Clitheroe is a small market town in the Ribble Valley, sheltering beneath the looming presence of Pendle Hill. The town is one of the oldest in Lancashire, with a castle dating from the 12th century perched on a limestone crag above the centre. The views from the castle grounds stretch across the valley to the Forest of Bowland.
Clitheroe has a good weekly market, independent food shops, and Holmes Mill, a converted Victorian textile mill that now holds a brewery and what is reputedly the longest bar in the UK. The Salthill Quarry on the edge of town is an unexpectedly good geological reserve with Carboniferous limestone fossil exposures.
The town makes a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside, including the villages of the Pendle area, the Ribble Way long-distance path, and the Ribble Valley itself. Manchester is an hour by train.