Ribble Valley

On this Trail you must find the answers to clues spread around the lovely villages of the Ribble Valley to find the whereabouts of the treasure on the map. Whilst there is no real treasure to be found you may win a cash prize if you submit the correct answer to the puzzle!

This Trail explores the stunning countryside and quaint villages of the Ribble valley, starting at the old Roman town of Ribchester and loosely following the Roman roads that radiate from the old fort. In Ribchester village the Trail explores the remains of the Roman Baths and the ramparts of the fort before following the Roman road to the top of Jeffrey Hill which provides stunning views across to the Bowland fells and Hodder valley. From there the Trail descends to the picturesque villages of Chipping and Hurst Green, home to the world famous Stonyhurst boarding college where Arthur Conan Doyle studied and JRR Tolkein visited his sons who were students there. Tolkein wrote much of his Lord of the Rings trilogy whilst visiting the area and the Ribble valley is allegedly the inspiration for The Shire and Hobbiton in his books. There are numerous fine pubs, inns and eating establishments along the route. The Trail finishes with a lovely walk through woods along the banks of the Ribble which provides a lovely spot for a picnic on a fine day.

This is a driving and walking Trail which starts in Ribchester and tours the Ribble Valley via Chipping, Mitton and Hurst Green, finishing on the banks of the river Ribble. The Trail will take about 4 hours with 27 miles of driving and 2.8 miles of walking. It ends with a walk along woodland paths and hence is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Good walking shoes are recommended for the final stretch which may get muddy at times.