Little Painley Bowl Barrow

A Bronze Age burial mound sitting quietly in the Lancashire countryside near Clitheroe - that's what Little Painley Bowl Barrow amounts to, though "quiet" might be the operative word here. The barrow itself is modest, a grass-covered earthwork that you'll recognise once you know what you're looking for, but it won't stop you dead in your tracks.

It's the sort of place that appeals to archaeology enthusiasts or walkers keen to bag a few Iron Age and Bronze Age sites across the Ribble Valley. If you're the type who enjoys following a map and ticking off ancient monuments, this fits the bill. Casual visitors, though, might find themselves asking why they've walked out to an unremarkable bump in a field when there are actual hills nearby to climb instead.

The site sits in open countryside, accessible year-round as far as I can tell - there's no visitor centre, no admission fee, and no opening hours to worry about. It's a twenty-minute stroll from Clitheroe town centre if you fancy combining it with a walk. Allow perhaps fifteen minutes at the barrow itself, longer if you're the contemplative type or want to photograph it.

If you're based at one of the local holiday parks - Holgates Ribble Valley and Parkdean Resorts Todber Valley are both close by - it makes a decent addition to a walking day. But it's not worth planning an entire trip around. Better to save your energy for the proper landscape: the River Ribble's valley, the moorland walks, and Pendle Hill itself.