We are proud of many things about our town, one of which is our stunning countryside. Burnley is 80% rural, providing an excellent quality of life and making it a fantastic place to visit. Whether you’re into windsurfing, hiking, kayaking, cycling, sailing, golf or horse riding, you can do it all right here in Burnley.
Our parks and forest
Many of our parks have been awarded Green Flags for their high standards. Queen’s Park is 28 acres and dates back to 1893, with many of its traditional design and features still in place. As well as bowling greens and tennis courts, you can also play basketball, football or show off your tricks in the skate park.
Thompson Park, like Queen’s Park, is a registered historic park and gardens, and is home to a charming boating lake, a recently refurbished children’s playground and paddling pool, a putting green and popular miniature railway, making it perfect for families who live in and visit Burnley.
Another historic park is Ightenhill Park, which dates back to 1912. As well as facilities such as a bowling green and tennis courts, it also hosts the annual Ightenhill Festival. Scott Park is also fun for all the family, with a giant draughts board, woodland walks and a Victorian bandstand, whilst Memorial Park in Padiham provides beautiful walks along the River Calder.
Towneley Park
Last but certainly not least, Towneley Park is the largest park in the town. It is home to the famous historic Towneley Hall and has a new children’s area packed with lots of different things to do, a Victorian flower garden, abstract and outdoor sculptures and plenty of space for events, family bike rides and leisurely dog walks.
And if all our award-winning parks are not enough, we also have the Forest of Burnley. One million trees were planted between 1997 and 2001, creating a 2,000-tree arboretum and 400 hectares. There’s 32km of footpaths, bridleways, sculpture trails and cycle routes to explore.
Could you get to every one of our six main parks on a bike while avoiding too much traffic or built-up areas? The answer is Yes! Sort of. Jeremy Richards set off on his bike and has created this incredible route for bike enthusiasts to follow.
The great (and famous!) outdoors
We may be blowing our own trumpet, but we have plenty of accolades to our name. From our football club and global award-winning spa to being named the friendliest and most enterprising town, we are proud of our achievements.
Our outdoors attractions are also well known. The Singing Ringing Tree on Crown Point Moor is one of the top ten pieces of sound art in the world. Standing 3m tall, it is made of galvanised steel pipes which make both an incredible and eerie noise in the wind. You can also enjoy breathtaking views across Burnley, which is surrounded by Pennine countryside.
The panopticon is only a short walk from the carpark and picnic area – but for those who are slightly more adventurous, you can set off from the Wayside Arts Trail from Towneley Park and follow the carved Lancashire oak marker posts.
The aforementioned Towneley Park is home to Towneley Hall, often chosen as a wedding venue due to its beautiful exterior and interior. There’s also Gawthorpe Hall, which is referred to as “the Downton of the North” and marks the start of the Bronte Way, a linear walk from Burnley to Wycoller, Haworth and finally Oakworth, near Bradford.
We are proud of our industrious past and a key player in that was the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The Burnley stretch of the canal includes one of the Seven Wonders of the British Canal system – the Straight Mile. This embankment carries the canal 60ft above town, from Reedley Marina to Hapton Boat Yard via the Weavers’ Triangle.
So what are you waiting for? Whether you want to visit Burnley or you already live here and need some inspiration, you can find a jam-packed list of things to see and do here across the area. We also have an up-to-date calendar of outdoor activities taking place just in Burnley right here.
1 day in Burnley
If you’re here for the day, we recommend you take in a mix of outdoors and indoors during your time here. Arrive bright and early and you can tuck into a hearty breakfast at Finsley Gate Wharf alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Whether you’re spending the entire day on foot or bike or have your car, you can very easily get to nearby Towneley Hall. There’s plenty to see in the grounds alone and children will love the new playground. But we also recommend heading into the hall itself, which dates to the 14th century,
From the hall, you can walk the Singing Ringing Tree Circular Walk, which should take a couple of hours. Or if you prefer to drive, it’ll take a few minutes and you can park near the famous sound art structure.
After all that walking, you’ll be hungry! You may have packed a picnic, but if not, Burnley town centre has 40 cafes, bars and restaurants within a mile. Take your pick from just a handful here. Once you’ve eaten, check out the range of independent and big-name shops in our award-winning town centre. Finally, there are a plethora of fantastic cafes to pick up a coffee for your journey home.
2 days in Burnley
We’re delighted you’ve chosen to spend a night here and you’re spoilt for choice with our range of accommodation. Depending on what type of break you want will depend on how you spend your second day. We certainly advise our day one itinerary above and for your second day there’s plenty more to do.
If you’re looking for an active break, we recommend hiring a bike from On Yer Bike and attempting Richards Route. This takes you through every park in Burnley covering 18 miles. The last stop is the Thornton Arms pub before you have to head bike to your starting point. It would seem a shame not to pop in for some sustenance!
If you’ve still got energy left, you could kayak along the canal, play a round of golf at Towneley Golf Club or try the pitch and putt at Prairie Sports Village. Although after all of that exercise we really do recommend some R&R at The Woodland Spa. Which leads us on to those of you who wanted a chilled second day – we highly recommend you book in advance for this award-winning spa. There’s a reason why it wins accolades time and time again.
Or, if a spa isn’t your thing or you want something a little bit more budget friendly, one of the varied shows at the Burnley Mechanics is a great way to spend a more leisurely couple of hours in Burnley.
3 days in Burnley
If you’ve planned for two overnight stays in Burnley, we recommend one of those evenings is spent in Padiham (the towns of Burnley and Padiham form the borough of Burnley) and The Lawrence Hotel is the place to be. You can follow our two-day itinerary as above, before enjoying a relaxed evening in the atmospheric boutique hotel.
You can enjoy your third morning browsing the independent shops in Padiham, before heading to Memorial Park and walking along the River Calder. We also recommend visiting Gawthorpe Hall, otherwise known as the Downton of the North. It’s easily accessible on foot from Padiham town centre, although like all of Burnley, there’s ample parking within the grounds should you prefer to drive.
If you fancy really burning off your evening meal and hearty breakfast, you may want to drive over to nearby Pendle Hill. Don’t be misled by its name – at 557m, it’s no mean feat, but the views from the top are spectacular.