When you take a day trip to the Forest of Bowland by public transport because you find out how easy it is!
We’ve been wanting to visit the Forest of Bowland for ages, but for one reason or another it kept slipping the list. However, I found out from my friends at Northern that there is direct train from Manchester Victoria Train Station to Clitheroe. Plus a shuttle bus, the Bowland Explorer, that takes you up to the Forest of Bowland area. With that, I had no excuse but to take a day trip to the Forest of Bowland by public transport.
To read about our adventure, head over to my blog post here. But for a quick overview, hang around for 4 minutes 30 and enjoy the scenery.
Day trip to the Forest of Bowland by Public Transport
We woe up bright and early, excited about our planned adventure. Prepared a flask of tea and a picnic for breakfast and lunch then packed up our gear. We only live around 35 miles from Manchester Victoria Station so we walked into town.
Our train was due to leave Victoria at 9:40 to get us to Clitheroe for the 11:36 Bowland Explorer bus. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy a brew our picnic and the view from the windows. The station is so quiet on a Sunday! I share it on my Instagram stories and received so many messages of surprise. The journey is 1 hour and 50 minutes, so not bad at all. To be honest, it flew by when we were watching the world go by.
There isn’t a great deal of time between arriving and getting the Bowland Explorer, so I recommend going to the toilet before you get off the train. That way you’re ready for your adventure.
To get the Bowland Explorer, head through the Way Out and turn left. You’ll see the bus stands and you want the number 5. Look out for the bus!
And off you go! If you want to take the trip that we took, here are the details for you to save into your phone. They are correct at the time of writing (15/08/2017) so check the Northern Website and Bowland Explorer timetable to be sure.
A day trip to the Forest of Bowland by public transport is a great way to spend a Sunday. If you love walks in the countryside, especially where there are very few people, then this is the walk for you. We loved it and had plenty of time to get around. If you are very slow walking, it might be a bit of a challenge to do the whole circular. Even a short wander or picnic is perfect though.
If When you go, please come and let me know what you think! I’d love to see what your adventure held.
Now I’m planning my next public transport adventure! Where do you suggest we go? (let me know in the comments!)
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Northern. I received compensation for writing this post. However, as always, all photographs, content and opinions are honest and my own.