Six towns & villages worth a visit

We’ve spoken before about the fantastic location we find ourselves in at The Longlands Inn & Restaurant. In fact, the location was one of the first things that attracted owner, Barry, to buying The Longlands back in 1989 when he drove past to find it boarded up. Having known it as a ‘really buzzing place’ when it was open, he was sad to see such a prominent building confined to darkness andwas excited to breathe new life into it. Almost 35 years on, and with a few makeovers under our belt, The Longlands is at its best!

A short drive in all directions from The Longlands not only takes you into different counties, it also throws up some gems of villages and small towns. As we almost straddle the three counties of Lancashire, Cumbria, and Yorkshire, there’s something different to find in each one, and there’s normally always something going on too – it’s certainly never dull around here!

Here are our recommendations of six towns or villages worth visiting, and all within a 1-hour drivetime of The Longlands:

Cumbria

Cartmel

Just a 30-minute drive will take you to the picturesque village location of Cartmel in Cumbria where the historic Cartmel Priory has stood proudly at the heart of the village for more than 800 years. The Priory Church, a grade I listed building, was founded by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who was also the architect of the Magna Carta. The medieval Priory’s square belfry tower is the only one of its kind in the UK, and the stunning Great East Window dates to1420. Independent shops, including the famous Cartmel Village Shop, surround the traditional market square where fish slabs still mark the spot where the daily catch would have been laid out hundreds of years ago. The racecourse, surely with one of the prettiest backdrops in the country, is only a few minutes’ walkfrom the village and holds nine race days each year beginning in May. *If you don’t want to drive, frequent trains run from Carnforth to Cark in Cartmel and take around 20-25 minutes.

Kendal

The market town of Kendal is often referred to as ‘the gateway to the Lake District’, but it’s so much more than somewhere you should just pass through.Kendal is characterised by its many 18th century ‘yards’ – little ‘ginnels’ or ‘lanes’ – that connect the main shopping streets. The yards historically witnessed the creation of industries and friendly communities, and today that tradition still lives on through a range of independent shops calling them home. Just a 20-minute drive from The Longlands, Kendal also has a 13th century castle overlooking the town (only parts remain), one of the oldest museums in the country, and plenty of galleries and creative spaces including the Brewery Arts Centre hosting live music, theatre, and comedy. *Kendal is known for its wide ranging events and festivals programme, and you can read more about some of them in our last blog.

Kirkby Lonsdale

On the edge of both the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, Kirkby Lonsdale is one of our favourite places to visit from The Longlands. A fairly straight 20-minute drive takes you directly from our car park to the picturesque market town on the banks of the River Lune. Cobbled streets and courtyards are home to traditional, independent shops and a short stroll from the market square takes you down to the impressive Devil’s Bridge (find out more about its name and tradition on our ‘Longlands Artwork’ blog!) The bridge is a hugely popular meeting place for motorcyclists on weekends and bank holidays and is a great riverside picnic spot for families to splash around in the summer. No visit to Kirkby Lonsdale is complete without taking in Ruskin’s View on the north side of the churchyard – painted by JMW Turner and described by John Ruskin as ‘one of the loveliest scenes in England.’ You won’t get any arguments from us!

Lancashire

Morecambe

Less than 10 miles from The Longlands is the traditional seaside resort of Morecambe. In its heyday attracting big names of the time from Coco Chanel to Sir Laurence Olivier (The 1960 film, The Entertainer was filmed in the town), a little of Morecambe’s sparkle may have dimmed over the years, but the grandeur and charm remains. Film and TV crews are still attracted to the gorgeous backdrop of Morecambe Bay – with the most recent series, ITV’s The Bay, about to hit our screens for a fifth series. Make sure to take a walk along some or all of the 5-mile stretch of wide, open seafront promenade, stopping to pose for a customary photo at comedian Eric Morecambe’s statue. Visit the Japanese Garden in Happy Mount Park and sample some of Brucciani’sspeciality and legendary ice cream in the promenade-fronted Art Deco coffee shop and ice cream parlour. You’ll definitely have earned it after all that walking!

Clitheroe

Around an hour by car from The Longlands, Clitheroe is one of the most charming towns in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). A visit to this bustling market town feels a little like you’ve stepped back in time. Full of character and with a variety of independent shops that have been passed down through generations, Clitheroe is a gem of a town. A must-visit for wine lovers is the legendary D Byrne & Co Victorian wine shop where you can easily lose track of time exploring the cavernous cellars – dating back to the early 18th century – complete with creaky floorboards. Byrnes holds quite literally thousands of bottles of wine both in the underground caverns and upstairs on shelves so high, staff need extra-long stepladders to carefully retrieve them! A few miles down the road is the village of Barley, which is a popular starting point for climbing the bewitching Pendle Hill.

Yorkshire

Settle

The start of the scenic Settle-Carlisle Railway, the market town of Settle in North Yorkshire is just a 40-minute drive from The Longlands. Bordering the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forest of Bowland, the town is known for its impressive stone architecture including The Folly, a Grade I listed 17thcentury townhouse and former gentleman’s residence, now home to the Museum of North Craven Life. The town comes alive every Tuesday with the arrival of the hugely popular traditional outdoor market in the historic Market Place. Settle is also hugely popular with fans of the outdoors with walking, cycling, caving, and rock-climbing just a few of the activities on offer in the surrounding area. For rail buffs, the signal box at Settle station is open to the public every Saturday and if you have time, take a train ride as far as Ribblehead station where views of the iconic 400-metre-long Ribblehead Viaduct are best enjoyed from the ground.

Food Allergies and Intolerances

All our food is prepared on site in our open plan kitchen. Whilst we can cater for vegetarian, vegan and gluten free diets, please be aware that some of our foods contain allergens. Please speak to a member of staff for more information or to discuss your personal dietary requirements.