Nature | Grand Up North

One of my all time favourite childhood memories is picnicking in the Trough of Bowland with my grandparents. Every summer they packed the car up with my sisters and I, the dogs, copious amounts of delicious homemade food and wellies for paddling.

The Trough of Bowland is a valley between Marshaw (northeast of Garstang) and Dunsop Bridge (northwest of Clitheroe) in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Lancashire.

AONBs are areas in the countryside that have been designated for conservation due to their natural beauty, in a similar way to national parks. If you haven’t yet experienced the Forest of Bowland, you are missing out on one of the country’s most breathtaking natural environments.

While most people know of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, the Forest of Bowland is their lesser known but equally impressive neighbour.

The landscape is wild and untouched; a vast expanse of fells, valleys and moors that will stir and exhilarate you. At the same time, tall trees shelter and flowing water soothes. It’s the stuff of epic legends and enchanted tales.

The Trough pass is a ‘scenic route’ if ever there was one, traversing through the magnificent Bowland fells and rising almost 300m above sea level at its highest point. The Trough is only a small part of the Forest of Bowland, which is dotted with picturesque villages as it reaches just into Yorkshire to the northeast and to Pendle Hill at the southeast corner.

There are 312 square miles to explore in total and you’ll need more than a day to do that!

I’m so grateful to my grandparents for introducing me to this special place that has become a favoured destination for walking, eating out, pottering and, of course, picnicking. My family continues the tradition every summer (with my grandparents accompanying us in spirit) and it’s always a riot.

You can drive along the Trough road and pick one of umpteen perfect spots to park up and lay your picnic. Sheep roam free, dragonflies skim the water that runs downstream to the River Wyre and dappled sunlight warms through the leaves of the trees (if you’re lucky!).

All the things we did decades ago are still a source of laughter and enjoyment – lazing in the sun sandwich in one hand, sausage roll in the other, paddling, playing with a bat and ball, letting the dogs run and roam – and I have just as much fun as I did when I was 10!

Today has been a perfect sunny spring day for the Crafty Vintage Fair at Brockholes Nature Reserve near Preston.

Crafty Vintage brings together purveyors of vintage, retro and handmade clothes, décor, gifts, art, food, entertainment and much more, all with character you just won’t find on the high street.

Brockholes near Preston is a floating village set in 250 acres of wildlife habitat that is home to everything from birds and insects to otters and fish.

You might not think the two likely partners but Brockholes provides a beautiful open air venue for a fabulous event with a wonderfully uplifting vibe – it’s in the sights, sounds and smells and guarantees a good day out.

There’s a lot going on but it’s well organised and the atmosphere is laid-back. The stalls are vibrant and the creative bods selling their wares are a friendly and welcoming bunch.

A cup of tea (although if it had been a couple of hours later in the day it might have been a cocktail) in the sunshine while looking out across the water and listening to the mellow tones of a live vintage-style singer was a perfect moment.

Refreshments on offer included an absolutely huge pan of sumptuous-looking paella bubbling away alongside spicy Mexican street food, wood fired pizza and some of the biggest and most spectacular cakes I’ve seen in my life!

One stall I have to mention is Millie and Ruby’s Dog Bakery, a Lancashire firm that makes dog treats such as chicken and cheddar chick biscuits, peanut butter and banana bones and apple and cinnamon paw lollipups. They don’t add anything artificial nor do they use preservatives and many of their ingredients are organic and locally sourced. A great idea for dog lovers and of course our beloved pooches.

Brockholes also has its own restaurant, art and craft gallery and souvenir shop plus an adventure play area for kids, three different walking trails and wildlife hide.

Entry to the fair is £2 (kids go free) and it’s on again tomorrow (Sunday 19 April), 10am until 5pm.

I will warn you though that parking at Brockholes isn’t cheap – £3 for the first hour, then 50p for every 20 minutes thereafter, to a maximum of £6. Income from car parking goes towards conservation though, so it is money well spent. If you make use of the walking trails and play area as well as the fair, you could spend the whole day there. And it couldn’t be easier to find either – just off junction 31 of the M6. The Guild Wheel runs through the site, so you could cycle there too!

Crafty Vintage runs regular events throughout the year. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more details.

Find out more about Brockholes Nature Reserve