How has Clitheroe Castle managed to deal with the Covid pandemic?

The contrast of city skyrise and endless countryside was evident staring out of a coach window as we made our way from the bustling city of Preston to the calm of Clitheroe.

Arriving at Clitheroe there was a breath of fresh air in the lowly rural town, contrasting the menacing Castle looking down on us atop of Pendle Hill almost intimidating.

A visit to the 1000-year-old Clitheroe Castle brought some sense of renewal after struggling with the Covid pandemic over the last year. Due to the Lockdown imposed upon the country, museums and attractions like Clitheroe Castle felt the affects when visitors were taken away and the attraction was forced to close.

Clare Sutton, manager of Clitheroe Castle and Museum for the past six years has said: “We certainly have seen an impact.”

Fortunately, the lockdown seemed to give a new lease of life to Clitheroe Castle and due to the closure of the museum, the team at Clitheroe were able to work on collections and objects which may otherwise have never been put on display.

She also added: “All things considered, we’re just as popular as July, August in 2019 on comparable terms.”

So, it seems the refreshed attraction has drawn the attention of its visitors once again and with new objects and collections to see you can understand why. The site of the castle itself is appealing enough, with the beautiful stone work and castle-keep still in its entirety you can almost imagine what it felt like to walk around when it was a working castle.

The castle being atop of Pendle Hill makes for a charming view of the country town below with views miles around of the countryside. The town itself leaves much to be explored with tiny streets stretching out from the main stretch of roads, its easy to get lost in the adventure of a small rural town like Clitheroe.