BOLTON BY BOWLAND

THE "X" FACTOR          5 Miles

X'tras  :-   Danny , John W, Mike, Vic, Anthony and Martin

The "X" factor is............  DANNY !   

Danny's walks are always fascinating. Sometimes venturing into the unknown but accompanied by the his knowledge of places we see and visit. Today was no disappointment as we set off from the delightfully attractive Village of Bolton by Bowland.

The Car park at the entrance to the village.

Off through a village "stuffed " with period buildings.

Past the old pub. I'm not sure that the sign is exactly period..... more Disney !

Along the High Street and past the memorial "Gardens" One on either side. You'll see the other one later.

Here the old village cross with the stocks next to it. "Two Person" stocks at that. Was it a particularly "Naughty" village all those years ago or a particularly diligent parish council.

Everything in the village told of community pride and perhaps a certain prosperity as everything, the homes included, was immaculately maintained.

Leaving the village centre a short walk took us to the church where Danny had a wealth of information to expound.

He told us about the baptismal font.

......The "Pudsay" family who at one time owned large areas in and around the village.

Apologies for the quality of these photos but wherever I pointed the lens, strong sunshine flooding through the windows cause "Flaring".

.....and about the family "Vault " (?) where the "Lord of the Manor " was commemorated along with his THREE wives by whom he had a very large number of children.

The gentleman and his three wives.

The children......   "Gifts of God ?" ..... Vic seems to be expecting more !

Leaving the church.........

.......passing this incredible door........

,,,,,,, we made our way to the "other" memorial garden to have our coffees and teas where a signpost caused a little confusion as well as a certain indignation.

This signpost seems to think we are in YORKSHIRE ! W R = West Riding. We are in   LANCASHIRE !!!

Coffees etc. consumed, we walked past the church again and after a few minutes arrived at the drive leading to the Old Hall. (long gone)

The drive was rather long.

Rather a posh address.  "King Henry's Mews"

We've seen a lot of these on recent walks . Evidence of more than usually high winds ?

 

A lot more drive to go yet.

Near the top of the drive were the remains of another stone cross.

We at last arrived at the remains of Bolton Hall.

Just through the gates were two trees, John W declared them to be Sequoias Anthony checked on "Plant App" and it said they were Cypresses, That's John's Credibility blown for the immediate Future.

Anthony checking the veracity of John's statement.   ooo..er !

On the gatepost as we neared the end of the drive we found 

a set of "Rosary Beads". Pilgrimage of Grace still on ?  We also met this couple (see photo) who expressed delighted surprise as we had met them several weeks before on our walk in Lytham.

Just inside the walls of the new development was the site of "King Henry's Well"

I suspect that it was not quite so prettily built in it's original state.

We took a short cut through the grounds as we searched for the continuance of our walk. John W, who spent the whole of his career making and enforcing rules , is very uncomfortable when breaking them. There was NO footpath marked across this private land !!! With rather leftish leanings John is not keen on there being thousands of acres of "Private" land anyway. 

Bit of a conundrum then.

"Hold up Danny, If you're going to lead us we need to SEE  you."  Out into the open fields and then a bridge.

Just below the bridge was a shallow, cobbled ford. John and Danny were both tempted.   But.................

This tree amused your writer as it appeared to be whistling. Nose and vestigial eyes further up the trunk.

The open fields were great,,,   except that the footpath disappeared and we momentarily lost our way causing us to have to climb a locked gate,  This presented some challenge to those with shorter legs.

Vic continued the walk with a squeaky voice. 

Footpath rediscovered and taking us to the road after passing through a farmyard.

Onto the road and along to Copy Nook

 A left turn at the pub and a short walk to the tiny Hamlet of Holden and look who we found waiting for us in a shady spot.

The shady spot was in fact an unused bridge possibly the only one crossing the river in previous times.

We joined Martin in the shady spot/bridge for lunchtime.

Time for Martin to leave us now as we set off on the final stretch of our walk.

"Thar she blows"  Pendle often compared to a whale was once again prominent on the horizon for large stretches of our walk.

Our route led us up a gentle but lengthy hill along the road before a right turn through a plant nursery took us back into the fields. The sheep in front of us took a right turn into the field as well.

On a hot sunny afternoon the river winding through the fields was a cool invitation to stop and finish our flasks. There's that cetacean again 😃👍

This photo appears to show the river going to the right. In fact that is the shadow of a tree. the river continues to the left beyond Danny and Vic.
Flasks finished we set off again but took the wrong direction losing the footpath entirely.

The overgrown bank and eventually the rocky riverbed itself were the routes we took.

It was not the easiest path and we wove from side to side to make progress.

 Careful Vic !

Had the water been any higher we would have had to turn back.

Back up the bank and on the footpath again. Just a few minutes and there in front of us is the bridge into Bolton by Bowland next to which is the car park

A great walk, at times an exhilarating walk, with lots of interest throughout.

THE END

JW