Top 15 Attractions in Preston, Lancashire

Situated on the River Ribble, approximately ten miles from its entry point into the Irish Sea, Preston is a historic market town that achieved city status in 2002. The town was home to Flemish weavers in the 14th century, leading to the establishment of a textile industry that significantly bolstered the local economy until the mid-20th century.

Notably, Sir Richard Arkwright, the inventor of the innovative spinning frame in the 18th century, was born in Preston.

As a developing industrial hub during the 18th and 19th centuries, Preston features beautiful squares, well-maintained parks, and notable institutions, such as the Harris Museum.

The Ribble Steam Railway houses one of the premier locomotive museums in the UK, and St Walburge’s Church boasts the tallest spire of any parish church in England.

Let us delve into the premier attractions in Preston:

1. Harris Museum and Art Gallery

Preston’s city museum and art gallery is housed within an impressive Neoclassical building that opened its doors in 1893. Upon entry, visitors are greeted by a Foucault Pendulum, which demonstrates the Earth’s rotation, as well as a functional clock.

The museum boasts remarkable collections encompassing natural history, textiles, costumes, ceramics, and various decorative arts.

The art gallery features an extensive array of works from eminent figures in 20th-century British art, such as Lucian Freud, Stanley Spencer, and Graham Sutherland, including watercolours by J. M. W. Turner.

Visitors should make it a point to view the Poulton Elk, an Ice Age elk skeleton that is about 13,500 years old, complete with two barbed points believed to have been inserted by humans, marking the earliest evidence of human habitation in Lancashire.

Conclude your visit with tea at the café located in the atrium, which offers a unique view of the museum’s Egyptian balcony.

2. Avenham and Miller Parks

Among the most refined Victorian parks in Northwest England, Avenham and Miller Parks are adjacent to one another, sloping down to the Ribble River, located to the south of Preston railway station.

Designed by renowned Victorian landscape architect Edward Milner in the 1860s, these parks are divided by the embankment of the now-defunct East Lancashire Railway.

Avenham Park, the larger of the two, features expansive lawns, a Japanese Garden, and a belvedere pavilion set atop the northeast side.

Miller Park, characterized by a more formal design, includes a rose garden, intricately arranged flowerbeds, and the elegantly designed Derby Walk, adorned with urns and a balustraded staircase leading to a fountain and bandstand.

Be sure to approach the river to observe the Victorian railway viaduct and the open moorland on the opposite bank.

3. Ribble Steam Railway

Situated within an industrial estate near Preston Docks, the Ribble Steam Railway functions as both a museum and an operational heritage railway line.

This railway operates on tracks originally laid for the docks, extending just over a mile along the Ribble River to Strand Road.

During the summer months, visitors can enjoy rides aboard vintage steam or diesel locomotives.

These rides are available on weekends, with additional operating hours during summer holidays.

The visitor center and museum at Preston Riverside are connected to the workshops, which house and maintain around sixty locomotives.

This collection is among the largest in the UK, featuring 13 locomotives on display, including five Andrew Barclay 0-4-0STs from the early 20th century.

4. Church of St Walburge

The Grade I-listed Gothic Revival Church of St Walburge, constructed in the mid-19th century by Joseph Hansom, is notable for its significance.

Hansom was also the designer of the Hansom cab, which transformed horse-drawn transport during the Victorian era.

St Walburge’s is distinguished by possessing the tallest spire of any parish church across the country, measuring 94 metres.

This landmark serves as both a major feature of Preston’s skyline and one of the tallest structures in Northwest England.

The church’s interior showcases impressive dimensions, spanning 50 metres in length with a delicately carved hammer beam roof soaring 25 metres above the nave floor.

For those interested in exploring further, free heritage tours are available every Saturday from 11:30 to 14:30.

5. Winckley Square

Renowned for its beauty, Winckley Square is a Georgian square designed as a residential area for the city’s elite during the early 19th century.

It forms part of a conservation area and is primarily surrounded by long terraces of Georgian townhouses, particularly magnificent on the north and west sides.

These townhouses overlook Winckley Square Gardens, characterized by flowing lawns and tall mature hardwood trees, including birches, willows, and limes that provide shade.

On the eastern side, a statue commemorates Sir Robert Peel (1852), a Lancashire-born Member of Parliament and two-time Prime Minister, recognized for introducing modern policing while serving as Home Secretary in 1822.

6. Preston North End F.C.

The local football club holds significant historical value.

Founded in 1880, Preston North End was one of the twelve original members of the football league during its inaugural season in 1888-89. The club achieved remarkable success by winning both the League and the FA Cup that season, marking the pinnacle of its history.

The Lilywhites, as they are often called, play at Deepdale Stadium, which accommodates 23,404 spectators and is located in the northern part of the city.

This historic venue, inaugurated in 1878, is recognized as the oldest continuously used football stadium in the world.

Throughout its history, the pitch has been graced by renowned players such as Tom Finney and Bill Shankly, an iconic manager known for his numerous achievements.

As of 2018, Preston North End competes in the Championship, the second tier of English professional football.

7. Guild Wheel

In 1179, King Henry II granted the Burgesses (freemen of the borough) the right to hold a Guild Merchant, a type of fair. This event was held every 20 years starting in 1328, with an unbroken lineage of celebrations from 1542 to 1922, only interrupted by the Second World War.

In preparation for the Guild Merchant in 2012, the city devised a 21-mile greenway, a circular walking and cycling path connecting Preston to the surrounding Lancashire countryside and its villages.

A recommended starting point for exploration is Preston Docks, located west of the city center along the Ribble River.

8. Preston Cenotaph

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the designer of the iconic red telephone boxes in the UK, also created the monument honoring Preston’s fallen soldiers from the First World War.

Unveiled in 1926 in Market Square, the Cenotaph’s inscription was later amended to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Second World War.

The sculpture, crafted by Henry Alfred Pegram, was associated with the British New Sculpture movement at the end of the 19th century.

The centerpiece features an image symbolizing Victory, bearing two wreaths, while the top of the column is crowned with an empty tomb.

To emphasize the Cenotaph’s relevance to Preston, it underwent extensive restoration to commemorate the centenary of the First World War’s beginning.

9. Lancashire Infantry Museum

Individuals with an interest in military history should visit this museum, which serves as the largest repository of regimental history in Northern England.

The museum is located in the active Fulwood Barracks, a collection of sandstone buildings erected in the 1840s that are set to be decommissioned soon.

This museum chronicles Lancashire’s participation in conflicts dating back to the late 17th century and showcases an extensive array of banners, medals, weaponry, instruments, and historical curiosities.

Of particular note is the Waterloo Room that displays the Salamanca Eagle, designated as a British National Treasure by the Home Office.

This highly significant artifact was carried by the 22e Regiment de la Ligne and captured during the Battle of Salamanca on July 22, 1812.

10. Moor Park

Moor Park, recognized as the largest and oldest park within the city, is located north of Preston’s center, adjacent to Deepdale Stadium.

It is purported to be the first municipal park established in England’s emerging industrial towns during the 19th century.

Previously, this land served as common ground, a remnant of the Medieval Royal Forest of Fulwood.

In the 1860s, Edward Milner was commissioned to redesign Moor Park to provide employment for displaced spinners and weavers during the Lancashire Cotton Famine.

The park features a lake, known as the Serpentine, and includes an observatory constructed in 1927, which is currently operated by the University of Central Lancashire.

Visitors can stroll along Moor Park Avenue, a picturesque path lined with tall lime trees, adjacent to some of the city’s most desirable properties.

11. Preston Docks

The bright sunny days present an excellent opportunity for a leisurely walk at Preston’s extensive rectangular dock, located in the Riversway area.

This dock was inaugurated in 1892 by Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was the second son of Queen Victoria and was soon to be the Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy.

At that time, it was Europe’s largest single dock, extending over 900 meters in length and 180 meters in width.

To the east, visitors can find an Odeon cinema, while Preston Marina and the Riversway Control Centre lay to the east side.

Located in a large grassy area is a 100-ton crane, erected in 1958 to facilitate the removal of 19th-century lock gates for restoration purposes.

This massive crane remains operational today, lifting larger vessels from the water.

12. Brockholes Nature Reserve

A former quarry located upriver on the Ribble’s floodplain has gradually transformed into a 250-acre nature reserve, encompassing pools, woodlands, and reedbeds.

The reserve features three designated walking trails, some of which include boardwalks and various hides. In the summer, visitors may observe sand martins and herons amid the geese and swans.

A standout feature of the reserve is its award-winning visitor village, which floats on a lake and connects to the shore via wooden walkways.

Within the village, wooden hut-style structures equipped with solar panels host a restaurant, shops, an exhibition space, activity rooms for educational groups, and a conference center.

13. Turbary Woods Owl and Bird of Prey Sanctuary

Located in the south of Preston, just a ten-minute drive from the city center, Turbary Woods serves as a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of owls and various birds of prey.

Home to over 90 birds of prey, including falcons, buzzards, hawks, eagles, and vultures, all reside in spacious aviaries amongst forested surroundings.

Visitors can witness these birds, including hawks and owls, in flight. Additionally, during the week, experiences such as owl and hawk handling days are available.

Participants will have opportunities to handle four different species, including a vulture for those feeling adventurous, and gain insight into falconry basics.

14. Forest of Bowland

The City of Preston encompasses a portion of this expansive Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Forest of Bowland is one of the last remnants of a vast wilderness that once dominated much of Northern England.

Despite its designation as a forest, the majority of the Forest of Bowland consists of heathland and blanket bog, providing habitat for grouse.

Travelers arriving from Preston city center often make a stop at Beacon Fell Country Park, located in the southern part of the forest.

Here, visitors can access the visitor center and hike the isolated hill that lends its name, which rises to 266 meters.

From the summit, panoramic views include Blackpool Tower to the west and the stunning hills of Bowland, such as Parlick and Fair Snape Fell to the north.

15. Bowland Wild Boar Park

While exploring the Forest of Bowland, visitors may wish to stop at this family-oriented animal attraction.

Bowland Wild Boar Park features various animals including sheep, wallabies, llamas, skunks, red squirrels, chickens, meerkats, raccoons, coatis, and of course, wild boars.

During the appropriate season, guests can interact with adorable baby animals, and participate in scheduled activities such as feeding lambs, coatis, skunks, and meerkats, as well as petting chicks.

For youngsters, an area is dedicated for play in a straw barn, and tractor and trailer rides around the park are available for a small additional fee.