Preston’s Big Five

Unless you have friends or relatives living there, Preston is unlikely to be on the radar for your travels in England. But you may end up passing through this Lancashire mill town-cum-city (it’s on the main west coast road and rail lines between London and Scotland). Not just a handy place for breaking up your journey, Preston is also a potential base for side trips, with good onward connections to the scenic coast and countryside of Lancashire and Cumbria, including the Lake District. Here are five highlights of the city.

PRESTON MARKETS

Like many of its Lancashire counterparts, Preston was radically altered by the Industrial Revolution when its skyline thronged with cotton mills (some of which still loom and are now filled by offices and apartments). But it was a market town long before that — King Henry II awarded it a guild merchant charter in AD1179 — and despite gaining city status under Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, it remains a market town at heart. Independent traders, selling fresh produce and real ales, clothes and jewellery (and numerous other items) draw a mixed crowd under the market’s Victorian canopy. Stylishly renovated in 2018 with glass and timber boosting the steel frame, it has an outdoor section and indoor area with several sit-down food options, while other businesses — selling specialty coffee, wine and vinyls — trade opposite from converted shipping containers. Don’t miss the quirky bronze statue of Wallace and Gromit outside the market hall’s entrance. It honours Nick Park, the Preston-born creator of this popular British animated comedy franchise.

ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES

The wealth generated by the cotton industry gifted Preston a bounty of impressive architectural monuments. Overlooking Market Square, the Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library wouldn’t look out of place in Rome or Athens, although it may also remind you of the British Museum in London. Beyond its neoclassical columns and pediment, it has an equally striking interior and thousands of browse-worthy exhibits, from ancient Greek and Assyrian friezes to Lancashire-made textile fashions and ceramics. The Harris is closed for renovations until early 2025, but promises to be “More Welcoming. More Engaging. More inclusive. More inspiring” on its return. A contrast to the Harris — on the other side of the markets — is Preston Bus and Coach Station, built at the end of the 1960s and sporting distinctive curved concrete balconies. Slated for demolition at the turn of the new millennium, it’s now heritage-listed and recognised as one Britain’s most significant Brutalist landmarks.

DINING ADDRESSES

Around the corner from the market, the Miller Arcade is another beautiful address that definitely warrants popping inside. Completed in 1899, modelled on London’s Burlington Arcade and once home to Preston’s Turkish Baths, it’s a riot of ornate terracotta, tiling and glass with bygone lamps enhancing its good looks. There are benches on which to sit and admire the design, plus a handful of retail and refreshment options, including brunch hotspot Rise and Indian “street food” star Mowgli. Running parallel to the arcade, Preston’s tree-lined high street is a mixed bag, dotted with British banks and chain stores, malls and murals. Certain buildings will catch the eye, notably the mid-19th-century former Baptist church — now home to French-inspired Bistrot Pierre. More food and drink choices flank Winckley Street, a quaint cobbled lane threading south from the high street.

PRESTON’S PARKLIFE

Carry on walking and you’ll soon reach Winckley Square, one of the finest examples of a Georgian square in northern England. Framed with elegant terraced houses — some containing hotels and apartments for short-term rentals — the square has a lovely sunken tree-shaded lawn and lures picnickers and book readers on nice days. So does neighbouring Avenham and Miller Park, a larger and gloriously leafy expanse that rolls down to the River Ribble and comprises several alluring areas, including a Japanese-style garden, a hilltop belvedere and tree-shaded riverside paths. Sporadically spiking the peace and quiet here are trains rattling across the bridge spanning the Ribble. On the north side of Preston, Moor Park is another popular green space and stages events throughout the year, including Caribbean and South Asian festivals and BBC-backed music concerts (Pet Shop Boys, Sting and Delta Goodrem were among the acts to perform here in the 2024 summer).

SPORTING HERITAGE

East of the park, Deepdale is something of a shrine for soccer fans. Touted as the world’s oldest continuously-used football stadium, it’s the home of Preston North End, one of the “founding fathers” of English football. Winners of both the inaugural league title and FA Cup in 1899, the club were relegated from the top flight in 1961 and have yet to make it back. Nicknamed “The Lilywhites”, they currently play in the EFL Championship — one tier below the Premier League, with the season running from August to May if you’d like to attend a match (tickets are available via the club website). If you come, look out for “The Splash”, a water feature dedicated to Sir Tom Finney. Regarded as one of England’s greatest-ever players, he was born in Preston in 1922 and labelled the “Preston Plumber” because his father had told him to complete an apprenticeship for that trade in case his career didn’t take off. Finney ended up playing almost 500 times for his home-town club. He died here in 2014 and thousands of mourners lined Church Street for his funeral at Preston Minster, a Victorian landmark with a tower containing bells cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry (the London firm that made “Big Ben”).

fact file

+ Preston has direct rail links to various destinations, including London Euston, Liverpool, Blackpool, Windermere (Lake District), Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester Airport, Leeds, York and Lancaster. To book tickets, see nationalrail.co.uk

+ For more information on visiting Preston, see visitpreston.com

+ For help in planning a trip to Britain, see visitbritain.com