Discover Accrington: Art, History and Trails

Accrington offers a varied mix of architecture, remembrance culture and active pursuits. Those looking for a holiday apartment for their trip can consider the town as a base for different day plans: after exploring art and architectural history, visit a memorial site or follow a route used for walking, cycling and horse riding. Travel arrangements can also be incorporated into your personal itinerary with hourly train services.

Art and Architecture in Accrington

A particular point of interest is Haworth Art Gallery and Museum. The building is listed as a Grade II building and was designed in the Arts and Crafts style of a country house. Admission is free. This makes a visit a clear cultural component if you would like to include art and architecture in your stay without an additional admission charge. The design of the building itself provides just as tangible a topic for discussion as its function as a gallery and museum.

Accrington Town Hall was originally built in 1857 as the Peel Institution and designed in the Neoclassical style. Together with Accrington Market Hall, also known as the Old Market, it showcases different historical architectural styles. The Market Hall was built in 1868 by John F Doyle. The two-storey building has numerous Neoclassical architectural features. Accrington's documented market history dates back to 1547, giving this subject a long historical perspective.

Remembering and Pausing for Reflection

The Accrington Pals Memorial Garden on Church Street is an open space in the town centre and offers a peaceful place to relax and reflect. The garden contains a sculpture by garden designer and landscape architect John Everiss. Alongside its significance as a memorial site, this gives it a visible design element that you can take time to contemplate.

A chapel was dedicated on 23 February 1992 in the Accrington Pals Memorial Chapel at St. John's Church. A Book of Remembrance there commemorates all the people from the surrounding area who fell in the war. Those interested in local history and the connection between a place and its culture of remembrance will find another distinct focus for their travel planning here.

An Active Alternative on the Woodnook Route

The Woodnook Route is part of the National Cycle Network and is used for walking, cycling and horse riding. This allows you to shape the active part of your stay around your preferred mode of travel without having to give up the cultural focus of the trip. For a travel group with different interests, it may be useful to treat the route as a dedicated day stop and set aside the remaining time for architecture, museums or memorial sites. This does not imply any statements about the duration or difficulty of the route; what matters is its documented use for these three activities.

Travel and Choosing Accommodation

From Accrington railway station, there are hourly train services to Preston, Colne, Manchester via Todmorden, York and Blackpool North. If rail connections are important for your trip, this factor should be considered when choosing a holiday apartment, alongside your preferred mix of culture and activity. Feel free to plan quiet sightseeing periods, an active route or both before selecting the right accommodation in Accrington. This means the location decision is based on your actual daily rhythm rather than on a generalised idea of the destination.

Other Places to Compare

If you would like to compare Accrington with other places, you can also look at Bacup, Scorton, Leck, Bickerstaffe, Burnley, Ormskirk, Heysham and Tunstall. Each of these place references can help you align your search for a holiday apartment with your preferred type of trip.

For the overarching travel overview: Lancashire.