EAST Lancashire’s countryside has been given a glowing write-up in the latest edition of the Lonely Planet guidebook.

The ninth edition of the Great Britain guide, which came out yesterday, says Lancashire is ‘as isolated as it is industrious’, and praises the Ribble Valley, Forest of Bowland and Clitheroe, although Blackburn is described as a ‘sprawling conurbation’.

The authors write: “Lancashire’s most attractive landscapes lie east of the brash tackiness of Blackpool and north of the sprawling conurbations of Preston and Blackburn.

“The northern half of the valley is dominated by the sparsely populated moorland of the Forest of Bowland, which is a fantastic place for walks, while the southern half features rolling hills, attractive market towns and ruins, with the River Ribble flowing between them.”

In Clitheroe, a visit to the newly-refurbished castle museum is recommended, and on Pendle Hill, the book says: “Whatever your thoughts on witchcraft and religious visions, the hill, a couple of miles east of Clitheroe, is a great spot for a walk.”

The authors say the Forest of Bowland, a ‘vast, grouse-ridden moorland’, offers good walking and cycling.