Review of Clough Bottom Farm Cottages, Lancashire

> For contact details and to check availability, see our full listing of Clough Bottom Farm Cottages

Clough Bottom Cottage next to the lovely river

The place
Opening the curtains to the view over a brook, up a paddock, to trees laden with gold and amber leaves, it would be easy to think autumn is the only time to visit the cottages on Clough Bottom farm. There is though, something here for every season.

Wonderful Paddock at Clough Bottom FarmFarmers and entrepreneurs Harry and Jane, have created a lovely, green, welcoming place to stay, hidden in a shallow hollow, tucked away in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. Ribble Valley seemingly remains little known, at least outside of the North West. The area is stunning with a big sky above, rolling countryside, lush green fields and winding rivers and streams. Pendle Hill sits proudly in view.

Harry has lived on the farm since the day he was born. He spent the Saturday morning of the weekend we were staying, working on a tractor engine, tending to the machine with very apparent care and knowledge. Like dedication has clearly been applied by both he and his wife Jane in their making Clough Bottom everything it is today. Harry had the tractor purring by lunch time.

The rooms
We stayed in Woodcutter’s Cottage, part of an attractive block of converted farm yard buildings. The cottage is modern inside, offering a well equipped and integrated kitchen, which is one side of an open living room, complete with a table and four chairs, two sofas, a television with DVD player and cupboards holding plenty of crockery and glasses. Far from the self-catering accommodation at which you find yourself eating your breakfast cereal out of a mug. Upstairs there are two bedrooms (one double and one twin) and a pale green bathroom. The building has maintained some original features, notably a light brown beam that runs across the corridor ceiling.

We arrived late on a Friday evening and found ourselves settled quickly. The flickering log burner – that completes the living room – immediately warmed us to our home for the weekend. The noise of the brook, water over stones, gave a gentle backdrop to the crackling wood. A generous welcome hamper gave us fresh Lancashire cheese, homemade bread, chutney and oatcakes, sitting with a pre-ordered breakfast of croissants, homemade muesli, fruit bread, fresh jams and James White’s favourite Bramley apple juice, ready for the following morning.

Inviting Woodcutter bedroomThe third cottage to rent is the Coach House, which was the first opened for people to come to stay and the closest to the main house where Jane and Harry live, built in the 1660’s. It is clear when in them, why all of the cottages have been collectively recognised as much as they have for being the greenest in the Valley, and beyond.

The food and activities
Jane was also working on the Saturday we were there. She took time to break from feeding the farm’s organic Aberdeen Angus cattle to introduce us to the amiable heifer known simply as 603, after the tag the cow has worn in its ear for a full 20 years. We talked a little longer to then meet Einstein, the herd’s pensive bull. I was pleased he was inside as we climbed the sty to walk some of the fields around the farm house.

We prioritised walking, eating and drinking over anything more active. Although self-catered, delicious home cooked meals are available to buy from Jane. We enjoyed two, along with the spinach and lettuce you were allowed to pick from the poly tunnel, 100 yards from the cottages. Visiting in warmer months would open eating on the terrace that sits over the brook, at the back of Woodcutter’s and Sadle Barn cottages. Another time.

Picking tasty vegetables in the poly tunnel

Amongst the places we walked to was Bashall Barn. The Barn is a food visitor centre, with a farm shop, cafe, restaurant and the Bowland microbrewery. We can vouch for the Cromwell Stout and Christmas Ale, memorably labelled with a caricature of one of Father Christmas’s swimsuit clad helpers, named Sleigh Belle.

We ate lunch at a gastro-pub, the Red Pump on the Sunday. It’s the nearest pub to Clough Bottom, around 20 minutes walk away. We can recommend a bowl of the local Garston blue cheese and broccoli soup, but more adventurous ordering could offer you something like venison ravioli, as featured on the pub’s blackboard.

What makes it Green?
Clough Bottom’s commitment to being green spans from basic, right through to thorough. Everything from recycling and the choice of detergents has been considered, to the more proactive measures that include strategically planted trees and bushes, and working together with likeminded local businesses.

I particularly enjoyed learning the farm vehicles run biodiesel which Harry produces on site from waste cooking oils taken from local businesses and hope Harry’s revived engine runs long on them.

Top tips
Take a torch! It gets very dark in the countryside. There are lights that flick on when you walk through the farm yard but it’s worthBeautiful Lancashire countryside having a torch to help you around after the sun’s gone down.

There is local mythology behind each of the cottages' names, something detailed in the thick handbook you will find on arrival. There’s loads of information about walking, cycling, family fun, museums, monuments and gardens, all in the area. It is also worth checking out the Clough Bottom website before you arrive as there is a lot you can do, but some of it requires pre-booking or thought as to how to get there if you are not with a car.

If indeed on public transport, remember to check ahead on the differences in price between travelling on and off peak. The cost of Virgin trains – along with the majority of longer distance train journeys – can vary hugely.

Getting there
The nearest rail station is Clitheroe, which connects direct to Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester, amongst other major centres. We travelled to Clitheroe from London (Euston), changing twice; at Preston then Blackburn, taking a total of three and a half hours.

We were given a lift back to the station by a kind, fellow patron of the Red Pump. It saved us the taxi journey, which costs around £14 to/from Clitheroe. No need to book on the way to Clough Bottom, there’s a rank at the station.

We looked at other travel options, including the bus, but the combination of train and taxi are by far the most practical.

Book your journey to Clitheroe

Pretty country lane beside Bashall BarnThe verdict
If you enjoy good old English countryside, peace, quiet, fresh air and walking, Clough Bottom offers this as a minimum. In addition is the feeling of being very much within a working farm, mixed with comfort afforded by good taste and modern fixtures and appliances. The character of the cottages remains true to Clough Bottom’s commitment to being green, as well as the wider area’s natural appeal and openness to visitors.

For contact details and to check availability, see our full listing of Clough Bottom Farm Cottages