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RSPB Leighton Moss, Silverdale

Companionship careLancashire

Days out in Lancashire for an older parent

Nine places in Lancashire that make a good day out for an older parent, from RSPB Leighton Moss to Haworth Art Gallery. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated October 2026

RSPB Leighton Moss. Photo: Gidzy from England, CC BY 2.0

Nine days out across nine towns

The best places to take an older parent in Lancashire

Four of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for three describes a step-free route, and four confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

RSPB Leighton Moss, Silverdale

Photo: Gidzy from England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Silverdale

RSPB Leighton Moss

Leighton Moss is the largest reedbed in north west England, an RSPB reserve near Silverdale where bitterns, marsh harriers, otters and red deer can be seen from the hides. The visitor centre has a café and shop beside the car park.

All trails except the path to the Lower Hide are fully accessible, the hides take wheelchairs, Tramper scooters can be booked and there is an accessible toilet and Blue Badge parking at the visitor centre.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Silverdale

WWT Martin Mere, Burscough

Photo: Anthony Parkes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Burscough

WWT Martin Mere

Martin Mere is a Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust centre near Burscough where thousands of pink-footed geese and whooper swans arrive each winter, alongside collections of ducks, geese, flamingos and otters. There are hides, a paved nature trail and a café.

Wheelchairs can be borrowed free, the nature trail is fully paved, most hides have lower windows and there are four accessible toilets around the site.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Burscough

Towneley Hall and Park, Burnley

Photo: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Burnley

Towneley Hall and Park

Towneley Hall is a historic house and Burnley's art gallery and museum, set in a large public park with gardens, woodland and a café. Inside are period rooms, a Victorian kitchen and paintings and furniture from the council's collections.

Lifts reach the upper floors, Blue Badge parking is near the Hall entrance, there are accessible toilets in the foyer and the café, and the park has level paths.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Check prices

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Burnley

The Harris, Preston

Photo: Francis C. Franklin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Preston

The Harris

The Harris is Preston's museum, art gallery and library, a Grade I listed building on the Market Square that has reopened after a major refurbishment. It holds paintings, costume, Preston history and changing exhibitions.

All public areas are step free, a lift serves every floor, there are accessible toilets on two floors, and the Chapel Yard car park five minutes away has 30 Blue Badge spaces.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free entry

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Preston

Clitheroe Castle and Museum, Clitheroe

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Clitheroe

Clitheroe Castle and Museum

Clitheroe Castle is a small Norman keep on a limestone hill above the town, surrounded by free public grounds with views over the Ribble Valley. The museum beside it tells the story of the area's geology, industry and people.

All museum floors can be reached by wheelchair with a lift, and there are three Blue Badge spaces, but the hill up to the buildings is steep, so a carer should plan for the slope.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Grounds free, museum charged

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Clitheroe

Lancaster Castle, Lancaster

Photo: Asharkshooting, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Lancaster

Lancaster Castle

Lancaster Castle stands on a hill above the city and was a working court and prison until 2011, where the Pendle witches were tried in 1612. Guided tours run daily through the year and take in the courtroom, cells and Shire Hall.

Most interiors are seen on a guided tour, so a carer can ask the ticket office under the clock tower about the route and any steps before booking.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Lancaster

Lytham Hall, Lytham St Annes

Photo: Andy Hay from UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Lytham St Annes

Lytham Hall

Lytham Hall is a Georgian house built by John Carr of York for the Clifton family, set in historic parkland and woodland on the edge of Lytham. There are guided tours of the house, formal gardens, a shop and a café.

The grounds have many paths, ramps lead into the Hall and café, and wheelchair users can see the ground floor, so a carer can plan a gentle visit with lunch.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Lytham St Annes

Morecambe promenade and Eric Morecambe statue, Morecambe

Photo: Brian Deegan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Morecambe

Morecambe promenade and Eric Morecambe statue

Morecambe's long seafront promenade looks across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District fells, with the Stone Jetty, the Art Deco Midland Hotel and the statue of comedian Eric Morecambe. It is free to walk along at any time of year.

The promenade is wide and flat with benches and cafés along the way, so a carer can plan a short walk from the statue and turn back at any point.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Morecambe

Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington

Photo: Ian Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Accrington

Haworth Art Gallery

Haworth Art Gallery is an Edwardian house in parkland in Accrington, home to one of the largest collections of Tiffany glass in Europe. The house also shows paintings and local history, and the grounds include woodland and gardens.

It is a quiet house in its own grounds, so a carer can plan a relaxed visit to the Tiffany rooms and a short turn around the gardens.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Accrington

Regular groups and events in Lancashire

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Lancashire.

  • Music · LeylandBrass banding with Leyland BandOne of the country's leading brass bands, founded at the Leyland Motors works, with a concert calendar published on its website. A carer can check dates, book seats near an exit, and arrange transport so a concert night does not depend on driving after dark.Details
  • Photography · BlackpoolPhotographing the Blackpool IlluminationsThe Illuminations light the promenade each autumn and are a long standing subject for night photography, with displays visible from the seafront and from the car. A carer can drive the lights slowly, or park and walk one short stretch, so pictures can be taken without standing in the cold for long.Details
  • Painting · Lytham St AnnesWorkshops with Lytham St Annes Art SocietyA long running local art society that runs workshops and craft sessions for members on the Fylde coast. A carer can handle transport and carry materials, and sit in during a session so the focus stays on the painting and the company.Details
  • Sports · BurnleySaturday cricket at Burnley Cricket ClubBurnley play in the Lancashire League, with senior fixtures and results published through the season. A carer can check the fixture list, pick a dry afternoon, and settle in with a flask for an hour or two of a match rather than a whole innings.Details
  • VolunteeringVolunteering with the Lancashire Wildlife TrustThe Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside advertises volunteer roles across its reserves and visitor centres, including welcome and education work. A carer can help with the application, arrange lifts to a reserve such as Brockholes near Preston, and stay for the session.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Lancashire

At a glance

The nine places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
RSPB Leighton MossSilverdalehalf a dayPaid entryYesYesAsk
WWT Martin MereBurscoughhalf a dayPaid entryAskYesYes
Towneley Hall and ParkBurnleyhalf a dayCheck pricesYesYesYes
The HarrisPrestonhalf a dayFreeYesYesAsk
Clitheroe Castle and MuseumClitheroean hour or twoFree outside, paid insideAskAskAsk
Lancaster CastleLancasteran hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
Lytham HallLytham St Anneshalf a dayPaid entryPartlyAskYes
Morecambe promenade and Eric Morecambe statueMorecambean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Haworth Art GalleryAccringtonan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Lancashire

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

CarnforthSkelmersdaleGarstangBarnoldswickFleetwoodLeylandLongridge123456789
  1. 1RSPB Leighton Moss, Silverdale
  2. 2WWT Martin Mere, Burscough
  3. 3Towneley Hall and Park, Burnley
  4. 4The Harris, Preston
  5. 5Clitheroe Castle and Museum, Clitheroe
  6. 6Lancaster Castle, Lancaster
  7. 7Lytham Hall, Lytham St Annes
  8. 8Morecambe promenade and Eric Morecambe statue, Morecambe
  9. 9Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Lancashire

Carers in Lancashire charge £19 to £21 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Lancashire has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Lancashire

RSPB Leighton Moss in Silverdale, WWT Martin Mere in Burscough, Towneley Hall and Park in Burnley, The Harris in Preston, Clitheroe Castle and Museum in Clitheroe, Lancaster Castle in Lancaster, Lytham Hall in Lytham St Annes, Morecambe promenade and Eric Morecambe statue in Morecambe and Haworth Art Gallery in Accrington. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for RSPB Leighton Moss, Towneley Hall and Park and The Harris describes a step-free route. RSPB Leighton Moss, WWT Martin Mere, Towneley Hall and Park and The Harris have an accessible toilet. WWT Martin Mere lends wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

The Harris, Clitheroe Castle and Museum (outside free, inside paid), Morecambe promenade and Eric Morecambe statue and Haworth Art Gallery. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 40 of the carers with a rate near Lancashire drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Lancashire shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Lancashire

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Lancashire

Days out in the areas around Lancashire

Companionship care by town in Lancashire

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Lancashire

See carers near Lancashire who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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