Charming Villages

Adlington

Situated at the edge of the vast West Pennine Moors and one of the largest villages in the borough, Adlington was first developed as a cotton milling village. Today, it’s popular for the White Bear Marina – the largest marina on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Attracting many visitors from cyclists, anglers, walkers and boat owners, this scenic stretch of inland waterway provides a gateway to over 2,000 mikes of canal network.

Anglezarke

Anglezarke is without a doubt one of the most beautiful villages in Lancashire. With views across the borough out towards the coast, much of Anglezarke’s history revolves around lead mining. Today the village is a popular destination for rock climbers and its interesting terrain was the chosen location for the 2002 Commonwealth Games Mountain Bike competition.

Bretherton

Surrounded by pleasant farming country, Bretherton used to be a self-supporting farming village. Today with many of the old farming buildings being restored into attractive residential properties, Bretherton is a truly archetypal English hamlet.

There is a stone war memorial and heritage buffs can see Bank Hall, which dates back to before Edward II and featured on the BBC’s Restoration programme, and Carr House as a fine example of early 17th century architecture.

Brindle

Home to the characterful Cavendish Arms Pub, Brindle has maintained its historical charm and is a beautifully kept and affluent small village in close proximity to Chorley.

Charnock Richard

Take a stroll around Charnock Richard, enjoy a pint of ale in a country pub and observe Park Hall, which dates back to the 10th century. Unusually, the village is also the base for one of the UK’s honorary Latvian Consulates.

Croston

Croston is known for Town Bridge and Church Street – the latter being described as ‘probably the finest example of a Lancashire village street’. Renowned for its great architectural and cultural integrity, Croston deserves to be on your list of places to visit. It’s also home to a variety of pubs serving delicious Lancashire dishes and popular afternoon tea.

Heskin

Heskin contains some lovely spots – one of them being the outstanding manor house that dates back to the 17th century. A grammar school was established in the village as early as 1597 and Heskin Hall stands and is open to the public as an antiques centre.

Hoghton

Join the list of famous visitors said to have appreciated the grandeur of Hoghton Tower. This ancient fortified manor house was erected between 1562 and 1565 by Thomas de Hoghton and commands magnificent views throughout the year.

Rivington

One of the most beautiful parts of the borough, the village has a fantastic history. Use this as a starting point to explore the surrounding countryside and stop off at Rivington Barn for a bite to eat.

See if you can climb all the way to the Pike that can be seen for miles around and explore the Terraced Gardens, built in Chinese, Japanese and Italian design, which were part of Lord Leverhulme’s ‘retreat’ at Rivington.

Wheelton

Divided into Higher Wheelton and Lower Wheelton, this area can be found on the main road from Chorley to Blackburn.

The village has tiny sloping streets and is home to the Top Lock, which is a fascinating reminder of the canal linkage once vital to trans-Pennine industrial canal traffic. Today it provides a wonderful corridor for leisure activities such as fishing, boating, walking and feeding the ducks.