The Reading Room at The Barlow in Blackburn with Darwen

Beautiful building, brilliant park behind for the children, great cricket ground adjacent and stunning views across! The ice cream parlor a short walk up the hill was an added bonus too! (The white horse pub is up the same hill for the thirsty/stressed mums n dad's too, also highly recommended!!) Beautiful stress free part of the area!

Lovely food and delightful room. Just wish we could always get a table. Breakfast is excellent and the cakes are all homemade.

The Barlow (Institute) is a wonderful place. A great community focus for events plus a cricket ground, tennis courts and crown green bowling. The cafe is excellent, and popular, and it's licensed!

So impressed with the people who run this lovely little cafe. Our service was a bit delayed as the place had suddenly become very busy and in contrast to other places they apologised, offered us free drinks - and when we didn't accept gave us a refund. Such a lovely gesture and we hadn't even complained.

Something has gone very badly wrong with this place and it needs fixing quickly. The service we received today was appalling numerous things were wrong dirty glass and hours wait with no apology. Things missed from my grandaughters lunch box meal. The apple in it looked like it had been kicked around the kitchen it was so badly bruised. They begrudgingly changed. I've been here before and it's been nice. It's a shame it's a community cafe that's normally lovely but today was bad and the place was filthy it isn't usually. I hope they improve quickly.

I attended a wedding at the Barlow on Easter Sunday. What a venue! Picture postcard Victoriana: classic Gothic architecture with an adjacent bowling green. Weather permitting, an ideal location for outdoor photos. Fortunately for us, the fates looked kindly on us. The wedding breakfast - elegant afternoon tea - took place in the hall, a room perfect for the evening entertainment. In our case, a ceilidh. Not only was the service warm, yet professional, the bar prices were reasonable too. At such functions, you can't complain about a pint of real ale for under a fiver! Looking forward to returning for lunch at the cafe. A big thank you to all the staff.

Great spot at the centre of Edgworth village. Ideal for breakfast,lunch, or just a coffee on the way through.. Also worth a trip as. a destination for something to eat

Read all the latest reviews and as we are here for a family wedding at the Last drop we thought we would pop in . Once you get over the shock of stepping back 50years we were pleasantly surprised. Great cakes hot chocolate very nice . Coffee not to my taste but its a very personal choice . Understand its run by a charity which is great for those in need and perfect to give those a job in the service industry . Will come back for the brownie alone

Excellent breakfast with a great spread of food. Good service and pleasant surroundings. Staff really helpful and friendly.

If you haven’t been for a few months its not the same !!😢😢

Great building, good and service. A gem.

Delightful coffee. Great ambience

Delightful coffee. Great ambience

Slow service Milk split Lost order....was in there over an hour waiting for lunch ...

This is normally one of our favourite cafés to visit but after a terrible visit yesterday we won't be returning. We ordered jacket potatoes with tuna, which took almost an hour to arrive on a Wednesday lunchtime (the cafe was barely half full). When they did, they were hard inside. We returned them to the counter and asked for them to be made into sandwiches instead as we had a newborn baby with us and had already waited a long time. We were told that was no problem by the man at the counter. While we were waiting one of the kitchen staff came to our table and told us there was nothing wrong with the potatoes, they had been cooked for twenty minutes and she had probed them with a thermometer before serving. She reported she was going to serve them to someone else. Her attitude was rude, and there was no offer of compensation or apology . She told us our order was at the back of the queue of other customers. We were also not offered the difference in cost back as we had paid more for jacket potatoes than sandwiches. Food that has been sent back should not be served to other customers. This was my first outing/lunch out with my newborn baby, which I was hoping would be a special occasion, but instead, we left disappointed and upset by the service and the way we were spoken to. Would not recommend.

This is normally one of our favourite cafés to visit but after a terrible visit yesterday we won't be returning. We ordered jacket potatoes with tuna, which took almost an hour to arrive on a Wednesday lunchtime (the cafe was barely half full). When they did, they were hard inside. We returned them to the counter and asked for them to be made into sandwiches instead as we had a newborn baby with us and had already waited a long time. We were told that was no problem by the man at the counter. While we were waiting one of the kitchen staff came to our table and told us there was nothing wrong with the potatoes, they had been cooked for twenty minutes and she had probed them with a thermometer before serving. She reported she was going to serve them to someone else. Her attitude was rude, and there was no offer of compensation or apology . She told us our order was at the back of the queue of other customers. We were also not offered the difference in cost back as we had paid more for jacket potatoes than sandwiches. Food that has been sent back should not be served to other customers. This was my first outing/lunch out with my newborn baby, which I was hoping would be a special occasion, but instead, we left disappointed and upset by the service and the way we were spoken to. Would not recommend.

What has happened at this cafe? Service is very very slow, and when the food arrived we felt that the jacket potatoes we ordered were on the cold side and quite hard. We had touched them of course. On complaining one of the kitchen staff came out and said it was difficult for her to do 3 jacket potatoes at once, she had checked them with a probe and that it was the tuna filling was making them cold. She said that she would be presenting them to a member of staff to eat, which was quite shocking and unacceptable really. Her manner was quite condescending as though we were idiots, and it appeared that an apology for our disappointment was given reluctantly. This used to be a lovely friendly place to visit for a lunch with family, but it's doubtful we will be returning in the near future.

Lovely room very nice place for a celebration

The Reading Room at The Barlow, next to Edgworth's cricket club and bowling green is a community spirited cafe which is interestingly appointed as a reading room as opposed to a typical cafe. Dog friendly, the haunt attracts regular custom which it satisfies with decent fare at reasonable prices.

Been in the Barlow twice recently the lovely cakes have disappeared, very slow service provided by staff clearly run off their feet. Not great what happened???

Very good coffee at a very good price with fast friendly service.

Again a good place to call whilst out walking. Must have been hungry as called at Turton tower cafe on same walk.

Great value food. Lovely atmosphere. Service a little slow, but friendly people.

I called in on a Sunday morning to try a breakfast. It is reasonably priced at £9.95 when you look at what is on the plate, which comes with 2 slices of toast and a tea or coffee as well. I had another coffee which I believe was about £2.40 alone so the breakfast is good value. I am no coffee aficionado but found it to be very good quality and will call again for another sometime. The staff are plentiful and are always on hand with a smile.

overpriced with very rude staff. May I suggest to the lady that served me "if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen" Don't vent your stress on paying customers.

Had a lovely afternoon tea at the Reading room today, we booked in advance and it was well worth it.

What a lovely find this pleasant cafe is. Plenty of parking on the road out front, and the car park behind. Food quality is excellent.

Love this place. Dinky community cafe without the naff feel you often get with such places. Small menu well done sensible prices, hard floors suitable for muddy paws and moods. Customers and staff are all friendly... what's not to like. Only possible criticism is it could do with some soft furnishings to deaden some of the sound.

Maybe it was the person who made it but we ordered two flat whites that tasted of water and milk, couldn’t taste any coffee barely especially when it’s supposed to be two shots in a flat white. Disappointed purely on the coffee side. Couldn’t drink it

Fab afternoon tea today. Attentive staff and great food

Great place to grab some lunch after a dog walk and dog friendly too

Good food friendly staff, ideal for stopping off if your country walking, bowling green in the grounds.

Absolutely lovely warm and welcoming place to enjoy homemade food. The staff are all very polite, helpful and friendly. It really is a lovely gem of a place!

Great little place for stopping for a coffee, breakfast or lunch. Prices very reasonable and staff are friendly. Parking at the rear.

People lovely. Community cafe with food and drinks. Kid friendly and right next to great playground for kids.

Great place for coffee and a bite to eat. Best flat white for miles around by the girl with the pink hair

Great little cafe attached to a community resource. Coffee & cake was fab. I'm sure the rest of the place is the same

the staff were rude.a sandwich took 16 minutes to come all together the sandwich was squashed by the biscuits and fruit.we won’t be coming back

A fabulous afternoon tea for 8 today, including 2 children. What a delicious spread. My cousin from Korea and the rest of our family had a wonderful time . Will definitely be booking again.

I visited with my mum and daughter on a Saturday morning. We had wonderful and fresh coffees, with toasted tea cakes. It was nice that they were lightly toasted, without any burnt edges- the taste come through better IMO. The white chocolate milkshake was great and it had cream on top. The service was great- friendly staff and quick. We will be going again, especially because there is a farmers market stall outside the Barlow institute on a Saturday.

Great stop for coffee and cake, and a very nice place to catch up with friends

Lovely cafe, fresh food, good coffee, great service

Called for a coffee with my Wife on the way back from a walk round Wayoh - very enjoyable, will definitely call again

Great place to go for coffee and cake, nice spot in the village with outside tables. Plenty of parking. Nice choice of ales.

Fantastic soup amd sandwich deal. We had the leek and potato soup amd it was delicious and they also offer a gluten free bread option for the sandwich which was really tasty. Very welcoming and friendly staff and atmosphere.

We so enjoyed the Mothering Sunday Afternoon Tea with White table cloths , flowers and White covered chairs - we could have been going to a wedding reception. The tea was excellent with a good selection of savouries and sweets all presented on cake stands and traditional chinaware. There was a glass of fizz a plant gift for the Mums and a brilliant band entertained us. Simply excellent well done to all the staff who served us so well. If you fancy an afternoon tea at The Barlow I think that they serve them in the Reading Room but check first you may need to book.

Such a lovely and welcoming place. The food is amazing and so are the staff. The homemade lasagne is the best I’ve had anywhere (I’ve mine is better 😀) This is my new go to place for lunch

Great location with a park attached to keep the children entertained whilst you enjoy a nice cuppa tea! They also Allow Dogs in and there is a lovely nature walk to the back. `Food was great and the staff were too.

Nice cakes, nice coffee, friendly service, good prices 👍 great quirky little place for a brew or a meal if your passing.

If you are vegan, try The Barlow. I went for lunch with a large group last week and they were really responsive to my dietary needs - e.g. specially made plant based coleslaw, fruit crumble and custard. They have vegan options on the usual menu and provide soya milk. The food was delicious. Staff were lovely. Surroundings really nice. This was my first visit and I'll definitely be back.

Very Pleasent Staff Reasonable prices

Amazing food staff so friendly and helpful

Lovely, friendly ,great place to go something for everyone, great atmosphere great coffee and dog friendly xx

Friendly place with dining both indoors and outdoors as it's undergoing renovation currently.

Cafe is open every day. Great coffee and food inside and out.

Lovely outside tables overlooking manicured bowling green. Good selection of drinks including fruity gins, craft beers, hot and cold soft drinks. Good hot and cold snack selection, lived the falafel pitta

Great pit stop on a lovely sunny day.

Only open for takeaways....coffees and a limitted range of cooked snacks.Have only tried the coffee and its good enough to keep going back for. From observation the hot chocolate is popular. Bench seating in the vicinity.

Excellent take-out service today and enjoyable sitting outside by the bowling green.

Manager here is a top bloke, always smiling and happy , he's a credit to the Barlow institute, kind regards Bryan

Nice place for a coffee and cake.

Had my grandsons christening party here, had afternoon tea, which was beyond expectations, marvelous food, wonderful atmosphere, attentive staff. Best tea room in the Edgeworth, Ramsbottom, Holcombe area. Give it a try. Very reasonable prices thoroughly enjoyable.

Gem of a cafe. We stopped en route for a cycling trip to Bury. Excellent menu, staff very welcoming and attentive. Lovely community hub

Popped in for a coffee and had a walk down memory lane ..... Manchester Tart! Not had one since I left school. Wonderful old building, happy staff and nice spot to hide away from the world for a bit.

Omg cakes are to die for especially the Manchester tart!!and Victoria sponge!!i visited today with friends lovely atmosphere and environment with friendly staff at a brilliant price £2!!!

Scratch cooked meals, which were delicious. Excellent value for money. Lovely atmosphere. Friendly staff. Well maintained building and surrounding area. Will definitely go back again and would recommend this establishment to friends and family.

Querky place. Small menu but good enough. Prices average. Not many tables so time it right

What a wonderful find with friendly, helpful staff. The Reading Room has obviously had a new manager take over and with it a breath of fresh air has been cast. With daily specials made fresh on the premises and a wide variety of homemade cakes to choose from there really is something for everyone. As a vegan dining out it is sometimes hard to find places to accommodate my needs but today I was not disappointed...the green lentil & spinach curry was delicious and an absolute steal at £3.95! The venue often hosts pop up shops which boosts my desire to come....a must visit place, not to be missed :)

Really nice setting and nice to watch the bowls outside, really nice food and staff also

Good place for coffee and lunch.

Lovely location. Lots of space - large hall and separate rooms for children (and adults) to play and smaller people crash out, Very helpful and friendly staff. Good range of food. Very good value.

A great place to meet up with friends. We had a nice lunch from the Specials menu which was excellent value! A really warm and friendly atmosphere.

Great little place with friendly staff, very reasonably priced food and great specials. We spent a couple of hours here working (free wifi) and also ate. Between us we had 4 pots of tea, soft drink, 2 toasted sandwiches served with generous portions of salad, a vegan brownie and an apple muffin, all for a bit over £15. Parking front and back, dog friendly, child friendly, muddy boot friendly, work friendly - generally just very friendly!

A great place to meetings with colleagues or catch up on some work - comfortable and friendly atmosphere in period surroundings. Free wi-fi and parking with excellent tea and coffee into the bargain. What's not to like?

Found the Barlow in Edgworth. This place offers excellent coffee and tea in a warm friendly atmosphere. Great to chill out and check emails etc. or just relax after walking the hills or work & school.

Have been a few times now to the Reading Room. Staff are so friendly and the drinks/food are so reasonable. Love the setting too - so quaint!

Excellent service, coffee and toast Would thoroughly recommend. It combines an Edwardian charm with homely comfort and very friendly and helpful staff.

Great to see young people from Edgworth working hard to make a success of this cosy cafe. Great service and super coffee.

Polite approachable staff to serve you ure food of choice be it toasted tea cakes with artisan jam to toasties and paninis and wonder full selection of cakes and children’s meals but the coffees are to die for !!!!