As drivers hurtle up and down the M6 to and from the Lake District and Scotland it’s easy to miss out on some of the north of England’s most interesting sights.  Lancashire is an incredibly diverse county with vast areas of charming countryside, rural villages, historic towns and, in Blackpool, one of this country’s most iconic beach resorts.  Here are seven reasons to take a quick detour off the M6 in Lancashire and savour a few of the delights of this ancient region – you will be well-rewarded.

1. Leighton Hall

Leighton Hall: a short drive from Junction 35 takes you to the beautiful home of the Gillow family, one of Lancashire’s most famous names, designers and purveyors of quality furniture to the gentry and others of refined taste.  This warm and welcoming house is crammed full of antiques and quirky knick-knacks.  It has a charming walled garden laid out with fruit and vegetables, a little maze and a glorious herbaceous border.  Set in a graceful hollow the views of the Lake District fells and Morecambe Bay are outstanding.

2. Carnforth Station

Just down the road from Leighton Hall, on the A6 Lancashire, is Carnforth Station Heritage Centre. You’re transported back to the age of steam, when smuts got in your eye and a train’s whistle was the signal for a journey to unexplored areas of the country. Run by knowledgeable volunteers, the Centre at Carnforth Station traces the vital history of freight and passenger rail in the area.  However, it’s the connection with that classic B&W British weepie Brief Encounter that brings visitors from all over the world.  Filmed during WWII, it tells the story of ill-fated lovers kept apart by the upright morals of 1940s England.  You can watch the movie, see stills from the filming and have a sandwich in the meticulously recreated ‘Refreshment Room’, where any minute Stanley Holloway might pop in for a quick cuppa …

3. Lancaster Castle

Get off the M6 at Junction 33 or 34 and take time to visit Lancaster Castle, one of England’s most historic buildings.  Looking down over the city and River Lune, it has a solid and authoritarian air, much as it would have done in John of Gaunt’s day.  Modified as a Court and Prison, there’s a fascinating tour taking in the 12^th Century Keep, the Witches Tower, the old cells, the Crown Court and graceful  Shire Hall.   The city of Lancaster is compact and easy to explore. Find one of the old pubs along the river or take a stroll beside Lancaster Canal

4. Glasson Dock

Glasson Dock: tootle off at Junction 33/34 and find where the Lancaster Canal makes its exit at the very quirky Glasson Dock, to the west of the Fairtrade village of Garstang.  It has an elusive air of times gone by when, in the 1800s it was a lively port handling over 100,000 tons of cargo.  There’s a little cafe overlooking the waterway where you can watch the boats pass through the lock or you can to The Stork Inn and watch the sun set over the Irish Sea.  Do search out the Smokehouse for a delicious souvenir of your visit.

5. The Forest of Bowland

In the little maze of narrow lanes and rolling hillsides to the east of Preston (J32) it’s easy to get lost awhile around The Forest of Bowland and forget the hectic pace of modern life.  Wander along the main street of pretty Chipping or have lunch in the well-known Inn at Whitewell.  Covering over 300 square miles, this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has over 500 listed buildings and 18 scheduled monuments.  One of its most impressive landmarks is Pendle Hill, near the home of the infamous Lancashire Witches.

6. Rivington Pike

Rivington Pike Tower – photo by John Darch

Rivington Pike is easily spotted from the M6 (Junction 27/28) with its Beacon, Tower and aerials, it’s the summit of Winter Hill, on the Pennine Moors.  On a clear day you can see Blackpool Tower, the Lake District mountains, the Welsh mountains and, across the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man.  The Beacon is part of England’s early warning system and the Tower was built as a hunting lodge in the 1700s.  Further down are the recently restored ‘Lost Gardens of Rivington‘, originally laid out for Victorian industrialist Lord Lever.  At the foot of the hill you can get refreshments at enormous Rivington Hall Barn, weekend gathering place for bikers showing off their immaculately-kept shiny motorbikes.

7. Morecambe Bay and Heysham

The Lake District fells from Morecambe Bay, Heysham

Finally, some of the loveliest view in the country are to be had from Morecambe Bay. Only ten minutes off the M6 Heysham Barrows has a ruined chapel and ancient stone graves overlooking the Bay. The coastal town of Morecambe, with its Art Deco Midland Hotel and Victorian Winter Gardens Theatre, currently being restored. Get your photo taken beside the statue of Eric Morecambe. Walk along the Stone Jetty to admire the massive sweep of the Bay, where huge flocks of seabirds dabble and swoop all year round.

Cormorant sculpture at sunset over Morecambe Bay

Watch the sun go down before you head back to the M6; better still, tarry a while longer at one or more of these fascinating places in lovely Lancashire.

A shorter version of this article originally appeared in my Visit Britain Superblog section.