Cottages in the Ribble Valley

Table of Contents

• At a glance: What should you know about renting a cottage in the Ribble Valley?
• Cottages in the Ribble Valley: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring the Ribble Valley: our top recommendations
• Activities: What are the top things to do and see in the Ribble Valley?

• Stone-built farm cottages: Converted barns, shepherd's cottages and stable conversions sit on working farms, most with a wood burner, an enclosed garden and space for two to six guests.
• Where to base yourself: Clitheroe suits food lovers and first-timers, while Slaidburn, Dunsop Bridge and Whalley put you closer to the fells and the riverside footpaths.
• Guests rate the quiet: Reviews praise dark skies, sheep-grazed views and hosts who leave Lancashire cheese, eggs or fresh bread in the kitchen on arrival.
• A serious food region: Bowland beef, moorland lamb and crumbly white cheese fill the farm shops, and Clitheroe hosts its food festival every August.
• Slow days outdoors: Walk Pendle Hill, cycle the Trough of Bowland, wander Whalley Abbey and follow the River Ribble between villages.

Cottages here are mostly stone-built conversions on working farmland: former barns, dairies and stable blocks with thick walls, low beams and wood burners. Many sit on smallholdings where the owners still keep cattle or sheep, so a short lane is all that separates you from the fells. Most sleep two to six guests. Look out for these features when you compare properties:

• Wood burners with a basket of logs included for autumn and winter evenings
• Enclosed gardens and yards, useful if you are travelling with a dog
• Well-equipped kitchens for cooking with farm shop produce
• Off-road parking, essential on the narrow lanes around Bowland
• Wi-Fi and TV, though the signal can be patchy in the deeper valleys

Book early for August and half-term weeks, when the best farm cottages go quickly.

What are the best areas to stay in the Ribble Valley?

For a first visit, base yourself in or near Clitheroe, the market town at the centre of the valley with the castle, the food shops and the best bus and rail links. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests who book cottages in the Ribble Valley write most often about the silence, the dark skies and the welcome. Farm hosts leave local eggs, milk or a wedge of Lancashire cheese in the fridge, point out the footpath at the end of the lane, and lend boot racks and drying space. Ratings of 9.5+ are common across the valley, with the highest scores going to farm conversions near Bowland. Here are our top-rated cottages from the past year:

1. Stone Mouse Cottage - 9.9+: A cottage for four in the Forest of Bowland, praised for its cosy kitchen, reliable Wi-Fi and the footpaths starting at the door.
2. Number 10 - 9.9+: A Lancashire cottage sleeping four that welcomes dogs, with a well-stocked kitchen and easy drives to the farm shops.
3. Springfield Cottage - 9.9+: Room for six in the Forest of Bowland, pet-friendly and popular with families who cook together after long walks.

The Ribble Valley spreads across eastern Lancashire, from Pendle Hill and Clitheroe to the moors and wooded cloughs of the Forest of Bowland.

🥗Where to eat in the Ribble Valley?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Eight at Gazegill is the best rated restaurant in the Ribble Valley. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest traveller Emma recommends the Toms Table in the Ribble Valley: a small Clitheroe bistro where the menu follows the farms and market stalls a few streets away, perfect after a slow morning.

1. Climb Pendle Hill
2. Explore Clitheroe Castle
3. Wander Whalley Abbey
4. Drive the Trough of Bowland
5. Taste Lancashire cheese
6. Walk the River Ribble
7. Visit Ribchester Roman Museum

1. Climb Pendle Hill

   The whaleback of Pendle Hill dominates the valley and takes about an hour to climb from Barley village. The summit gives you the whole of the Ribble Valley on one side and the Yorkshire fells on the other. The hill is bound up with the 1612 witch trials, and the villages beneath it still trade on that story. Go early on a clear morning, take a flask, and come down through the reservoirs for a slow loop back to the car park.

2. Explore Clitheroe Castle

   The small Norman keep on its limestone knoll has watched over Clitheroe for some 800 years, and the climb up takes only a few minutes. The castle museum tells the story of the town, the 350-million-year-old limestone underfoot and the wildlife of Bowland. Around it are gardens, a bandstand and a café, and the high street below is full of butchers, delis and cheesemongers, which makes this an easy first stop on a cottage holiday.

3. Wander Whalley Abbey

   Founded by Cistercian monks in 1296, Whalley Abbey survives as low walls, arches and its impressive gatehouse, set in gardens beside the River Calder. It is a quiet, unhurried place with a tearoom and a bookshop, and the surrounding village has a parish church with Saxon crosses in the churchyard. Combine it with a walk under the enormous railway viaduct, then follow the riverside path back through the fields towards the village.

4. Drive the Trough of Bowland

   The Trough of Bowland is the pass that cuts through the heart of the fells, a narrow lane of heather, sheep and hairpin bends running between Dunsop Bridge and Lancaster. Drive it slowly, stop at the little bridges and follow the streams on foot. Cyclists love it too, though the gradients are honest. On the way, holiday lettings in Lancashire are scattered across the villages if you want to extend the trip.

5. Taste Lancashire cheese

   The valley is one of the best food areas in northern England. Crumbly and creamy Lancashire cheese, Bowland beef, moorland lamb and cured meats fill the farm shops around Chipping, Waddington and Clitheroe. Many cottages have proper kitchens, so buying a basket of local produce and cooking at home is part of the holiday. If you visit in August, the Clitheroe food festival takes over the town centre with stalls and demonstrations.

6. Walk the River Ribble

   The River Ribble and its tributary the Hodder thread the whole valley, and the riverside paths are gentle, well signed and good for half-day walks. Try the stretch near Ribchester, the meadows below Sawley Abbey or the wooded banks around Great Mitton, where the Ribble, Calder and Hodder meet. Herons, dippers and kingfishers are regular sightings, and there are pubs at both ends of most routes.

7. Visit Ribchester Roman Museum

   Ribchester sits on the site of the Roman fort of Bremetennacum, and the village museum, open since 1915, displays finds from the granaries, baths and cavalry barracks. It is small, well curated and easy to combine with lunch in the village. From here it is a short drive east towards the Yorkshire border, where cottages in the Yorkshire Dales make a natural second stop on a longer touring holiday.