Walking in the Forest of Bowland

The Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is perhaps the best walking in Lancashire. There are 30 walks throughout the forest including the gentle foothills in the south and north, on top of the moors and in the valleys.

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The Forest of Bowland, a wild and sparsely populated region of some 312 square miles, is undoubtedly the finest upland landscape that Lancashire has to offer, and was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1964. It is a great dome of bare, windswept moors gashed by deep, desolate cloughs and verdant river valleys, sprinkled here and there with picturesque villages, tiny secluded hamlets and lonely farmsteads. When you have completed all the walks in this book you will have tramped over sombre moors, sauntered through silent forests and shady woodland glades, meandered along sun-kissed river-banks, ambled across flowery meadows and breezy upland pastures, strolled down leafy lanes, stumbled through glutinous quagmires and slimy peat hags, gazed in admiration from breathtaking viewpoints, fallen over decrepit stiles and cursed the author for getting you lost. You will have seen this Arcadian countryside in all its facets and possibly - if you've walked through four seasons - in all its moods. Inevitably you will have fallen in love with 'Bolland'. It's that sort of place.
All the walks described in this book are circular and begin at a place where a car may be parked without causing an obstruction. They are fairly uniform in length, an average of 6 miles making them half-day rather than full-day excursions.