72 HOURS IN... LANCASHIRE

We don’t need to travel to far flung corners of the earth to find adventure, we just need to use our imagination. So, with this sentiment in mind, a couple of weeks ago I hopped on a train out of London and three hours later I arrived in Lancashire… the home of Accrington Stanley Football Club, made famous by that milk advert from the 1980’s. 

It might not spring to mind as a bucket list destination but it holds a special place for me. In 2016, when I paddle boarded 400 miles through England’s waterways, I finished the journey on the Lancaster Canal - just short of Stainton. I was taken aback by the beauty of that stretch of waterway (so much so that I included it in my guidebook ‘Paddling Britain’ amongst 50 of my favourite places to paddle board in England). 

I admit that back then I didn’t hold particularly high expectations of Lancaster Canal (and Lancashire more generally) . Mostly because I didn’t know a great deal about about it aside from Morecambe Bay and Blackpool Pleasure Beach (as well as the advert), so it completely blew my mind. Paddling through the centre of Lancaster and its historic buildings was as charming as it was friendly, and the more remote parts of that canal were some of the most beautiful I’d seen in the country. I knew that one day I would return and explore the surrounding area more and so (a cool three years later) I finally did.

Over 72 hours in Lancashire - as part of a whistle stop MicroGap adventure with VisitEngland  where I experienced the best of a gap year in a few days - I crammed in all things Lancashire had to offer. From wild swimming in lakes, paddleboarding along rivers, star gazing, beach cleaning, bird watching, foraging, climbing hills, bodging a kitchen utensil and camping in woods, it was an overload of my senses. And I wanted to give something back too,  so I volunteered at a wildlife reserve and joined Lancaster locals on a beach clean. 

It’s too easy to overlook what’s on our doorstep when we plan trips - I’m guilty of it too – and in light of the research Visit Britain conducted recently that shows almost two-thirds of us want to take micro-grap adventures to England and do something worthwhile simultaneously -  I hope by summarising this little adventure it sparks some inspiration for you to spend 72 hours (that’s basically a weekend - easy!) having a wild time close to home. There’s always adventure closer that you think, you just need to go and find it.

72 HOURS IN LANCASHIRE

My favourite way to explore is by paddleboard. It gives a deep sense of place that wandering the streets just can’t match - especially in waterways that meander through the background of bustling towns and cities, like Lancaster. You can people watch as your float quietly past and see a place from an entirely different perspective to everyone on foot.

I arrived in Lancashire by late afternoon. Although not time to visit the city centre, there was plenty of light left after I finished unpacking in the luxurious yurt on the shore of Wyresdale Park’s magnificent lake that I was calling home for a couple of nights. I quickly pumped my board up and glid into the stillness and silence of the lake, glad to have some time in nature to unwind from the craziness of London just a few hours earlier. 

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, I was back at the lake on Wyresdale Park - but this time I was going in for a swim. The temperature? A balmy eight degrees. Cold enough to lose your breath and feel that overwhelming numbness envelope your body as the wetsuit fills with water before it heats against your skin, but warm enough not to feel like body parts are going to drop off. I crossed the lake in breaststroke- taking it slowly and absorbing the autumnal surroundings, but always moving. The sound of the ducks quacking, the colour of the seasonal leaves and the odd heron gliding past in the distance was magic. It energised me - which was lucky because the itinerary ahead was jam-packed. 

The obvious way to warm up after a dip is with a hearty brunch and caffeine, so I headed to the nearby Applestore Cafe (by nearby I literally mean a 3 minute walk), for poached eggs on toast and a coconut latte (all very hipster, I know). As well as delicious grub, this glasshouse cafe has real grapevines growing in, through and around it and roaring log burners keeping it toasty inside - a gorgeous spot whilst waiting for the feeling in my fingers and toes to be restored. 

Next stop was Pilling Pottery, a family business spanning three generations, to learn the art of pottery making. I’ve always found the idea of sitting behind a potters wheel appealing - there’s something hypnotising about it - so now was my chance to try it for real. My first love will always be paddle boarding but this has taken second place. Moulding clay is like mindfulness on steroids. You need to be incredibly focused - a combination of deep concentration and physical work - engrossing you in the rhythm of the wheel and the movement of the clay. Two hours with my tutor, Dylan, flew by and I ended the session with a small bowl and tall vase ready to kiln and take home.

I left Pilling Pottery and headed straight to the nearby beach (Pillings Beach, aptly) to met the local community for their monthly beach clean. They’ve been doing this for a couple of years and for a crisp autumn day I was pleasantly surprised to see nearly 20 people turn out ready and eager to do their bit. The tide was miles out and I was surrounded by mudflats (trashed my trainers) but thanks to the clear blue skies the horizon was vivid. A glimpse of the Lake District to the north and the Yorkshire Dales to the East. I took in a deep breathe and let it out slowly, soaking in the fresh, autumn air and glorious views. That day I collected seven pieces of rubbish, not much for an hour on the beach (thankfully) and logged it all in the Plastic Patrol app and then back to the yurt for an evening in front of the campfire and a hot tub warmed by wood burning. Bliss. 

The final day was an early start to meet Paul Williams at his woodwork cabin nestled in the Wyresdale Park Estate. I was guided by the smoking chimney in the woodland and as the cabin appeared fully, I smiled to myself. It was like the scene of rom-com. 

Paul, a master craftsman who has been working with wood for more than 30 years, patiently taught me the art of bodging - a traditional woodturning craft to make items like chair legs. That was a little advanced for me, so we settled on making a spatula. His knowledge, passion and enthusiasm was infectious. He understood wood in a way that I couldn’t even imagine, and I learnt a lot about types and grains but also grew huge appreciation for the craft itself. 

I mean, did you know that sycamore is naturally anti-bacterial? 

That’s why it’s used a lot in kitchen utensils - because it’s hygienic. And that’s why we chose that particular wood for my own spatula too. I axed the wood, shaped it, filed it down and carved it. I broke into sweat and it took me over an hour but I was thrilled to see the finished product knowing it was all made by my bare hands and hard work – that’s Mum’s Christmas present sorted. Paul does classes and workshops too, if you’re interested. 

 As afternoon kicked in I headed over to Brockholes Nature Reserve to volunteer a couple of hours making dead hedge from fallen trees on the reserve. My newly developed axe wielding skills came in useful as I chipped away at branches, fashioning pointed stakes to hammer into the ground as the fence’s framework. We managed to add a few metres to its length that day, forming most of the enclosure of a children’s play area in the reserve - and it was so lovely to have contributed something to this initiative.  

As the light faded and the evening drew in it signified the end of my micro gap adventure. After a coffee and Eccles cake (a Lancashire pastry filled with currants) back at the yurt, I packed up my belongings and jumped on the train that evening and headed back to London feeling refreshed from a few days nestled in nature, giving my time to good causes and learning new skills.  

Fancy a microgap of your own? The Visit England website has ideas to inspire up and down the country. 

And here’s some of the finer details.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Virgin Trains from London Euston too Lancaster are around £80 (cheaper if you get them in advance). I got off at Preston and then hired a little Fiat 500 (an ideal runaround and super cheap - around £45 per day) from the nearby Enterprise to reach where I was staying and get around for a few days. 

TOP TIP 

There’s a lot going on in Lancashire. Great beaches, a lot of architectural history with the likes of Lancaster Castle in the city built in the 11th century but sits on the site of an old Roman fort. The Castle famously served as the setting for the Lancashire Witch trials in 1612, where ten people were found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to death. There’s also gorgeous viewpoints around Lancashire - Darwen Tower. which sits perched atop of Darwen Hill and dates back to 1898. And, if you climb the tower’s internal stairs you’ll be greeted with a breath taking view of the surrounding country that includes Yorkshire, the Isle of Man and even Blackpool Tower.