AN OPEN day is to be held at historic Earby Hostel during the Easter weekend as it once again starts welcoming travellers from far and wide.

New tenants, Matt and Emma Oddy have spent the last few months renovating Glen Cottage and on Easter Sunday will be welcoming in the community to have a look around, find out about its history, and even join in a egg hunt.

Earby Hostel, in Birch Hall Lane, has been through a turbulent few years, being sold by the Youth Hostel Association to Pendle Council in 2006 and then transferred to Earby Town Council ten years later. During the past two years various efforts have been made to keep the hostel open, including a grant to turn the garden into a woodland and wildlife sanctuary.

Now Matt as the new tenant of the hostel, with the support of his wife Emma and two children, have big plans to ensure that it stays open and thriving.

“We recently moved to Earby and saw the opportunity to become the new tenant,” said Matt. “ When everything was confirmed I was excited about the possibilities, especially given my qualifications as a Forest School practitioner and the wildlife garden at the rear of the property,”

As a keen walker and cyclist himself, Matt is looking forward to welcoming guests who are travelling along the Pennine Way.

“We’re right on the Pennine Way, and we know that we will get a lot of guests who are staying with us on their walking or cycling holiday, so we wanted to make sure that they have everything they need when staying with us, from a hot shower to somewhere they can dry their boots, and a safe place to store their bikes,” he said.

Mr and Mrs Oddy have been given the support of the community, and say they will be recommending that their guests visit the businesses during their stay in Earby.

To celebrate the opening of Earby Hostel, Matt and Emma are hosting an open day on Easter Sunday (April 21) between 12 midday to 2pm. Everyone is welcome to attend, have a look around the hostel and enjoy the wildlife gardens, and there will be an Easter egg hunt for the children. Bob Abel from the Friends of Earby Hostel Group and the family of Katharine Glasier who lived in the cottage before it became a hostel will also be there providing an insight into the history of the hostel.