Discover Chorley: Parks, Culture and Markets

Chorley offers you a varied trip combining expansive parks, history, the performing arts and regional markets. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house that is not merely a place to stay but an interesting base for a range of holiday experiences will find several clearly distinct points of interest here: green paths, historic interiors, culture in the town centre and food from the region.

Green spaces for active and relaxing days

Astley Park covers 43.75 hectares and holds the Green Flag Award. Its distinctive design is evident in the fully restored walled garden with formal planting, a kitchen garden, an orchard and a greenhouse in a historic style. The park also has footpaths running through wooded areas. This means you can add a walk to your stay in Chorley without the day having to be devoted exclusively to cultural activities or market visits.

The Yarrow Valley Country Park offers a more extensive landscape experience. The site covers 700 acres, is operated by Chorley Council and has held the Green Flag Award since 2004. Numerous walking routes and available walking guides give you various ways to explore the park. This distinction is useful when choosing your accommodation: you can regard Chorley as a base for a stay centred on park paths and experiences in nature, or place greater emphasis on town history and culture.

History and culture in Chorley

Astley Hall offers a journey through more than 400 years of history. Notable details include mid-17th-century stucco ceilings, rare painted wood panelling and very fine English oak furniture. These elements make the historic character tangible and give travellers interested in culture a distinct focus when planning their trip.

The Chorley Theatre is a performing arts venue in the town centre. In addition, the Chorley Town Trail provides an introduction to the history of Chorley and its town centre. This allows you to combine different ways of discovering the area: historical themes, architectural impressions and an evening of performing arts can form part of different travel plans, without requiring you to commit to just one type of holiday.

Markets and regional produce

Chorley's markets date back to 1498. The Covered Market offers local produce, including food and drinks. In addition to the Covered Market, the Food and Craft Market takes place on the second Saturday of each month. These regular market dates are particularly useful if you want to plan your trip around a specific date. Anyone staying in a holiday apartment or holiday house who wants to shop independently and include regional products in their daily plans will find a suitable thematic focus here.

Guidance for choosing accommodation

For days spent in nature at Yarrow Valley Country Park, there is a specific way to reach the Birkacre area, including the visitor centre: bus stops on Coppull Road provide access to the area, followed by a 5- to 10-minute walk along Birkacre Road to the visitor centre. St Laurence is a 5- to 10-minute walk from Chorley's railway station and bus stations. This information helps you weigh up more precisely the desired balance of park experiences, culture, markets and your own mobility when searching for accommodation.

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Chorley, you can find Lancaster, Wrea Green, Whittingham, Pilling, Skelmersdale, Thornton-Cleveleys, Great Harwood and Nelson here.

For the overarching travel overview: Lancashire.