Gisburn Holidays

Gisburn is a picturesque village of cobbled streets and pretty stone cottages, set in the Ribble Valley and historically a Yorkshire village, although technically in Lancashire. It’s the perfect location for those looking for a country holiday where you can experience the best of the British countryside, with a wide choice of country lodges and holiday cottages. From Gisburn you can easily explore the Ribble Valley, the Yorkshire Dales and the beauty and diversity of the Lancashire and Yorkshire countryside. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, Gisburn was granted a charter for a fair in 1260, and there’s evidence of Iron Age and Roman settlements around the area, sited as it is on the Roman road running from Ribchester to Ilkley. North of the village is Castle Haugh, a Norman earthen castle, probably established in the 11^th century.

 

Gisburn is ideal for UK walking holidays, and the Ribble Way follows the River Ribble from the coast near Preston to its source, up in the Yorkshire fells, joined and intersected by many other walking trails along the way. A favourite destination with cyclists and birdwatchers, Gisburn Forest is Lancashire’s largest forest, with many planned walking and cycling routes, and at Stocks Reservoir many species of bird can be seen including members of the tit family, woodpeckers and osprey. The close-by Forest of Bowland is a wildlife haven and is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty. It’s a great destination for UK fishing holidays too, with plenty of opportunities for coarse and fly fishing on rivers and stocked lakes. There’s also a good choice of golf courses at Blackpool, Bolton and Southport.

 

There’s a lot to see and do around Gisburn and it’s in an ideal position, close to the majestic beauty of the Lancashire and Yorkshire countryside, yet less than an hour from cities such as Leeds and the seaside at Blackpool and Morecambe, with its sandy beaches and stunning bay. Windsurfing and kite-surfing can be enjoyed here, and a self-catering holiday lodge or cottage offers the ideal base from which to keep the kids amused. Blackpool Zoo is a super day out with many activities and animals including lions, giraffe, elephants, gorillas and orang-utan, and you can visit Blackpool Pleasure Beach or Sea Life Centre, or see Blackpool’s famous Lights. At Chorley, Camelot Park offers all sorts of medieval treats such as jousting, and there are play centres at Shipley and Keighley.