A new book is shining a spotlight on overlooked destinations in Lancashire.
Where Tourists Seldom Tread: Postcards from Bypassed Britain, written by journalist Chris Moss and published by Guardian Faber, focuses on Lancashire and other lesser-visited UK towns.
Mr Moss said: "The idea of undertaking and promoting tourism to less obvious places came to me after the pandemic.
"There had been a lot of expressions of love for local places, but it was obvious that when the lockdowns ended, people would revert to foreign holidays.
"I decided to reduce my carbon footprint and spend some years touring the UK's bypassed towns."
The book expands on a series of articles originally written for The Guardian, exploring more than 70 towns across the country, including Accrington and Blackburn.
In his East Lancashire chapter, Mr Moss highlights the towns of Nelson and Colne as 'hugely underappreciated' places.
He said: "They are packed with historical interest, dramatic mill-town architecture, modern mosques and ancient churches, fascinating cycles of immigration over more than a century and a half, interesting geography, and lots of local stories."
He also discusses literary figures, activists, and unique cultural moments linked to the towns, from cricketing legend Learie Constantine and Marxist author C.L.R. James to the shooting of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life and the emergence of indie band English Teacher.
Mr Moss said: "I really dislike the ‘Crap Towns’ idea of provincial Britain.
"I think it’s unfunny as well as unkind.
"When you go online, you read a lot of people are unhappy with their towns—because of declining high streets, housing problems, homelessness, drug use and other social issues.
"But many of our towns have been around hundreds of years, and I wanted to scratch below the headlines and explore the history, character and architecture of places that don’t usually get highlighted in the travel press or on television."
He believes the future of travel lies closer to home, both for reasons of sustainability and personal discovery.
Mr Moss said: "I think the future of travel, given the terrible overtourism we find in honeypots, is to explore locally and invest your time and money here.
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"Holidaying at home, if you like."
To mark the launch of Where Tourists Seldom Tread, Mr Moss will appear at a series of Lancashire events in July and August.
He will discuss the book and sign copies at Leigh Library on July 23, The Harris in Preston on July 30, and Clarion House near Roughlee on August 23.
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