The headline ‘How not to get lost’, followed by, ‘mobile signal is somewhat lacking’, on The Inn at Whitewell’s website, proved too much of a temptation for my husband’s sense of adventure and so a room was booked. The Inn at Whitewell was to be one of the stopovers on our road trip from East Sussex to the Isle of Skye, in Scotland.
So, it was with some excitement – and relief – when our sat nav finally told us to leave the M6 at junction 31a, and follow the route for 9 miles to Whitewell. After an hour of driving down extremely narrow lanes and tracks, through several fords and into a farmyard, the words ‘How not to get lost’, were uppermost in our minds! We decided the sat nav was out of it’s depth and sometimes, there is a place for a good old fashioned map, which thankfully, my intrepid husband had thought to bring. Within fifteen minutes, were were parked outside the elusive Inn.
The Inn at Whitewell is a 17th century listed building and sits on the banks of the River Hodder in the Forest of Bowland, about eight miles from Clitheroe, Lancashire. It forms part of the Duchy of Lancaster Estate and the surrounding countryside is simply breathtaking. After a seven hour journey from Sussex, we were delighted to be shown to our lovely room, complete with four poster, open fire and a bathroom with an early Victorian brass cabinet bath, which was enormous! Each room at the Inn is furnished very differently, but all are beautiful, with lovely old furniture and pictures. Fourteen of the rooms have open fires, which are lit during the winter months.
We had booked a table in the Inn’s restaurant for dinner, but decided to have a well earned drink in the bar first. The route to the bar took us down some higgledy piggledy corridors, with quirky antiques and artwork on the walls. The bar itself is very traditional and cosy, with amazing views across the river to the Fells beyond. It was busy with weary hikers discussing their day, and equally weary dogs, flopped at their masters’ feet! As well as stocking up to twenty different wines by the glass, the bar provides a range of local cask conditioned ales, as well as a vast choice of spirits.
The Inn at Whitewell has an excellent reputation for it’s food, which is locally sourced and seasonal, as far as possible and the restaurant was very busy. All dietary requirements are catered for and families are very welcome, with a beautiful selection of antique high chairs for the discerning tiny diner! The menu was a joy to read and the food even more of a joy to eat, with every mouthful being utterly delicious. To make the evening complete, our table was next to a window overlooking the river and Fells, and we were blessed with one of the most stunning sunsets we have ever seen.
And so, after a long drive, followed by a fabulous meal, we retired to our room and slept like logs in our supremely comfortable four poster, waking next morning to a romantically misty view of the Fells and a delicious breakfast! The Inn at Whitewell is the perfect pace for hiking and exploring the beautiful countryside, fishing, or just relaxing with a good book and taking in the views. It is in a part of the country previously unknown to us and we fully intend to return to hike the Fells and get to know the area better. But a word of warning! If you decide to visit, don’t rely on a sat nav to find it, and they weren’t joking about the lack of mobile phone signal, but the beautiful setting, lovely staff and utter peacefulness, more than make up for that!
