ITS unique flavour is designed to evoke nostalgia and Victorian splendour — and now it is hoped a special new ice cream will help keep Turton Tower open.

Blackburn with Darwen council has commissioned a special ice cream in the latest bid to bring visitors in to the 600-year-old tower and make it more commercially viable.

The flavour — coltsfoot rock with a hint of toffee — has been specially chosen to reflect the history of the tower.

Coltsfoot rock is a traditional Victorian sweet flavour, made only in Lancashire.

Turton Tower dates back to the mid 1400s, but evolved over the centuries into a luxurious Victorian family home.

Blackburn with Darwen Council, which recently took ownership of the tower from North Turton Parish Council, is now looking for ways to increase its income.

Town hall bosses and The Friends of Turton Tower hope the ice cream, which is being made by Mrs Dowson’s Ice Cream Dairy in Clayton-le-Dale, will help bring in a bumper crowd of visitors.

Friends member Beryl Woffenden said: “I think it’s a very nice idea.

"It would be really good if we get a lot of visitors — it would make a big difference.

“I haven’t tried the ice cream yet but I’m certainly going to next time I’m at the tower.”

Coun Jean Rigby said: “I used to eat coltsfoot rock when I was a kid, bearing in mind that I was brought up immediately after the war.

"I think it will be an interesting flavour, and I love all these unusual flavours of ice cream.

“The tower’s got to have more visitors, because if it doesn’t we’re going to lose it.

"We’ve got to watch every penny, there’s no two ways about it. It’s always under threat.”

Amanda Dowson said her first thought was to base the new flavour on fruit trees from Turton Tower’s grounds — but there are none.

She decided to go for something old-fashioned instead, and immediately thought of the Victorian sweet shop.

She said: “It's something old-fashioned, and it makes you think of the heritage and Lancashire produce.”

The Turton Tower ice cream will be on sale at the tower’s Victorian tea room, which also sells locally- sourced homemade food and produce.