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Lancashire and Blackpool - Where Cities, Coast and Countryside Combine

Whether your interests lie in heritage, culture or if you are simply looking for thrills and spills, you will find it all in Lancashire and Blackpool. From the peace and tranquillity of the 360 acre Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre at Martin Mere and the largely unspoilt Forest of Bowland and Pendle Hill, to Pleasure Beach, Blackpool home of the Pepsi Max Big One, the tallest, fastest roller coaster in the world, this is an area rich in its range of attractions.

Blackpool is the UK's most visited seaside resort welcoming around 12m visitors annually, providing entertainment for all ages. The Pleasure Beach is a haven for thrill seekers with over 145 rides and attractions. Alternatively, Blackpool Tower and Circus provides seven levels of indoor entertainment with live music and dancing in the magnificent Ballroom, an award-winning Circus, a ride to the Tower Top and the glass floored Walk of Faith nestling 380 feet above ground.

For those with an interest in heritage, Lancaster Castle, owned by the Queen as 'Duke of Lancaster' is steeped in medieval history. The main points of interest are the early dungeons, a magnificent neo-gothic Shire Hall and the Crown Court. In Blackburn with Darwen, the Grade II listed Museum and Art Gallery houses displays of local history, militaria, paintings, books and South Asian culture. Over 1,000 Japanese prints and many fine works of art are held in reserve and are displayed on a rolling basis. The Haworth Art Gallery in Hyndburn houses one of the finest collections of Tiffany Art Glass in public hands outside America. In addition there is an excellent display of 19th century oil paintings and water-colour drawings.

Gawthorpe Hall in Padiham, Burnley, is an Elizabethan gem, built between 1600 and1605 for the Shuttleworth family who owned it until 1970. Now owned by the National Trust, Jacobean and Victorian furnishings and a wonderful collection of paintings on loan from the National Portrait Gallery compliment its opulent interiors. Towneley Hall, Art Gallery and Museum also in Burnley is a 14th century house, with an Elizabethan Long Gallery and an entrance hall and plaster work by Vassalli, from 1729. Its 284 acre park features an early 19th century underground icehouse, where the Lord of the Manor stored fresh meat. Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford is a restored 17th and 18th century house featuring exhibitions about the area including the story of the famous Pendle Witches tried and hung at Lancaster for witchcraft.

Sport plays a leading role in Lancashire and Blackpool with football well represented. The National Football Museum in Preston, tells the story of the world's greatest game. The attractions' FIFA Museum houses the finest collection of football memorabilia in the world. With a further seven collections of outstanding, historical significance there are a total of 20,000 items on display. Blackburn's Ewood Park Football Stadium provides a one and a quarter hour tour including a walk through the players' tunnel towards the pitch!

While Lancashire and Blackpool cannot promise snow-covered hills all year round, Ski Rossendale in Rawtenstall is the North West's premier artificial ski and snowboarding slope. Built on a natural incline, the attraction provides superb views of the Rossendale Valley.

Leyland in South Ribble, is home to the British Commercial Vehicle Museum, the largest of its kind in Europe. Changes from the end of the 19th century onwards are explained with over 60 exhibits, ranging from the horse drawn era through steam wagons and the early petrol engines to the present day. East Lancashire Railway in Rawtenstall, provides an exhilarating 16 mile round trip on a steam engine, through some of the Irwell Valley's most beautiful countryside.

Chorley in the south of the county is home to the award-winning Camelot Theme Park, based on the Arthurian theme, with jousting knights, Merlin, King Arthur and over 100 rides and attractions. Meanwhile, on the beautiful Fylde Coast in St Annes-on-Sea is Pleasure Island, a family entertainment centre with all weather attractions including bowling, miniature railway and a cinema.

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For more information and details of events see www.visitlancashire.com

England's Northwest