Between Blackpool And Leeds Is A Charming Escape With Quaint Towns, Craft Beer, And Dramatic Views

While cities like London and Liverpool have an undeniable appeal for travelers to England, one of the delights of visiting this country is exploring some of its smaller villages and impressive landscapes. For something away from the tourist crowds, visit Rossendale. Tucked away in East Lancashire in Northwest England, it's about an hour's drive east from Blackpool and about the same distance west from Leeds. This borough is spread over around 53 square miles, and it has four main towns: Bacup, Rawtenstall, Haslingden, and Whitworth, along with a number of smaller villages. There you'll find rich history, fun activities, and locally brewed beer, with a surrounding landscape of dramatic hills and steep valleys.

The region played an important role in the Industrial Revolution, and it was home to a number of quarries and textile mills — Rossendale is actually the birthplace of the felt slipper. You can learn more about the area's industrial history at the Helmshore Mills Textile Museum. It's on the site of what was once two working mills, and you can see some of the machinery in operation. There are also guided tours available, but as one Tripadvisor reviewer noted, "...you don't have to do the tour; you can wander around at your leisure.... If you are in Rossendale and don't visit this gem of the Industrial Revolution, you are missing a treat."

The largest town in Rossendale is Rawtenstall. It's a nice place for a wander, particularly along the cobblestoned Bank Street with its small boutiques and shops. At the end of Bank Street, you'll find Rawtenstall Market, which dates back to 1906. It hosts local vendors selling fresh food, handicrafts, and more. 

Across the street from the Rawtenstall Market is the tap room for Northern Whisper Brewing Co. Opened in October 2017, it's a popular place for a pint. One Tripadvisor reviewer referred to it as a "great place to pop in to after a family walk with the kids and dog or a friendly beer... Equally my fave place to go for a drink with the other half and love when live music is on."

For more local beer, the Rossendale Brewery is located inside The Griffin Inn in Haslingden. The brewery in the basement only has an eight-barrel capacity, and you can sample the beers upstairs in the pub. Irwell Works Brewery and Brewsmith are also some good nearby breweries — they are technically in Ramsbottom, a village in the Borough of Bury. However, Ramsbottom is near the southern edge of the Rossendale Valley. You can try some of these regionally brewed beers at pubs around the Borough of Rossendale, like Casked Ale House & Ginporium.

You can also enjoy some good beer at Buffer Stops, the pub inside the Rawtenstall Station. It's the northernmost station for the East Lancashire Railway, which runs on a heritage line for 12 miles between Heywood and Rawtenstall. You can also board the train in Irwell Vale, a small, picturesque Rossendale village — you have to flag down the train here, as it doesn't automatically stop. Along with standard journeys, the railway features a number of fun, themed events, like Halloween Ghost Trains and Santa Specials. The themed rides do take you to and through some of the Rossendale countryside; however, they start and end in Bury, a quaint Lancashire town with tasty eats and museums.

For an iconic view out over Rossendale Valley, visit Top o' Slate, a former quarry and landfill near Haslingden. At the top, you'll find The Halo, a nearly 60-foot-wide saucer-shaped steel structure. It's one of Lancashire's four Panopticon sculptures — all placed to give visitors incredible views. From The Halo, you can see out to Manchester and even the Peak District if the weather's good. For more large-scale art, hike the Irwell Sculpture Trail. It runs for 33 miles from Salford up into the hills past Bacup. Some of the highlights in Rossendale include Ian Randall's "Remnant Kings" and Richard Caink's "In The Picture" — the giant frame makes for a great photo.

The approximately 9-mile hike to Waugh's Well from the small village of Edenfield gives you another way to experience the rugged, dramatic beauty of the Rossendale Hills. Waugh's Well is named after 19th-century English poet Edwin Waugh, who loved the natural spring that the well is built around. As some AllTrails reviewers noted, the trail can be muddy, so wear good shoes, but the views make it worth it.

If you don't have a car to get to and around Rossendale, you'll largely be relying on buses. X43  is one of the main regional bus lines. It runs through Rawtenstall on its route between Manchester and the picturesque market town of Burnley. You can get a direct train to Burnley from Leeds or a direct train to Manchester from Liverpool as well as London. Once you're in the area, Accrington is a charming English town with shops and tasty eats. It's a 15-minute drive or a 30-minute bus ride from Rawtenstall.