Beyond the barriers

See & do near the route

The Lancashire stage is a tour of the county's greatest landmarks in its own right. Here are the places worth building your weekend around: castles and coast, moorland towers and a National Landscape, all within reach of the race.

The green-domed Ashton Memorial rising above Lancaster
Lancaster

Ashton Memorial

The great domed "folly" of Williamson Park, one of the finest views in the North West and a short ride from the day's first climb.

The stone Jubilee Tower on the moors above Lancaster
Quernmore, above Lancaster

Jubilee Tower

The moorland tower that names the stage's first categorised climb, with sweeping views over Morecambe Bay and the Lakeland fells.

Open moorland fells in the Forest of Bowland
National Landscape

Forest of Bowland

Open fell, quiet valleys and dark skies across a protected National Landscape at the heart of the Lancashire route.

Clitheroe Castle keep on its limestone knoll above the town
Ribble Valley

Clitheroe Castle

One of the smallest Norman keeps in the country, set on a limestone knoll above a lively market town.

Pendle Hill at sunset over the Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley

Pendle Hill

The brooding whaleback that watches over the route, famous for its history, its walks and its far-reaching summit views.

Morecambe Bay at low tide, with the Lakeland fells across the water
The coast

Morecambe Bay

Art Deco seafront, huge tidal sands and one of the great sunset views in Britain, right where the race meets Lancashire.

The long red-brick Whalley Viaduct crossing the Calder valley
Ribble Valley

Whalley Viaduct

Forty-eight brick arches striding across the Calder valley, the great landmark of Whalley and one of the longest viaducts in Lancashire.

Blackburn Cathedral with its slender lantern spire
Blackburn

Blackburn Cathedral

A landmark of the East Lancashire skyline, with its soaring lantern tower and one of the finest modern cathedral interiors in the north.

The Jacobean front of Astley Hall, Chorley, with its great bay windows
Chorley

Astley Hall

An Elizabethan and Jacobean hall of glittering glass bays, set in a public park on the second half of the stage.

The Three Graces on the Liverpool waterfront: Royal Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool Buildings
The finish

Liverpool waterfront

Beyond Lancashire, the stage ends on The Strand beneath the Three Graces, one of the great sprint finishes of the opening weekend.

Also nearby

More to explore on the route

Heritage

Castles, abbeys & halls

  • Lancaster Castle: a thousand years of history in the county city
  • Whalley Abbey: Cistercian ruins in the Ribble Valley
  • Blackburn Cathedral: landmark of the East Lancashire skyline
  • Astley Hall, Chorley: Elizabethan hall in a public park
  • Leighton Hall, near Carnforth: country house on the northern route

Outdoors

Fells, rivers & the coast

  • Beacon Fell Country Park: Bowland viewpoint and easy trails
  • The Ribble Way: riverside walking through the valley
  • Morecambe promenade: miles of level, family-friendly seafront
  • Clougha Pike: moorland walking above the Jubilee Tower climb
  • Wyre and Lune estuaries: birdlife and big skies
Plan your visit

Opening times & tickets

Attractions set their own hours and prices, and some may adjust for race weekend. Check details on Lancashire's official visitor service before you travel.

Visit Lancashire: things to do →