Sleepy Darwen village is hidden oasis for walkers with a must-visit pub beer garden

Picture this: It’s a baking hot day, you’ve just trekked up to Darwen Tower to admire the panoramic views as far as the Fylde Coast and beyond.

Half way on your descent you have this overwhelming hankering for an ice cold drink, a beer, cider or lemonade. You know, the kind where you can’t help but lick your lips and utter and audible “ahhhh” after the first sip.

Enter the Ranken Arms on Queen Street in Hoddlesden. It’s like an oasis appearing after hours of nothing but sand dunes and blistering heat in the desert.

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But you’re in a tiny and relatively sleepy village just outside of Darwen. Hoddlesden is a pleasant and attractive village and is, as you’ve probably gathered, settled in a prime spot for walkers and cyclists who have ventured up the the tower and across the moors.

The pub is most certainly a go-to place for locals and visitors alike, with a good-sized beer garden out the front, overlooking the colourful and beautifully-maintained village square and war memorial. Opposite is the Hoddlesden Club, a flourishing community hub which hosts weekly events such as darts and bingo along with live comedy and music nights.

Pop into the Hoddlesten’s deli and shop for vital supplies, a freshly-made sandwich and service with a smile. Admire the ornate bus shelter, which looks like a summer house and pause for a moment and sit on a bench on the cute square.

On the edge of the village is the Hoddlesden Millennium Green and Woodland Walk, an idyllic and family-friendly haven with plenty to explore and discover. Head on the tree-lined walk, take a moment of reflection underneath the reading tree or enjoy a picnic on the grass.

If you look carefully, you can spot hundreds of clay faces fixed into a sculpture as part of an art project back in 2006. Each face represents a former employee of Places Pipeworks, which was based on the site until 1950. The faces were created at Carus Centre in the village, which was housed inside the traditional mill.

Carus stopped making healthcare products in 2003, and the mill sadly destroyed in a fire in 2008, before it could be converted into flats. However, there’s still rows of brilliant sandstone terraced houses, oozing with character and examples of proper traditional Lancastrian architecture.

Many are also listed buildings, including the Holker House farmhouse, terraced homes on Queen Square and the War Memorial. If you would like to explore further afield, Calf Hey Reservoir, Turton Tower manor house and Turton and Entwistle Reservoir are situated close by.

Hoddlesden is the kind of place you may happen upon by accident but one that you really should stop and take a look around. Whether you’re fresh from a hike or not.

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