial at Lancaster Castle. No doubt they would be unaware of the beauty of their surroundings but the ‘Trough’ presents a slower but wonderful scenic route north for those not in a hurry. It’s equally worthwhile returning the same way too. Dunsop Bridge, at the start of the climb through the Trough of Bowland, is the very centre of the British Isles. Another scenic ‘over the tops’ route leads from Slaidburn to High Bentham and Ingleton. Gibbon Bridge itself lies cradled close to the foot of a long ridge, Longridge Fell, from where, on a clear day, expansive views take the eye as far as Blackpool Tower. Roman Ribchester with its museum and the ruined Cistercian Abbey at Whalley aren’t too far distant either. There are many other picturesque Lancashire villages tucked away amongst the hills and hollows of this, unspoilt, part of the world which evokes the timelessness of a byegone era. (See the Lancashire Villages article.)

Those in need of a shopping fix can head for country market towns like Clitheroe and Garstang or the more cosmopolitan town of Preston. Even a day trip to the brash hub of Blackpool is easily achievable as is most of the Lancashire coastline.

Visitors to this magical part of the world are in for a real treat, especially if they combine a visit with a stay at Gibbon Bridge. You never know who might be staying as a guest either because the secret is out and the hotel has received quite a few well known faces since its opening.

Reservations for dining or accommodation are essential  Tel: 01995 61456 or check out Gibbon Bridge
 

Also check out visitlancashire, Lancashire Witches  and Lancaster for further excellent information.  

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