Bickerstaffe: Cycling and Heritage

Bickerstaffe offers two distinct themes to shape your trip: mountain biking on the Bickerstaffe Colliery Cycle Trails and evidence of architectural and local history. When looking for a hotel in Bickerstaffe, you can consider which theme you want to define your stay. The trails cater to cyclists with different levels of experience; the historical themes range from church architecture to a protected archaeological site.

Mountain biking on the Colliery Cycle Trails

The Bickerstaffe Colliery Cycle Trails offer routes with different levels of difficulty, for experienced cyclists as well as people new to mountain biking. This means you can start planning based on your own experience level. The trails also include a 780-metre XC Red Trail. This length refers to that specific trail; the difficulty levels are a separate factor to consider when choosing. As route layouts and conditions can change, check the current route before riding.

The history and architecture of Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity brings together architectural history and specific structural features. The church was built by Sydney Smirke in 1843 and extended in 1860. It is made of sandstone ashlar and has slate roofs. Its features include a west tower with a spire, a nave, a lower chancel, a north aisle and a north vestry. The materials and roof design complement the building’s layout. The apse windows add another detail: they contain late 19th-century glass depicting scenes from the life of Christ. Visits to Holy Trinity can be arranged by contacting the church in advance.

Bickerstaffe Hall and the protected archaeological site

Bickerstaffe Hall is a Grade II listed building. A reinstated plaque on the Hall displays the Stanley family coat of arms and the inscription “1667 ES”. At the site near the Hall, a different form of heritage takes centre stage: it is surrounded by a moat and is a protected archaeological site. The site includes a slightly raised, trapezoidal grassy island measuring up to approximately 68 m × 68 m. A substantial western arm of the moat within Little Wood is partly water-filled. The Hall and the moated site offer different ways to explore architectural and local history.

Remembering the Stock Stones

A commemorative plaque at the Stock Stones at Stanley Gate was completed in 2014. It honours Mrs Jean Winstanley, who was landlady of The Stanley Gate pub from 1956 to 1987. The dates refer to her time as landlady; 2014 is the year the plaque was completed. This connects a specific place of remembrance with the story of a person and her many years of service.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Winewall, Charnock Richard, Leyland, Garstang, Kirkham, Southfield, Oswaldtwistle, Lytham Saint Annes.

For the wider travel overview: Lancashire.