Bickerstaffe offers two clearly distinct themes for a stay: mountain biking on trails of varying difficulty and insights into architectural and local history. For planning, it helps to consider these interests separately rather than assume a fixed itinerary. Those who want to ride can weigh up their experience level and trail length; for history and heritage, Holy Trinity, Bickerstaffe Hall and the memorial plaque at the Stock Stones are worth considering.
Mountain Biking on the Colliery Cycle Trails
The Bickerstaffe Colliery Cycle Trails offer routes of varying difficulty. There are trails for experienced cyclists as well as for people who are new to mountain biking. One specifically named option is the 780-metre XC-Red-Trail route. Length and difficulty answer two different planning questions: 780 metres is the distance of this particular trail, while the different difficulty levels help you choose according to riding experience. You can therefore start by considering your own experience level and treat trail length as a separate point of comparison. Before setting out, check the current trail route, as conditions and layouts can change.
Holy Trinity: Building Phases and Details
At Holy Trinity, the construction date and later extension are clearly distinct: Sydney Smirke built the church in 1843, and it was extended in 1860. These are two building phases, not a single construction date. The building is made of sandstone ashlar and has slate roofs. Its structure includes a west tower with a spire, a nave, a lower chancel, a north aisle and a north vestry. The apse windows provide a different accent from the exterior building materials: they contain late 19th-century glass depicting scenes from the life of Christ. For those interested in architecture, Holy Trinity brings together datable building phases, specific materials and architectural features, and an image motif in the windows. Visits to Holy Trinity can be arranged by contacting the church in advance. If you plan to visit, arrange this before you arrive.
Bickerstaffe Hall and the Moated Site
Bickerstaffe Hall is listed as a Grade II building. A reinstated plaque bears the Stanley family coat of arms and the inscription “1667 ES”. The building’s status and the plaque represent different aspects: the designation identifies the status of the building, while the plaque provides a specific heraldic and written reference. The moated site at Bickerstaffe Hall is protected as a Scheduled Monument. It comprises a slightly raised, trapezoidal grassy island with a maximum extent of about 68 × 68 metres. The western arm of the moat is substantial, partly water-filled and located within Little Wood. The approximate measurement describes the island’s maximum extent; the western arm of the moat is a distinct feature of the site.
Remembering the Stock Stones
Another layer of time is commemorated at the Stock Stones at Stanley Gate. A memorial plaque completed there in 2014 honours Mrs Jean Winstanley. She was the landlady of The Stanley Gate pub from 1956 to 1987. The two dates serve different purposes: 2014 marks the completion of the plaque, while 1956 to 1987 indicates the period of her service.
Discover more destinations: Great Harwood, Preesall, Holcombe, Southfield, Haslingden, Whittingham, Over Kellet, Lytham Saint Annes
For the main travel overview: Lancashire.
