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Big Blindhurst - A warm welcome awaits for your luxury self catering Lancashire cottage holiday at Big Blindhurst, located at the top of a private lane beneath the stunning views of Parlick Pike in the Forest of Bowland.
We offer weekly lets or short breaks on a working farm in an area renowned for it's unspoilt beauty.
With the owners on hand to ensure a warm and comfortable stay, guests are able to enjoy a wide range of facilities, walking from the door, large enclosed garden area for children, relaxation in the sun lounge, or barbeque on the patio, all with superb views.
Award winning Chipping village is just 3 1/2 miles away with its friendly shops, cafe and pubs; our Lancashire cottage is a great base for touring the area.
Our Lancashire cottage at Big Blindhurst Farm is situated between Preston and Lancaster, with Longridge and the market towns of Garstang and Clitheroe nearby for shopping. The Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and coastal resorts of Blackpool, St Annes, Morecambe and Southport are within easy driving distance.
Big Blindhurst Cottage sleeps 4
To sleep 6, an extra adjoining room with a double bed can be added. Usually available, please enquire when booking.
Beautifully appointed, spacious and central heated farmhouse accommodation adjoining that of the owners. Comfortable sun lounge, large enclosed garden, UV treated spring water, ample parking, patio with outdoor furniture and barbeque.
Power and first bucket of coal for open fire included, bed linen and towels provided. Childs cot, high chair and stair gates available.
Situated on the lower slopes of scenic Parlick Pike with views of Beacon Fell and the Fylde Plain, Big Blindhurst has been the home of the Kelsall family since 1950.
Currently farmed by Bob and Elizabeth, the 135 hectares supports a small herd of dairy cows in meadows below the farm and a flock of sheep on the higher ground extending to the top of Fairsnape Fell ( 520m / 1707 ft). The cows are milked twice a day and calve all year round, they are housed indoors in winter and fed on concentrates and silage made on the farm during the previous summer.
Collie dogs are used to gather the sheep which lamb mainly in April and graze outdoors all year round, receiving additional rations in winter.
Wildlife conservation has always been important to us. We have always had a good population of brown hares, lapwing, curlews and snipe etc breeding on the farm. Swallows also return annually to nest in the buildings. Trees have been planted and two ponds dug, these have attracted ducks, moorhens, herons, oystercatchers and visiting geese and swans as well as frogs, dragonflies and small invertebrae.
As well as the herd of milk cows we always have younger animals known as young stock on the farm. Female calves are kept each year, and join the herd when they give birth to their first calf at 2 to 3 years of age.
The sheep flock is managed in the same way, with selected females having their first lambs when they are 2 years old and known as shearlings.
Our annual sheep shearing takes place from the end of June to the beginning of July. In autumn the older sheep are sold, to join the flocks of lowland farmers where the grazing is better.
Bleasdale is predominantly a livestock farming community situated between the high fells of the Forest of Bowland and Beacon Fell Country Park.
It is a place of tranquillity and unspoilt natural beauty, great for those interested in walking, bird watching, fell running, gliding, cycling or just relaxing quiet countryside.
Bleasdale has its own school and village hall. Other interesting places are:-
Bleasdale Circle
Dated approx 1700 BC the Bronze Age circle was discovered by a local farmer in 1898. Consisting of two circles set within one another, an outer circle (150 ft diameter) was originally made of split oak tree trunks buried upright, and the inner circle (75 ft diameter) constructed using 11 oak tree trunks. Within the inner circle a grave was found, along with 2 urns and a small cup which can be seen in the Harris Museum, Preston.
St Eadmers
This is the only church in England dedicated to St Eadmer. On the alter step is a tapestry kneeler made by the local community to celebrate the millennium. It features Bleasdale landscape and buildings.
Pack Horse Bridge
This old bridge was used by horses transporting wool to the Pennine manufacturing areas.
The Forest of Bowland is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty renowned for its heather moorland, blanket bog and rare birds including the Hen Harrier (symbol of the Forest of Bowland AONB).
It is a magnificent area for wildlife, fishing, cycling or touring picturesque hamlets and scattered villages such as 17th century Chipping or charming Dunsop Bridge (nearest village to the centre of the British Isles).
Walkers can ramble over 1500 acres of Access land on the high moorland or take a wide range of footpaths crossing fell sides, wooded valleys, meadows or riverside walks.
We are situated in a wonderful area for walkers with a choice of walks from the doorstep, from a gentle stroll to some of the best fell walking in Lancashire.
Climb Parlick Fell above us (432 metres) for stunning views and routes across the open access areas to Fairsnape Fell (520 metres), Wolf Fell, Saddle Fell, Bleasdale Moors and beyond.
Alternatively, take a walk through Bleasdales meadows to the wooded valley of the river Brock (clothed in bluebells in spring).
Footpaths from the door can also take you to the picturesque village of Chipping or Beacon Fell Country Park, both with welcoming cafes.
Tel 01995 61317
www.bigblindhurst.co.uk
Lancashire self catering holiday cottages