Simonstone is a gateway to the Ribble Valley, accessed by the A671 Whalley Road or the country lanes from Sabden, Pendle and Burnley.
It neighbours the village of Read and has been in historical records since the 1500s. In the past it was fondly known as Burnley’s stockbroker belt, due to its affluent housing and easy proximity to the town.
The A671 connects the village to Whalley and the nearby A59. If we take a right we are soon in Barrow, Clitheroe and the villages towards Skipton. If we take a left, we head to Billington, Langho, Ribchester, Salmesbury and onto Preston.
Connectivity
Motorways: M65 Junction 8 at its junction with the A56 (connecting to M66 for Manchester, M60 and M62).
Roads: The A6068 connects us to the M65/A56 junction and goes onto Higham, Fence, and Colne. The main road in our village is the A671 Whalley Road.
Buses: Mainline M2 will take you to either Padiham and Burnley, or Whalley and Clitheroe. There is an early bus to Nelson too if you want to attend Nelson & Colne College.
Train: Sadly we no longer have direct rail access, however it is only 15 mins to stations at Burnley, Accrington, Whalley or Clitheroe. These can take you onwards to Leeds, Manchester, Preston, Blackpool.
Retail & Leisure
We are well served by the Stork Pub, on Whalley Road, our main road (A671). At this spot on our border with Read, you’ll also find the Spar Garage and Post Office, and a car showroom.
In Read the main road shops include; hair and beauty salons, a superb butcher, off-licence and newsagent (Premier), a delicatessen, a pizzeria and a pharmacy. Further along at the Friendship Mill are a range of shops offering you various opportunities to furnish your home.
There are additional retail opportunities being hosted in former farm buildings; a garden centre, salvage, a blacksmith’s forge. And of course a Christmas Tree shop opens up in December.
The Higher Trapp Country Hotel on Trapp Lane provides comfortable accommodation and a lovely venue for events from weddings to business functions, and everything in between.
Local supermarkets in Padiham, Burnley, Whalley and Clitheroe ensure you can find what you need without any trouble.
Sports & Leisure
Across the fields in Simonstone we have the Read & Simonstone Tennis Club. There are several stables for equestrians and a wide variety of paths for walking and running.
Neighbouring Read also has football clubs, a bowling green, and a very popular cricket club.
Nearby Padiham has a leisure complex with gym, studio, swimming pool and spa.
The Ribble Valley has a range of gyms and health groups which are growing all the time.
Councils & representation
Simonstone parish is part of the Ribble Valley borough in east Lancashire.
Borough: Ribble Valley Borough Council
County: Lancashire County Council
UK Parliament: Ribble Valley – Pendle with Clitheroe
Presently we are in the Ribble Valley constituency, but from the General Election onwards we will be in Pendle with Clitheroe.
Our current parliamentary representative is the Right Honourable Nigel Evans MP.