Online guide to Bowland forest tourism unveiled

Hodder Valley picture Graham Cooper

Launch of Greentraveller’s Guide to Holidays in the Forest of Bowland Area of Natural Beauty

With its rich green valleys, heather-covered moorland and traditional stone farms and villages, the rugged and unspoilt Forest of Bowland is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and considered to be both Yorkshire and Lancashire’s wild and remote heartland.

Green holidays website Greentraveller.co.uk and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) have published an online guide to show residents and visitors how to make the most of this protected area in a way that has a low impact on the landscape and a positive impact on the local economy.

Greentraveller’s Guide to the Forest of Bowland  features over 50 recommendations for where to stay, eat and what to do in the region, from the dramatic sweeps of open moorland, river valleys and wooded cloughs to undulating lowlands with picturesque farms and villages. It includes an interactive map of the featured businesses, upcoming festivals and events, and in-depth information on how visitors can reduce their environmental impact by travelling to and around the area by public transport and by walking or cycling more.

Greentraveller’s Guide features some of the best places to eat that have ‘Taste of Lancashire’ produce on the menu, such as the The Inn at Whitewell, which sells seasonal grouse from the Lancashire Moors, pheasant and partridge from Dunsop shoots, Bowland beef and Lonk lamb from Burholme Farm. Other local producers include Dowsons Dairies (a family business producing milk and cheese), Keasden Organic Lamb and Pork, Gazegill organic farm that has it’s own dairy herd of Old English Shorthorns, and Hudson’s Ice Cream in Clitheroe.

Greentraveller’s team of writers has picked out some of the top places to stay, from a converted Post Office in the market town of Clitheroe, to the UK’s only five star ‘Huf Haus’ by the edge of a private lake. The Guide also features some of the best spots to find local produce that earned the ‘Taste of Lancashire’ mark, as well as family days out at animal parks, colourful gardens and art galleries, and a range of outdoor activities from relaxing riverside walking trails to the challenging 70-mile Ribble Way and Gisburn Forest mountain bike trails.

Richard Hammond, Chief Executive of greentraveller.co.uk, says: "The Forest of Bowland is a pioneer of sustainable tourism. In 2005, it became the first protected area in England to be awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas – a hard-won award that is testament to the far-sighted efforts of the AONB Partnership to manage and market tourism in Bowland in a coordinated and responsible manner.

"We hope this Greentraveller Guide to the Forest of Bowland will boost the national awareness of this specially protected part of England, and help residents and visitors make the most of their time here in a way that brings local economic benefits while conserving the very special landscape. 

"This Guide is the latest of our online destination platforms for specific regions in the UK, including other Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks that are proving popular with holidaymakers looking for that special local touch."

Hetty Byrne, Sustainable Tourism Officer Forest of Bowland, says: "We’re delighted to have been able to work with Greentraveller.co.uk to give a boost to sustainable tourism businesses in the Forest of Bowland. "Here in the Forest of Bowland we work closely with tourism organisations, businesses and communities to help protect our beautiful landscape, while at the same time increasing opportunities for visitors to discover and enjoy its special qualities

"Many of the tourism businesses are Green Tourism Business Scheme award winners – look out for the green logo! Some of their actions take place behind the scenes but there are also many that you will experience firsthand, such as access to wonderful car-free explorations and wildlife watching opportunities: their local knowledge won’t fail to inspire you!"

Valere Tjolle
BENEFIT FROM THE VISION GREEN TOURISM SPECIAL OFFER HERE