Ribble Valley
§ This page gives an overview of the Ribble Valley local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Ribble Valley in rural Lancashire is known for its rolling countryside, picturesque villages, and historic landmarks. Clitheroe is the main town, with its Norman castle overlooking the Ribble Valley and bustling markets. The Forest of Bowland AONB covers much of the area, offering fells, moors, and scenic walking routes. Villages like Whalley, with its abbey ruins, and Downham, set against Pendle Hill, highlight the area’s charm. Ribble Valley’s mix of hills, rivers, and heritage makes it one of the most scenic districts in northern England.
The administrative boundary of Ribble Valley can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Ribble Valley.
Key Facts about Ribble Valley
What region is Ribble Valley in? Ribble Valley is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Ribble Valley in? Ribble Valley is located in the county of Lancashire.
Is Ribble Valley a city? No, Ribble Valley is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Ribble Valley? The local authority for this district is: Ribble Valley Borough Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Lancashire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Lancashire County Council.
▶ Official website of Ribble Valley Borough Council 🔗 ribblevalley.gov.uk
Which police force covers Ribble Valley? Policing in Ribble Valley is provided by Lancashire Constabulary 🔗 lancashire.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Blackburn with Darwen ⁞ Blackpool ⁞ Burnley ⁞ Chorley ⁞ Fylde ⁞ Hyndburn ⁞ Lancaster ⁞ Pendle ⁞ Preston ⁞ Ribble Valley ⁞ Rossendale ⁞ South Ribble ⁞ West Lancashire ⁞ Wyre.
Constituencies in Ribble Valley
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley is divided into 26 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Alston & Hothersall
- Billington & Langho
- Bowland
- Brockhall & Dinckley
- Chatburn
- Chipping
- Clayton-le-Dale & Salesbury
- Derby & Thornley
- Dilworth
- East Whalley, Read & Simonstone
- Edisford & Low Moor
- Gisburn & Rimington
- Hurst Green & Whitewell
- Littlemoor
- Mellor
- Primrose
- Ribchester
- Sabden
- Salthill
- St Mary's
- Waddington, Bashall Eaves & Mitton
- West Bradford & Grindleton
- Whalley & Painter Wood
- Whalley Nethertown
- Wilpshire & Ramsgreave
- Wiswell & Barrow
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data.
Parishes in Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley is fully parished: 50 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Aighton, Bailey and Chaigley
- Balderstone
- Barrow
- Bashall Eaves
- Billington and Langho
- Bolton-by-Bowland
- Bowland Forest High
- Bowland Forest Low
- Bowland-with-Leagram
- Chatburn
- Chipping
- Clayton-le-Dale
- Clitheroe
- Dinckley
- Downham
- Dutton
- Easington
- Gisburn
- Gisburn Forest
- Great Mitton
- Grindleton
- Horton
- Hothersall
- Little Mitton
- Longridge
- Mearley
- Mellor
- Middop
- Newsholme
- Newton
- Osbaldeston
- Paythorne
- Pendleton
- Ramsgreave
- Read
- Ribchester
- Rimington
- Sabden
- Salesbury
- Sawley
- Simonstone
- Slaidburn
- Thornley-with-Wheatley
- Twiston
- Waddington
- West Bradford
- Whalley
- Wilpshire
- Wiswell
- Worston
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
Built-up Areas in Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley covers 23 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barrow (Ribble Valley)
- Billington (Ribble Valley)
- Blackburn (Blackburn with Darwen) *
- Chatburn
- Chipping
- Clitheroe
- Gisburn
- Grimsargh *
- Grindleton
- Hurst Green (Ribble Valley)
- Langho
- Longridge (Ribble Valley) *
- Myerscough Smithy *
- Old Langho
- Osbaldeston
- Padiham *
- Read
- Ribchester
- Sabden
- Simonstone *
- Waddington (Ribble Valley)
- West Bradford
- Whalley
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Ribble Valley.)
Ribble Valley compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Ribble Valley compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Ribble Valley has 26 electoral wards.
Ribble Valley has a population of 65,794 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Ribble Valley can be found on the ONS statistics for Ribble Valley.