The area of Lancashire known as Pendle is at the eastern edge of the county, bordering on the Yorkshire Dales and the Ribble Valley and close to the Forest of Bowland. Pendle takes it's name from Pendle Hill, which at 1831ft high dominates the skyline of the area. Along with Boulsworth Hill and Weets Moor, Pendle Hill gives the area a dramatic skyline and provides many opportunities for hill-walking and scenic drives.

Although best known for the well-documented trial of the so-called Pendle Witches, the area is also closely associated with the birth of the Quaker movement, with Methodism and with the Brontes, who lived in nearby Haworth. Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford has year-round displays and exhibitions of local history as well as a walled garden and tea room.

A relatively undiscovered part of the Northern hill country, Pendle is also a place of contrasts - beautiful countryside, industrial heritage, modern facilities and brooding moors.  The Leeds and Liverpool Canal snakes through the major towns, once a focal point of the industrial age but now a quiet and often beautiful waterway with footpaths, locks and reservoirs just waiting to be explored.  You can take trips along the canal in a restored narrowboat, go fishing, and at Lake Burwain there are watersports facilities.

Bancroft Mill in Barnoldswick provides a glimpse into history with its working mill engine and weaving displays and throughout Pendle you can see parts of the areas' industrial past, from Higherford Mill in Barrowford to cobbled streets of terraces houses in Colne and Nelson.  The last remaining Clarion House in the UK is situated in Pendle and is a regular stop for many cyclists and walkers touring the area or for visitors to Newchurch and Roughlee.

Country pubs and town centre restaurants provide a variety of choices to both visitors and residents alike - there is an impressive selection of cuisines available and plenty of locally produced goods for sale in local factory outlets, mill shops and town centre stores.  There is also an excellent choice of bed and breakfast or self-catering accommodation locally, as well as camping and caravanning opportunities for those who enjoy more al fresco tours of the countryside.

Pendle has a number of local parks and green spaces, including several local nature reserves, where a wide variety of native birds, plants, trees, insects and other wildlife can be spotted. Pendle is rich in wildlife and it is not uncommon to spot weasels, herons, hares and foxes while driving along some of the quieter highways.

As well as the famous Pendle Way there are numerous shorter walking routes and a variety of public footpaths and bridlepaths for those who like to ramble. There are regular walking tours and guided tours of the area throughout the year, organised by both private and public organisations - details of many of these are available in our Visitor's Calendar.  Cyclists too enjoy the scenic roads and lanes in the area.

Further information about Pendle can be obtained from local Tourist Information Centres or from Pendle Borough Council.