Ascot

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what? The Ascot caught me completely off guard. I’ll be honest – when I first pulled into Bowland Fell Holiday Park on that narrow stretch of Bowland Lane, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The whole setup feels a bit like stumbling onto someone’s well-kept secret tucked away in the Yorkshire Dales. It’s not your typical hotel situation at all, actually – more like someone took a really good idea and just ran with it without worrying about fitting into neat categories.

The thing about staying here is that you’re properly in Tosside, which means you’re surrounded by some of the most gorgeous fell country you’ll find anywhere. I mean, you wake up and there’s Pendle Hill doing its moody thing in the distance, and honestly, the morning light hitting those slopes is worth the trip alone. The Ascot itself has this boutique vibe that works because it doesn’t try too hard – nothing feels forced or overly designed. My room had these lovely touches that felt thoughtful rather than flashy, and the whole place has this relaxed energy that I really appreciated after driving up from more touristy spots. The staff genuinely seem to know the area, too – they pointed me toward this brilliant little walk that starts practically from the car park and winds up through some spectacular countryside that I never would have found on my own.

What really sells this place, though, is the location itself. You’re close enough to Clitheroe for a proper meal out (about twenty minutes if you don’t get stuck behind a tractor), but far enough into the countryside that you actually feel like you’ve escaped somewhere. The Forest of Bowland is right there – and I don’t mean you can see it from your window, I mean you can literally walk out and be hiking within minutes. Parking’s easy, which is more than I can say for some places around here, and the whole holiday park setting means it’s quiet without being eerily silent. Sure, the 6.7 rating suggests it’s not going to blow your mind with luxury, and honestly, that’s probably fair – this isn’t a place you choose for thread counts or fancy toiletries. But if you want somewhere that feels authentic to this part of Yorkshire, where you can actually relax and explore some incredible walking country without fighting crowds, then the Ascot delivers on exactly what it promises. Just don’t expect city-style convenience – bring a good map and maybe download some music because mobile signal can be patchy up here.