Many areas of the UK claim to have inspired JRR Tolkien’s creation of middle earth but the author certainly spent much of his time at Stonyhurst College whilst he was working on Lord of The Rings during the Second World War. Many have found connections with the landscape around Stonyhurst and a number of names which occur in The Lord of the Rings are similar to those found locally. The five and a half mile Tolkien Trail explores the Ribble landscape that may have inspired him, starting and fi nishing at the Shireburn Arms in Hurst Green. Stay for the night or call in for a pint, though we can’t promise you’ll fi nd the Hobbit’s favourite, Barliman’s Best, on tap. Some say that the Shireburn name (local landowners) may have influenced the naming of the River Shirebourn in Lord of the Rings. Whatever the connection this historic 17th century inn is now a welcoming gastro pub, with stylish rooms and is also dog friendly so they get to explore ‘the shire’ as well.
Become a Fan
Follow us
More Lancashire Blogs
02 March 2017
28 February 2017
Accrington's Artistic Brilliance
Visiting Accrington’s Haworth Art Gallery is like stepping into a jewellery box. The oak panelled entrance hall and richly carved interior features are classic examples of the Arts and Crafts movement. Combined with the iridescent colours projected through the heraldic stained glass windows creates an exquisite backdrop to the treasures within.
Most visitors are surprised to discover that the Haworth Art Gallery is home to Europe’s largest collection of Tiffany Glass. The collection consists of a variety of glass tiles, a Tiffany library lamp and a wide range of vases and mosaic samples including the distinctive Art Nouveau cockatoo mosaic. The mosaic panel depicts a pair of Australian Greater Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos, perched in a tree against a sunset sky. The lustre eff ect surface is achieved by preparing the glass with metallic oxides, then exposing it to acid fumes. Attributed to Joseph Briggs, it demonstrates his skill as a draughtsman, first developed as an apprentice engraver in Accrington.
20 February 2017
Share your Photographs #Wherelifefeelsgood
We all just love taking photos, be it on our phones or our cameras, we are taking more photos than ever before. As much as we like to take photographs we also love to share them. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, twitter, Snapchat; our social media time lines are bursting with photos of friends and family, fabulous views, meals we eat, cute animals, the list is endless. Some make you smile, others make you a tiny bit jealous and some make you want to drop everything and go on holiday that very day.
When you visit Lancashire in 2017 don’t forget to capture some of your favourite sights and experiences and then tag online using #Wherelifefeelsgood so we can share with the world just how much you are enjoying yourself. We asked Andrew Barton from Fat Badger Photography to give us some pointers on capturing the best photographs.
Shoot at night
Keep your camera as still as possible. Low light means your camera will select a longer shutter speed. Consider using a tripod or a nearby wall to support your camera in order to reduce blur in your shot.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The key to good food photography is lighting. Try to place a light above the food in order to reduce the amount of shadows. You could use a piece of tracing paper to diffuse the light and make it softer on your subject.
Action!
Action shots in general mean that your subject is fast moving and as a photographer you’ll want to try and capture your subject as sharply as possible. If your camera allows, select a fast shutter speed such as 1/1000th of a second or more, which will help to stop the action. Some cameras have a ‘sport’ mode which will help. Up
Close with Nature
Always try and take the images from the same height as the subject. Getting eye-line perspective gives a sense of being immersed in the animal’s world.
Share you images using #wherelifefeelsgood
This article featured in the 2017 Lancashire Visitor Magazine. Read the magazine below or order a copy
16 February 2017
Towering Masterpiece
Who can resist the heritage and majesty of the Blackpool Tower?
Opened in 1894 and still welcoming visitors over 120 years later with its dazzling 120ft square ballroom, family attractions and of course the magnificent 518ft tower itself. After a 69 second ascent you’ll feel on top of the world, but do you dare step out on to the 5cm thick glass SkyWalk? We promise you that it can hold the weight of two elephants but how did they get them up there to check?
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year in the 2016 Lancashire Tourism Awards,the Tower Ballroom is now famous for its annual appearance on Strictly Come Dancing but even if you can’t dance, make time for afternoon tea in this glorious setting and take a lead from the Shakespeare quote above the stage…
"bid me discourse I will enchant thine ear."
Check out events at The Blackpool Tower over half term
This article featured in the 2017 Lancashire Visitor Magazine - read online below or order your copy
<
13 February 2017
Top 5 Lancashire Playgrounds
When it comes to family friendly activities we think it's the children and parents who know best. So we asked parents on Facebook and Twitter to tell us their favourite playgrounds in Lancashire. This was their 5.
- Park View 4U, Lytham Award winning 3-generational play park.
- Worden Park, LeylandPlaypark, miniature railway and maze.
- Happy Mount Park, MorecambePlay park, splash zone and trampolines.
- Withy Grove Park, PrestonWoodland and children’s adventure playground.
- Samlesbury Hall, PrestonNew for 2016 featuring a Mayflower shipand miniature replica of the hall itself
Share your favourite Lancashire Playgrounds using #Wherelifefeelsgood
09 February 2017
Top 5 Free attractions in Lancashire
If you're looking for activities and places to visit during the school holidays (that are friendly on the wallet) look no further. These five attractions are all free to visit and have a variety of activities and events that will keep all ages interested.
1. Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston - 250 acre reserve with adventure playground and floating visitor centre.
2. Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston - Activities for kids and regular events.
3. World Horse Welfare Penny Farm, Blackpool - Meet the horses and ponies who have been rescued and cared for by the centre.
4. The Whitaker, Rawtenstall Intriguing natural history collection, kid’s events and cafe.
5. Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery - Varied collection, events and kids activities
This top 5 featured in the 2017 Lancashire Visitor Magazine - read online below or order a copy
06 February 2017
Lancashire from above
Last year Visit Lancashire commissioned SkyOptics to capture our stunningly beautiful county from the air and the result was a fantastic film that showcases Lancashire at its finest.
Col Lloyd, pilot and founder of SkyOptics, relished the opportunity to exploit the fantastic vantage point that the drones provided. He explained "Each of the locations had its own challenges. The downhill Enduro race at Lee Quarry was exciting to film and allowed us to get some great high speed tracking shots with our drone. The East Lancashire Railway took a lot of planning and logistics to get the aerial shots of the trains. Morecambe was interesting, flying out over the Bay area and Williamson Park was a challenge and took a lot of planning with the director of the walkabout theatre production. We wanted to film the action of the outdoor theatre, but rightly so, this had to be done with the drone never in line of sight of the audience. And Lytham Festival was exciting to fly at when Bryan Adams was playing to several thousand people." "I’ve been a keen cyclist for several years, but wasn’t aware of the amount of routes and great places to ride in the Forest of Bowland. When you see it from 400ft up, it’s certainly makes you want to go back and explore on two wheels."
03 February 2017
Leye D Johns My Lancashire
Lancashire’s 2016 Tourism Superstar and all round visitor ambassador. Leye runs VIVA Blackpool, a show and event venue on Blackpool’s famous promenade.
Q. What do you love about living and working in Lancashire?
A. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of wonderful things there are to see and do across the whole of the county, there’s everything from beautiful beaches to glorious countryside. Blackpool has its own special buzz and I love seeing our customers coming in through the doors at VIVA, they have all come for our unique blend of entertainment, fun and razzamatazz, so whether they are young or not so young, we hope they all have an enjoyable night.
Q. When you’re not entertaining Blackpool visitors, where do you go to relax?
A. Ideally I like to be fed grapes whilst being fanned by palm leaves but failing that I love going for a walk along Blackpool Promenade. I always try to stop at the Comedy Carpet for a quick read and seeing all that entertainment history laid out like that makes me proud to carry on the traditions of so many big name stars.
30 January 2017
My Lancashire by Scott the Bowland Beer Brewer
Scott works for the multi award-winning Bowland Brewery based at Holmes Mill in Clitheroe.
Q. What do you love most about living and working in Lancashire?
A. By far, the thing I love most about Lancashire is it’s breath-taking countryside. Step out of any town and your eyes and lungs are treated to miles of rich landscape, history, and clean air. Living and working on the edge of Bowland also provides me with an abundance of exhilarating walking and motorcycle routes.
Q. What’s your favourite pub?
A. I have collected many fuzzy memories between the walls of the New Inn in Clitheroe. Character is key here. And the New Inn has plenty of it. The multi-roomed layout allows for a mix of all ages and opinions, making it easy to find good conversation. Live music can be heard regularly, by musicians that seem to just appear between pints. The beer is always in good condition and the selection regularly changes which includes Bowland Ales next to a core of house favourites.
Continue reading "My Lancashire by Scott the Bowland Beer Brewer" »
