Travel: Ribby Hall, Lancashire

There has never been a greater need to take stock of our holiday options to ensure we get the best from our well-deserved break.

The attraction of holidaying at home has never been greater so the opportunity to try out Ribby Hall's holiday village just off the M6 in Lancashire was one that appealed.

In our late twenties, and with no kids, myself and partner hadn't really considered a holiday village before and arrived, following our three hour drive from Glasgow, with an open mind.

We were promised a relaxing break where we could do as much or as little as we wanted.

Despite being only an hour from Manchester Ribby Hall is surrounded by rich countryside and is clustered by small idyllic villages.

The attractive entrance to the holiday park was hive of bustling activity which isn't surprising considering the complex hosts a luxury hotel, conference centre, leisure centre alongside holiday villas.

After checking in we were quickly relaxing in the peace and tranquillity of our pine lodge.

If you' re after a laid back weekend away you can't really get many better places to unwind than in one of these.

Upon entering lodge you are greeted by an open plan living space tastefully decorated and kitted out with the latest mod-cons – including a large plasma screen TV.

A tour of the villa uncovered three immaculately presented bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen and a hot tub bubbling away on the decking.

After arriving late, our first night was spent relaxing with a meal cooked in our apartment followed by a dip in the hot tub.

The only disturbance, be it a pleasant one, came from a flotilla of determined ducks who made several daring advances towards the patio doors.

The next day we were up early for a personal training session at the gym.

Exercise and a weekend away are not two things I'd normally put together but this turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Our personable trainer James Mitchell put us through our paces in the well-equipped gym with a workout guaranteed to burn-off the excesses of the weekend.

The gym itself sits in a sporting complex complete with swimming pools and tennis and squash courts.

Ribby Hall is primarily a family-orientated resort but you can see efforts have been made to broaden the appeal and give parents some space away from the kids.

The complex has two pools.

One which'll keep the kids occupied and another more tranquil one for the grown-ups to relax in .

The full size pool was perfect for a leisurely swim after unwinding in the steam room.

After our energetic morning in the leisure centre we emerged refreshed and looking forward to exploring the complex itself and its outlying villages.

There is a broad offering of activities aimed at both children at adults including climbing, cycling and horse riding.

After a enjoying a coffee in the on-site Starbucks I was comfortably beaten by my partner at mini-golf.

A trip in a pedal-lo attracted a few bemused glances and a minor domestic when our craft became lodged on an embankment.

Late in the afternoon we took a relaxed stroll to the nearby village of Wrea Green where we observed a cricket match and enjoyed a leisurely pint in the local.

The on-site restaurant was closed for renovation during our stay so we decided to venture out of the village for dinner.

A 15 minute taxi drive took us to the village of Little Eccleston to a delightful gastro-pub.

The Cartford Inn was a joy to eat in and is set in breathtaking countryside.

Our table overlooked miles of furrowed fields and provided the perfect setting for our three course meal.

The locals we spoke to had nothing but praise for Ribby Hall with some saying they would rather go there than the nearby Center Parcs.

Our taxi driver said that its enduring appeal is down to "it does what it says on the tin".

After our three days we didn't have any complaints, we were promised a relaxing weekend in a comfortable and relaxed environment and that's exactly what we got.

We drove back up the M6 feeling refreshed and reinvigorated.

The Facts

• Pine Lodges sleeping 6 – cost from 17 per person per night

• Pine Lodges sleeping 4 – cost from 23 per person per night

• Holidays include full use of family fun pool, adult only pool, indoor soft play, outdoor adventure playground, four fishing ponds and selected family& over-18s entertainment

• The Hotel is currently undergoing refurbishment and re-opens as a Luxury Hotel & Spa in Spring 2011

• The restaurant re-opens at the end of June headed up by an award-winning chef

• Visit website at www.ribbyhall.co.uk for special offers, further information or to make a reservation