Between Blackpool And Leeds Is A Day Trip Town With Scenic Parks, Local Eats, And Witchy History

Break out the cauldron, because we're going to brew up a bewitching destination in England. Just take a pinch of picturesque parklands, add a dash of fine local fare, then mix in a touch of tragic history, and you'll have the town of Nelson in the borough of Pendle in Lancashire. Although it evolved into a town from two villages blending together in 1864, the region it occupies has been inhabited since the Iron Age and thus has quite a riveting history. 

In more recent centuries, restaurants offering locally sourced produce and foods have emerged, along with several parks offering respite and recreation. Near central Nelson are spots to explore the area's history, including an intriguing sculpture trail and a heritage center where visitors can learn about the area's tumultuous past and earliest residents. Just over an hour's drive from Leeds and less than an hour from Blackpool, it's an easy, scenic, activity-filled journey to Nelson for day trippers.

Let's go back to before Nelson was even established, the year 1612, when the Pendle witches were "identified" by local authorities. Lancashire was a remote, heavily Catholic county then, forested and far from any outside influence. In August of that year, eight women and two men were convicted of practicing witchcraft, cumulatively blamed for at least 16 mysterious deaths that stretched back decades. 

Prior to the trial, the accused were forced to walk 45 miles to Lancaster Castle from just outside where Nelson exists now, a trail that can be taken by curious visitors today. At the trial, they were condemned to death by hanging at nearby Gallows Hill, which took place days later. As you can uncover the secrets of Salem's witchcraft history, another infamous location of witch trials, you can also follow in the footsteps of the Pendle witches along the driving or biking trail that begins at the Pendle Heritage Center in nearby Barrowford and continues to Lancaster Castle. 

Before setting off, visit the Pendle Heritage Centre, 2 miles from Nelson, and learn more about the witches and other poignant pieces of the region's past. Another 4 miles northwest of the center is the Pendle Sculpture Trail, an artistic tribute to the Pendle witches with ceramic plaques representing each of the hanged, along with fascinating sculptural creations. Aside from the art, views of the rolling hills, surrounding forest, and small ponds are worth the 3-mile-long trek, according to Tripadvisor reviewers. 

Like nearby Downham, a village "frozen in time" with historic landmarks and fairytale views, Nelson boasts panoramas of Kelly-green Pendle Hill, which the witches journeyed over against their will long ago. But one need not venture far from town to be encompassed in greenery. Walk through the woodland trails of Marsden Park, the largest in Pendle. Constructed around a hall built in the mid-1500s, the park feels straight out of a storybook, with a rare time-telling tool constructed in 1841 called the Icosahedral Sundial with 20 faces that tell time in different countries. 

Victoria Park is another exquisite green space that's well reviewed and regarded on Google Maps. Strolling through this riparian park, you can cross historic bridges, feed the ducks by the lake, and bask in its bucolic scenery. Grab a coffee and pastry in the Victoria Park Pavilion Café before or after exploring. And, speaking of food ...

Nelson has several places to find delectable local eats. Holt's Fish & Chips has been around for nearly half a century, serving freshly fried fare that's won a national award. Check out the unwritten rules you should know before visiting a British pub, then set out for the Thatch and Thistle, which likely has something for every taste, from salads and burgers to fajitas and curries plus an enormous bar where you can tip back a pint. For breakfast or lunch, visit Northern Relish, a highly rated bistro decked out in reclaimed wood and specializing in sandwiches for both breakfast and lunch. Multiple salads speak to any veggie cravings, and their Dirty Fries come with sea salt plus toppings like barbecue sauce and brie, chili con carne and jalapeños, or tandoori chicken and mango curry sauce.