Colne

Colne sits at the far eastern edge of Lancashire, tucked into the Pennine foothills just a few miles from the Yorkshire border. It is the last town before the hills roll upward into open moor, and that position has always shaped its character: a hardy former textile town with a main street that climbs steeply from the valley, surrounded on almost every side by farmland, drystone walls and the kind of big, changeable Pennine sky that draws walkers and photographers back again and again.

Like its neighbours Nelson and Burnley, Colne grew rich on cotton in the 19th century, and the terraces, chapels and grand civic buildings around its centre still tell that story. But Colne is older than the mills — there has been a settlement here since before the Norman Conquest, and the parish church of St Bartholomew has stood on its hilltop site for centuries. Today the town trades on a quieter appeal: it is a gateway to Pendle Hill and Pendle Witch country, to the wild little valley of Wycoller, and to the Forest of Trawden, one of the least-known pockets of countryside in Lancashire.

Top things to do in Colne

Colne rewards anyone willing to get out on foot, but it also has a handful of genuinely distinctive indoor attractions for a town of its size.

• British in India Museum — a small, unusual museum housed on Sun Street with an extensive collection of uniforms, medals, photographs and memorabilia relating to the British presence in India, built up from decades of private collecting.
• Wycoller Country Park — a car-free hamlet of ruined and restored buildings set around a clapper bridge and beck, a few miles from Colne. Wycoller Hall is thought to have inspired Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, and the surrounding park is one of the prettiest short walks in the district.
• Pendle Hill and the Pendle Way — Colne lies close to the start of the 45-mile Pendle Way, and Pendle Hill itself, forever associated with the 1612 Pendle witch trials, rises a few miles to the south-west.
• Forest of Trawden — a large area of farmland, woodland and reservoir (Lake Burwain) on the Yorkshire border, criss-crossed with quiet footpaths and bridleways and largely overlooked by visitors to the wider Pendle area.
• Wallace Hartley Memorial — a monument in the town to Wallace Hartley, bandmaster of RMS Titanic, who was born nearby and is buried in Colne cemetery; his memorial is a point of local pride and pilgrimage for Titanic history enthusiasts.
• Foulridge Canal Wharf — a couple of miles north of the town centre, where narrowboat trips run along a tranquil stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, including through the long Foulridge Tunnel.
• Pendle Hippodrome Theatre — a long-standing community theatre in the town centre staging a year-round programme of drama, pantomime and live music.
• Colne Heritage Centre — a compact local museum covering the town's textile and social history, useful background for anyone exploring the wider area.

Getting to Colne

Colne sits at the very end of the M65 motorway, which connects it to Burnley, Blackburn, Preston and the M6 to the south-west, making the town straightforward to reach by car from most of the North West. Colne railway station is the terminus of a branch line with services to Preston via Nelson, Burnley and Blackburn, giving connections onward to the wider rail network. The town is also on regular bus routes linking it to Nelson, Burnley and the Yorkshire towns of Keighley and Skipton just across the border, useful for those exploring both Lancashire and the southern Dales without a car.

Best time to visit Colne

Late spring through early autumn is the best window for walking the moors and valleys around Colne, when the drystone-walled fields and Trawden Forest are at their greenest and the longer evenings suit an after-dinner stroll. Autumn brings rich colour to Wycoller and the wooded cloughs nearby, while winter, though often wet and blustery on the tops, has its own appeal for those who like a bracing hilltop walk followed by a fire and a pint. Colne also hosts the Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, a long-running August bank holiday event that fills the town's pubs and streets with live music and is worth timing a visit around if you enjoy a lively atmosphere.

Where to stay in Colne

Colne itself has a small stock of pubs with rooms and guesthouses, while a wider choice of B&Bs and country inns is spread through the surrounding villages of Trawden, Foulridge and Wycoller, several set in converted farmhouses with views out over the moors. For something closer to nature, the Pendle countryside around Colne has camping and glamping sites tucked into the hills, and nearby Nelson and Barrowford add a handful of further options within a short drive. Self-catering cottages in the old weavers' terraces are also easy to find for those wanting a base to explore both the town and the wider Pendle area.

Food and drink in Colne

Colne's food and drink scene reflects its role as a proper working market town rather than a tourist honeypot, which suits those after an unpretentious pint and a good meal. The Church, on Church Street, is a well-regarded gastropub serving modern British food in a converted church building. Bierhaus on Market Street is popular for its range of craft beers and relaxed atmosphere, while the Craft & Vine on Albert Road has built a reputation locally for its wine and small-plates menu. For a classic Lancashire pub experience, the Admiral Lord Rodney and several other long-standing locals around the town centre serve real ale and hearty pub food, and Colne's Wednesday and Saturday markets are a good spot to pick up local produce.