Clitheroe Castle

Clitheroe Castle sits on a limestone crag that juts abruptly above the town, offering views across the Ribble Valley to Pendle Hill on one side and the Forest of Bowland on the other. The Norman keep is one of the smallest in England but dates from around 1186 and is in excellent condition. The Castle Museum below it is free and covers the history of the Ribble Valley from pre-history to the Industrial Revolution.

The castle grounds are public and open daily, making this a good first stop in town. The views are better than the size of the castle would suggest — the hill is steep and the visibility on a clear day reaches well beyond the valley. The museum's geology room, covering the limestone landscape of the area, is particularly well done.

things to do sight museum historic house
A story
Clitheroe Castle has one of the smallest Norman keeps in England — the tower is not much bigger than a large living room — but it has survived remarkably intact since the 12th century. In the Civil War it was one of the last Royalist strongholds in Lancashire. When Parliamentary forces finally took it in 1649, they ordered it slighted (deliberately damaged). The explosion meant to destroy the keep somehow managed to leave most of it standing.