Photo of Gisburn Forest & Stocks Reservoir, a visitor attraction near Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, north west England.

Photo Robin Cross / Unsplash

Gisburn Forest & Stocks Reservoir

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If you’re after mountain biking or a big quiet walk, Gisburn Forest is Lancashire’s largest forest, laced with graded bike trails and footpaths around Stocks Reservoir. The reservoir drowned the old hamlet of Stocks-in-Bowland when it was built in the 1920s and 30s, and it’s now a noted spot for birdwatching. There’s a hub with parking and a café. It sits well away from any station, so nearly everyone drives in.

More places to visit near Gisburn Forest & Stocks Reservoir

Photo of the Forest of Bowland, a National Landscape in England.

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Wild heather moorland and the Trough of Bowland.

Photo of Slaidburn, a village in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, north west England.

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Photo of St Andrew's Church, Slaidburn, a church in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, north west England.

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Photo along the Ribble Way, a 70-mile long-distance path running from Longton to Ribblehead, England.

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Long-distance path

Sea to source up the Ribble valley, from the marshes at Longton to the high fell country above Ribblehead.

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Photo of the Yorkshire Dales, a National Park in England.

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