Published Friday 12 December 2025 at 15:00
Blackburn with Darwen Council has announced that it’s buying Jack’s Key Lodge to help safeguard its future.
The popular Darwen beauty spot, once home to a boating lake, was put up for auction by The Crown Estate.
Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:
We were alerted at the eleventh hour by a resident that Jack’s Key Lodge had been put up for auction.
We quickly rallied to bid for the beauty spot to ensure we could help safeguard its future, and we’re really pleased to say we’ve been successful.
We know that the lodge has historically been a very popular place in Darwen and it’s still very much enjoyed by our residents today, so it was important that we stepped in to help protect its future.
Dating back to the 1800s, Jack’s Key Lodge was the place to be on a sunny day in Darwen.
People would enjoy boating, fishing and swimming there, with a small sandy bay described as “just like Blackpool!”
The reservoir originally provided water for a nearby paper mill and was drained in the 1980s when it was no longer needed.
The land borders Cranberry, Darwen Cemetery and homes in Jack’s Key, with a path leading to St Barnabas Primary School and the surrounding area, and down through Jack’s Key Clough to Spring Vale.
An informaion board at the site describes it as one of Darwen’s biodiversity ‘hotspots’and an important habitat for the town’s wildlife.
Councillor Riley added:
In 2016, the Environment Agency undertook extensive works to return Jack’s Key back to its natural state – reducing the flood risk, improving the paths, adding a new bridge and creating walks with sculptures carved into wood.
This is a place popular with walkers, families and residents who enjoy the open space and the views from points over to Darwen’s Jubilee Tower.
Our plan is to retain it as open space – keeping it as a place for our residents and visitors to continue to enjoy freely.
This is fantastic news that we’re able to share for Darwen and Darreners!