Bottoms up (From The Northern Echo)

Bottoms up

11:30am Saturday 10th October 2009

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The staycation has been the holiday of choice this year. Peta King finds a way to beat the recession and minimise her holiday carbon footprint.

IT must be one of Britain’s best-kept secrets. The curiously-named Trough of Bowland, tucked away in the beautiful Ribble Valley between the western slopes of the Pennines in the part of Lancashire that nudges the Lakes, and overlooked by brooding Pendle Hill, is an area that has, in the past, lost out to its more fashionable neighbours.

It is a region of lush pasture, feeding cattle that must easily outnumber the residents. And it is almost unnervingly quiet – the narrow, often single-track, lanes untroubled by too much traffic, the villages and small towns caught as if slumbering away a late summer’s afternoon.

So it seems an obvious place to pioneer Britain’s green tourism scheme.

First developed in Scotland, the scheme encourages tourism, one of the UK’s main economic drivers, to go green. Businesses are assessed for their energy conservation, water efficiency, waste management and diversity and awarded levels of accreditation from bronze to gold.

We stayed at the gold award-winning Clough Bottom farm in the heart of the Ribble Valley.

Run by second generation farmer Harry Backhouse and his wife, Jane, this 360-acre holding was once run on factory-farming lines, with battery hens and intensive sheep rearing.

Always passionate about conservation, Harry says he wanted to leave the land in a better condition than when he took it over for his two sons.

He has transformed Clough Bottom into a fully organic farm producing Aberdeen Angus and Limousin cattle and free-range eggs – which you can buy – and pesticidefree fruit and veg – to which you can help yourself.

And the Backhouses’ environmental policy goes further. All waste from the farm and the three holiday cottages is recycled – guests are encouraged to sort their waste – which isn’t too arduous, but does require regular trips to the recycling barn where everything is stored – all packaging and stationery is biodegradable and all cleaning materials are phosphate and chlorine free.

And what they don’t produce themselves on the farm is bought from local sources.

The Backhouses have planted woodlands and hedgerows with more than 100 species of native trees, only natural fertilisers are used – no nasty chemicals – and the water supply comes from their own borehole.

Thinking further ahead, they’re now exploring alternative energy sources, such as hydropower.

The farm – winner of the 2007-8 Self Catering Holiday of the Year award – has three cottages beautifully converted from its 17th Century buildings.

We stayed in the Coach House – a grade II-listed building behind the main farmhouse and beside the pretty beck that runs through the pastures.

Carefully and stylishly converted with lots of beams and exposed stone, the cottage would be perfect for a cosy winter hideaway.

And while it has an excellent fullyfitted kitchen, there’s no need to spend your holiday cooking or doing the washing up, as the farm has its own catering kitchen and chef.

Ready meals, cakes and bread can be ordered in advance to await your arrival.

But, again, don’t worry if you forget to plan ahead – a complimentary hamper will get you started, with tea and coffee, milk, jam, cheese and homemade teabread.

THE farm’s breakfast hamper – at £17.40 for four people – includes local bacon and black pudding, organic eggs and butter, muesli and delicious home-baked bread.

Chef Rachael’s ready meals, using organic and local produce, include steak pie, lasagne, spinach and gruyere tart, fruit pies and crumbles – all for around supermarket prices.

And what better after a long walk than to come home to a home-made cake delivered to your door?

If you still shy away from selfcatering, there are a number of good restaurants and eating pubs within a few minutes’ drive – or in some cases, walk – of Clough Bottom.

Foodies will probably already know the Ribble Valley is synonymous with Great British Menu winner Nigel Haworth, of Northcote Manor fame.

One of Haworth’s other establishments, The Three Fishes Inn, is just down the road from Clough Bottom – nice and handy for a leisurely pub meal.

The traditional-style pub has a relaxed feel and, although pretty busy for a mid-week night when we were there, the staff were unhurried and helpful.

An interesting touch is the array of photographs of the restaurant’s suppliers – a testament to Haworth’s belief in the quality of food from the area.

We started with a seafood platter to share, which came with some very good Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, kippers and smoked trout.

There was really no contest for my main – it had to be Lancashire hotpot, the dish with which Haworth won the Great British Menu contest.

Accompanied simply by braised red cabbage, this is comfort food with panache.

Peter’s choice of seasonal lamb certainly was the works – it had everything from chops, liver, kidneys to the sweetbreads.

With main courses priced at around £15 and portions generous, it’s easy to see how Haworth has made his mark in this predominately farming community.

After all that good food, the next day was dedicated to a helping of exercise at the 75-hectare country park at nearby Beacon Fell.

The park, a mixture of woodland, moorland and meadows, has three well-signed walking routes, ideal for families of all abilities, which take you to the summit beacon where you can see Morecambe Bay and, on a clear day, all the way to the Isle of Man.

The park also has two all-terrain Trampers, a sort of robust mobility scooter, which are available free for those with less walking ability, but must be booked in advance.

For the more energetic, Gisburn Forest offers a challenging range of mountain bike trails.

The purpose-built centre, near Clitheroe, offers an easy 8km route for families and a 22km route for more experienced cyclists. The trails, set against the stunning backdrop of the Forest of Bowland, also give great views over Stocks Reservoir – if you’re brave enough to take your eyes off the track.

Travel facts

Clough Bottom, Bashall Eaves, Clitheroe, Lancashire. Tel: 01254-826285

cloughbottom.co.uk

The Three Fishes, Mitton. Tel: 01254-826888

thethreefishes.co.uk

Beacon Fell. Tel: 01995-640557

lancashire.gov.uk/environment /countryside

Gisburn Forest forestry.gov.uk/ northwestengland

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