The area around Whitewell is certainly beautiful and was a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh. In May 2006 they visited nearby Dunsop Bridge then enjoyed their first pub lunch – a five-course meal at the Inn at Whitewell to celebrate the Queen’s 80th birthday. The late Queen famously said if she were to retire it would be to rural Lancashire and one story has it that while walking in the countryside with a member of her security staff she met someone heading the other way, reports Lancashire Life magazine.
They exchanged pleasantries and the walker joked: ‘Apparently, the Queen likes it here – you've not met her, have you?’ ‘I haven’t,’ the Queen replied before pointing to the man with her. ‘But he has.’ It’s not hard to see why the area is so popular – with monarchs and others.
The countryside around is a vast unspoiled wilderness: the Forest of Bowland is an area the size of New York city and it’s dotted with picture perfect villages and great places to eat and drink. One of the finest is the Inn at Whitewell, close to where this walk begins and ends. It is a former coaching house and is famous for its excellent accommodation and food and sits next to the River Hodder.
Spring Bridge used to span the Hodder here until, in June 1906, two large parties of visitors arrived by charabancs and stood on the bridge to admire the view. Unfortunately, the bridge could not stand the weight and collapsed. No one was seriously hurt, .
