Preston is a city in the English county of Lancashire. Fine arts, as well as archaeology, are among the collections at the Harris Museum & Art Gallery. The Guild Wheel walking and the cycling trail goes alongside the River Ribble. This also runs through Avenham and Miller Parks. Ribble Steam Railway, to the west, offers restored train rides. Here, you’ll find a hands-on museum as well. The Lancashire Infantry Museum in the northeast covers local military history.
Preston came in 16th place in the 2021 Good Growth for Cities ranking. This evaluates 42 UK cities across ten categories. They are jobs, income, transportation, skills, environment, and housing price to wages ratio. The butter pie is well-known in Preston and Chorley districts. It consists of sliced potatoes, onions, butter, and a touch of black pepper. All encased in dough. It often served with a side of pickled red cabbage. This is similar to the other famous Lancashire meal of hotpot.
Preston voted the finest location to live in the UK. It provides world-class education, a vibrant nightlife, and a plethora of options. UCLAN is one of the top 4% of all institutions in the world. It comes with a student body of over 32,000. Student accommodation Preston provides safe lodging to international students coming to study here. The properties are secure, reliable and offer a balanced student life. They also come with a variety of room types and amenities to choose from.
Places to visit and things to explore in Preston!
A large number of tourist attractions and cultural hotspots form the backbone of Preston. Let’s check out a few of the top places one must visit and explore during their academic journey here.
Harris Museum and Art Gallery
Preston’s municipal museum and art galleries are in a beautiful Neoclassical building. It first opened its doors in 1893. The Foucault Pendulum demonstrates the spinning of the earth and also serves as a working clock. It is the first item you’ll see when you walk in. Natural history, textiles, costumes, and ceramics are on display at the museum.
Hundreds of pieces by giants of 20th-century British art are present here. Some of them include Lucian Freud, Stanley Spencer, and Graham Sutherland. As well as watercolors by J. M. W. Turner. Check out the Poulton Elk, an Ice Age elk skeleton with two barbed points. This added by humans that dates back 13,500 years. In Lancashire, this is the earliest evidence of human occupancy.
Ribble Steam Railway
The Ribble Steam Railway is a museum and a working historic railway line. It’s located in an industrial area near Preston Docks. The railway follows the Ribble River for over a mile to Strand Road. During summer, you can take a trip on a vintage steam or diesel locomotive.
These are available on weekends, as well as throughout the summer vacation. The tourist center and museum at Preston Riverside connected to the workshops. These houses and maintain sixty locomotives. This is one of the UK’s largest collections of steam locomotives. They come with 13 on display, including five by Andrew Barclay from the early twentieth century.
Church of St Walburge
Preston’s Grade I-listed Gothic Revival church was erected by Joseph Hanso. This finished in the mid-nineteenth century. In Victorian times, he also created the Hansom cab. The same revolutionized horse-drawn transportation.
The spire of St Walburge’s is the tallest of any parish church in the country. It is standing at 94 meters. It is not just Preston’s most prominent landmark. But, it is also one of the highest structures in the northwest of England. It comes with a 50-meter length and a carved hammer-beam roof. This rises 25 meters above the nave floor. Also, the interior has stunning proportions.
Winckley Square
This Georgian square was designed as a residential area for Preston’s upper crust. This got done at the start of the nineteenth century. It happens to be one of the city’s most beautiful spots. Winckley Square is in the midst of a conservation area. It is bordered on the north and west by long terraces of Georgian mansions. These overlook Wickley Square Gardens. The area features flowing lawns shaded by large old hardwood trees. Some popular trees found here are birches, willows, and lime trees.
Preston Cenotaph
Preston’s memorial was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. He also designed the UK’s iconic red telephone boxes. In 1926, the Cenotaph was unveiled on Market Square. Plus, the inscription was later amended to commemorate those who died during WWII.
Henry Alfred Pegram was a member of the British New Sculpture movement. He created the sculpture. The image of Victory, clutching two wreaths, is the centerpiece. It comes with an empty tomb at the top of the column. To emphasize the Cenotaph’s significance to Preston, the memorial was recently refurbished. So much so to commemorate the centennial of the First World War’s start.
