1 day Ago
Growing up in a working-class Bury household meant that our annual coach trip to Blackpool was a particular highlight in the family calendar. Apart from a week at a caravan resort in Minehead when I was about seven, we didn’t have "proper" family holidays. Air travel wasn’t as affordable back then and we didn't have a car so instead, we enjoyed summer days out in the North West.
Even as I got older and ventured onto a plane for the first time in my early 20s, I still held a firm fondness for those trips. When I got the opportunity to spend a long weekend at a holiday village just outside Blackpool last weekend, I rounded up the family and set off up the M6 on a busy Friday evening. Ribby Hall Village is a five-star, family-owned holiday park set in 100 acres of beautiful Lancashire countryside, just a short drive away from the seaside town of Lytham St Annes.
It also gave me a new-found appreciation of what a stunningly green part of the world we live in. That said, I had packed my raincoat and sunglasses as the weather forecast was threatening showers and sunshine. It took us just under an hour to drive the 45-mile trip and we checked in at reception with ease.
Accommodation We stayed in a "Diamond" lodge, which is one of the self-catering cottage options with prices starting from £23 per person per night. There is a variety of other accommodation options in the holiday park, from one-night stays at The Motel from £85 a night, right up to luxury signature properties that can accommodate up to 14 guests. Our cottage consisted of three bedrooms (one en-suite), one family bathroom, living area, kitchen with dining table, an outdoor hot tub and picnic area and private parking.
My first impression was how clean and well-equipped it was. The kitchen had a washing machine, dishwasher, oven, gas hob and American fridge, which was useful as I had brought a food shop along with us. I was pleased to find that the cupboards had everything from pots and pans to baking trays and measuring jugs.
We had been provided with a cleaning starter kit (small bottle of washing up liquid, sponge and three dishwasher tablets) and there were complimentary teas, coffee and milk sachets. The only household extras I’d take along next time are toilet rolls, kitchen spray and handwash. The detached bungalow was more than big enough for our party of five adults, which was made up of myself, my husband, my two daughters (both in their early 20s) and my daughter's boyfriend.
All the bedrooms had televisions, excellent WiFi connection and bedding and the hot tub was ready to use as soon as we arrived. The living room featured an impressive "fake" electric fireplace and was the ideal space for a night of pizza, board games and Netflix. 'Diamond' cottage accommodation at Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire (Image: Lisa Valentine Newsquest) Activities, food and drink There was so much to do across Ribby Hall Village that we didn’t have time to see everything during our trip, despite spending all three days on site.
From bars, restaurants and a clubhouse to a mini zoo, luxury spa and a nine-hole golf course, there really is something for everyone. On the first night, we headed over to Italian restaurant, Terrazza. Seated at a cosy corner table, four of us opted for pasta mains with garlic breads to share while my husband went for a classic burger.
The food was lovely with good portion sizes and the service was prompt. The total bill came to just under £110 with drinks (tip not included), which I felt was more than reasonable. After food, it was time to explore the family entertainment centre, The Hive.
After reliving my youth in the arcade on the 2p machines, we picked up some bingo cards, bought a round of drinks and crossed our fingers. The cash prizes were generous at £60 per line or £150 for a full house . Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire (Image: Lisa Valentine Newsquest) Sadly, we didn’t win but we hung around for the cabaret – live music performed by a very talented singer named Katie – had a little dance with strangers and tried our luck again with late night "disco bingo" at a budget-friendly £1 per ticket.
We won this one along with two other teams, and bagged a voucher for a free game of mini golf. The next day, Saturday, we explored more of the village. Determined to cram in as much as possible, we hired a pedal boat, hit the gym (which was the best one I've ever been to) and took a woodland walk around the site.
We had booked in for a two-hour "aqua thermal" journey that evening at the Ribby Hall Spa for £74 per person. It’s safe to say that this was the jewel in the crown of our adults-only weekend away. The experience included entry to the aroma room, saunarium, Balinese salt inhalation room, herbal sauna, outdoor rustic sauna, hydrotherapy pool and more.
We also accessed the "Zen Garden" with a dedicated outdoor bar, relaxation areas, hot tubs, experience showers and Himalayan salt sauna. While the spa was utterly stunning, the weather had taken a turn for the worse at this point. We stuck to our Greater Manchester roots and stubbornly stayed put in the outdoor hot tub as sideways wind and rain pelted us in the face.
I can imagine that on a sunny day, I would never have wanted to leave but we threw the towel in after half an hour outside and sought solace in the scorching steam room. The rest of the night was spent back at the cottage with a homemade picky tea, prosecco and board games. The Spa at Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire (Image: Lisa Valentine Newsquest) On Sunday, we ventured over to the onsite animal area, Wild Discovery.
For £9.95 per person (under twos go free), it was a lovely way to spend our morning. We spotted sloths, capybaras, monkeys and loads of other animals.
We paid £1.50 each for four of us to handfeed rainbow parakeets while my youngest daughter chose to stay on the other side of the enclosure and laughed as we got accosted by a dozen hungry birds. Next, we redeemed the mini golf voucher we'd won at bingo, which was an entertaining way to spend 90 minutes in extremely competitive company.
As if we hadn’t been busy enough, we continued the competition with a round of archery on The Island at £10 per person. My arms had pretty much given up by this point but it did make me feel very Katniss Everdeen, even though I was terrible at it. Tea was a trip to Papa John's pizzeria.
We had tried to order on the Ribby Hall Village app but kept having issues on our Android phones, so instead phoned in our order to collect and ate at the cottage. We took advantage of a family deal and paid £71 for four medium pizzas, four sides and soft drinks. It was more than enough and we ended up with leftovers.
Monday was checkout day so we tidied up and handed the keys back at 10am. Guests are allowed to stay onsite until 4pm on their last day so we grabbed coffee and pastries from Blend Coffee Shop and took another woodland walk. We had a peek at the swimming pool dotted with colourful slides and packed with families but sadly ran out of time to visit.
Wild Discovery at Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire (Image: Lisa Valentine Newsquest) Summary Despite being less than an hour from Bury, Ribby Hall Village felt like a million miles away. I was a bit gutted to say goodbye but came home feeling like I’d had a proper, much-needed break. My daughters are both in their 20s, and spending quality time together when we all work anti-social full-time jobs and live apart can be difficult.
Ribby Hall Village (Image: Lisa Valentine Newsquest) The weekend away gave us the chance to reconnect. I honestly haven’t laughed so much in a long time and we made some lovely new memories. So much so that I immediately booked to go back again with my young niece and nephew after finding a special offer online for a two-night cottage stay this September at just £340 for six people (inclusive of swimming and other activities).
On the drive back, the word "wholesome" was bandied about a lot and I think that sums it up well. The address is Ribby Hall Village, Ribby Road, Wrea Green, near Blackpool, Lancashire, PR4 2PR.
