Rural businesses in the Forest of Bowland are inviting tourists to stay longer and explore more with the launch of the Discover Bowland visitor guide
As the Forest of Bowland National Landscape launches its 2022 ‘Discover Bowland’ Guide, rural business in the National Landscape’s Sustainable Tourism Network are gearing up for another busy year.
As well as offering practical advice and information on making the most of their holidays and short breaks in Bowland, the Discover Guide also tells the stories of how many local businesses have refocused and rebuilt during the pandemic and are now embracing ‘slow tourism’ in the amazing landscapes of the Forest of Bowland.
The National Landscape is a year-round tourist destination, with miles of footpaths and traffic-free cycle trails, outstanding local produce and 'Dark Skies' away from sources of light pollution making it increasingly popular for winter holidays. The 116-page Discover guide also includes a series of short break itineraries and useful information on accommodation, hospitality, events and outdoor activity providers.
Members of the Sustainable Tourism Network will be focusing on helping Bowland’s rural economy recover from the pandemic by encouraging visitors to support small business by travelling light, staying longer and exploring more.
This year's guide celebrates a decade of peat restoration on the Bowland Fells plus 10 years of wildflower regeneration in the hay meadows that are such an iconic aspect of the National Landscape's small scale upland farms.
We've plotted six of the best walking routes on Pendle Hill and pulled together the ultimate Bowland itinerary packed with ideas to make the most of a long weekend or short break in the Forest of Bowland.
We investigate the legacy of Pendle's remarkable radical women and help ourselves to a large slice of Pendle Peat Pie before celebrating Bowland's food heroes: from artisan gin-makers to outstanding local cheese-makers and a food truck with a difference - parked up in one of the most picturesque locations imaginable.
The Discover Guide is the essential guide for everyone who wants to make the most of their time in Bowland, from locals who want to explore its further-flung reaches to day trippers and visitors who want to get beneath the surface of this unique rural oasis on the Lancashire-Yorkshire Border.
