My first port of call was Clitheroe. Where I tried to find a Wine Importer who was reputed to stock Western Australian wines. I tried the first wine shop no luck. The second one I tried did indeed stock it. What a shop, it's bloody amazing. The shop it self would be no bigger than an average bedroom, the walls are lined with boxes, stocked with wines and beers (not many beers, mainly wines). It's know as Byrne & Co. The shop also sells a fine range of coffees. The smell as I walked in was marvelous. I asked if he had any W.A. wine, yes follow me, he says. We went down 4-5 steps, because the shop's on a hill the 4-5 steps would have taken us under the shop next door. As soon as we went down the steps it got cold, and I mean cold. I thought oh-ohh, exorcist.
The room shown above would be under the building with the red door. The ceiling was about 6 inches above my head and the support beams were about 6 and a half inches thick. We walked the length of the room and went thru a little room that was long ways, then round a corner, into another little room. Here we are he says and set about explaining were everything was. I was too busy looking round to listen properly, just past the room we were in was another room, which went round another corner. It seemed we must have been under the pub on the corner by now although not quite. It was great, I could have spent 1/2 a day wandering round, looking. Like I said it was only small but intriguing.
Cowman's
Sausage Shop is worth a visit.
Some unusual buildings
The main street, the castle in the background
Clitheroe is a market town and lies at the heart of the Ribble Valley. The town has kept much of its old character and has a wide range of shops. An open-air market is held on odd days, if you've seen East Enders you'll know what an open air market is. The main street of the town is dominated by a massive rock of limestone with the Keep of an ancient castle perched on it. I'm told the castle is of uncertain age, but at least 800 years old.
The Castle grounds contain formal gardens, tennis courts, bowling green and summerhouse cafeteria, and a large open-air auditorium with bandstand where concerts ranging from brass band to rock music can be heard in the summer. The Castle Museum is well worth a visit to see exhibitions of geology and local life. The sights and sounds of the recreated clogger’s workshop, printers shop and lead mine give an insight to the area's heritage. The castle, as with a lot of tourist attractions, is open for a limited period, Easter to October.
An "after lunch" gable? The arch way would have led to the stables
A laneway, Pendle Hill in the background
