Holiday rentals in Rossendale

Lancashire countryside combines with mill-town heritage in this pretty valley in the foothills of the Pennines. Where once there was a mighty medieval forest, the scenery is now all grassy hills and dales, populated with a cluster of towns and villages containing some of the best-preserved architecture from the Northwest’s industrial age: cobbled courtyards, weavers’ cottages, the Helmshore Mills (now a textile museum), and grand houses that once belonged to mill owners and are now open to the public.

The steam railway that ferried cotton 200 years ago now carries passengers through its scenic landscape, while the market town of Rawtenstall has parlayed its artisanal roots into a vibrant scene of independent boutiques and eateries. It’s also gained a reputation as a destination for outdoor activities and adrenaline sports. The quarries above Bacup have been converted into venues for off-roading and mountain biking, Cowm Reservoir is a waterskiing centre, and there’s even an outdoor dry ski slope, the Hill.

The Pennines are well known for their sometimes inconvenient wet weather; that unfortunately includes the summer, although you’re more likely to get warm, sunny days in July and August. The countryside is ripe for exploring during those months, but it’s beautiful in the spring and autumn too. As for outdoor activities, most of them are open year round, even waterskiing. Whatever time you visit, be sure to take part in Lancashire’s rich traditions and rituals, from folk dancing in Bacup to Whitworth’s September rushbearing ceremonies (one of the last in the country) to the New Year’s Day duck race.

The Halo

Overlooking the town of Haslingden, this eye-catching piece of modern sculpture (which illuminates at night) is one of four panopticons commissioned to light up the Lancashire skyline. Halfway between a cauldron and a UFO, the Halo sits at the top of a former quarry that has since been reclaimed as a nature reserve, and is a great place to ramble among birds and butterflies taking in the views.

Whitworth

Located south of Bacup on the way to Rochdale, this lovely town has a historic square complete with a 17th-century inn. There are plenty of signs of Whitworth’s part in the cotton industry, too, as well as a traditional brewery and a fudge factory. The neighbouring Cowm Reservoir offers waterside and woodland walks.

Healey Dell Nature Reserve

This little woodland spot is known for its gorge, through which the River Spodden has coursed for millennia. The result is an extremely pretty series of pools and waterfalls, as well as a grotto known as the Fairies Chapel and a 17th-century stone arch (the Fairy Bridge, naturally). A 100-foot- tall viaduct built for the Victorian railway is now a nature trail.