Bold Venture Park

THE WEST PENNINE MOORS EXPLORE! DISCOVER! ENJOY! THE VIEW FROM THE TOWER To the south nearby are Winter Darwen Tower Hill (1,498 ft) with its TV and • Explore 90 square miles of unspoilt radio masts and also Great Hill, moorland, numerous reservoirs and WEST PENNINE MOORS these merge with the distant beautiful woodland Snowdonia and Great Orme’s A West Pennine Head, with the Irish Sea • Discover hidden valleys and explore Walk 1 beyond. some of the many historic villages Moors Trail Along the coast are Southport, • Enjoy getting close to nature – see Preston and the Ribble Estuary, Curlews, Peregrines and Brown Blackpool and its Tower lead to hares the River Lune and Black • Wander the long distance walk, the see Ordnance Survey map Explorer Combe in Cumbria. Witton Weavers Way – the full 32 series No. 287 West Pennine Moors. Directly below you can see the miles, or one of four shorter circular local features of Earnsdale and walks Sunnyhurst Hey Reservoirs, For more information contact The then Sunnyhurst Wood, • Large areas of the West Pennine Darwen Moors – wonderful walking country. Great House Barn 01204 691549 or Darwen golf course, Hoghton Moors are designated ‘Open Access’ visit www.westpenninemoors.com Tower and the densely wooded Billinge Hill. Darwen T On the skyline to the north you can see the mountains of the own Centre at Dusk NOTES FOR WALKERS Lake District and on a clear day the Isle of Man. The Forest Essential Kit Blackburn Central Railway Station of Bowland and the Yorkshire The OS Explorer Map No. 287 (Enquiries). Tel: 08457 484950. Dales, where the three giants, (West Pennine Moors) provides Whernside, Ingleborough and For information on local attractions, events, Pen-y-ghent tower beyond excellent aid and information on Pendle and the Ribble Valley. all areas covered in this guide. places of interest and accommodation, The Hills of Rochdale and the A splendid view of Darwen can opened in 1868. In recent years (Ordnance Survey tel: 08456 please contact Blackburn Tourist nearer Holcombe with its Peel also be obtained. Note the peregrine falcons have 050505 / www.ordsvy.gov.uk) Information Centre. Tel: 01254 688040. Tower are framed by the south 300 foot India Mill Chimney successfully nested on the Email: [email protected] Pennines of Yorkshire which which was modelled on the chimney. Further Information join the Derbyshire Peak style of a Venetian campanile. Alternatively visit the Blackburn with District to complete the Taking 14 years to complete at If you are travelling to the start of the walk panoramic view. a cost of £14,000 it was using public transport, please contact Darwen website at: Travel Line on: www.blackburn.gov.uk/parks Moorland scene Tel: 0871 200 2233. Blackburn with Darwen Countryside Web: www.traveline.org.uk Services Office. Tel: 01254 691239 If you have enjoyed this walk, why for countryside information and events or not try out one of the other Heritage email: [email protected] Trails within the West Pennine Moors: Belthorn, Edgworth or the Tockholes North and South trails. The latter two can be combined to form an enjoyable five-mile Please note that every effort has been taken to ensure circular walk. details are correct at the time of printing. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council cannot accept A walk of 2 miles, responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor any consequence arising from use of the information. Approx. 1.5 hours – Reprinted Dec 2008 by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Countryside Services. steep ascent/descent A popular area for outdoor action. WEST PENNINE MOORS Photo Matt Donnelly Photos: Mike Tattersall, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Matt Donnelly WALK? Darwen Tower Walk No. 1 A walk of 2 miles, Approx. 1.5 hours – steep ascent/descent A WEST PENNINE MOORS TRAIL On a clear day the Isle of Man and the hills of North Wales can be 5 6 8 seen from Darwen Jubilee Tower. The Tower celebrates Queen DARWEN Emerge from the top of the Continue up the track as it Part way down the hill look out Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and to many local people it also TOWER park through the kissing gate bends round to the right for a kissing gate on your right and follow the track slightly to climbing all the way up to the at the end of a wall. Pass celebrated the freeing of Darwen Moor in the previous year. O.S. MARKER your left, up past the disused Tower. through the gate and straight quarry, leading onto the open down the field to Sniddle Hill You are strongly advised to use these walk details in conjunction with OS Explorer map Darwen Tower3 stands moorland. Farm. No. 287, West Pennine Moors. 7 overlooking the town at a height of 1225feet and is 86feet tall. It is the most 9 prominent landmark in the Go through a kissing gate by a area and is open to the public farm gate to pass Sniddle Hill free of charge. It has a circular 1 As you walk through this HIGHER Farm on your right. BOLD VENTURE PARK CONEY 8 viewing platform on the way beautiful park note the following: up as well as the parapet walk With Darwen Town Hall behind 10 The park, constructed from a KISSING GATE at the top. It’s history is you, start walking to your right THE WAR MEMORIAL1 6 number of quarries and written on the shield on the along Croft Street to its junction cloughs, is well known for its Carry on straight down the This memorial was unveiled in HIGHER SNIDDLE HILL front of the tower. path, crossing over Turn Lane with Market Street, the main magnificent floral displays and E FARM N 1921 in the honour of over TREES A 9 via the stile and kissing gate to road. Cross over the road at specimen trees. The park was L 1,200 citizens of Darwen who the crossing and continue up opened in 1887 and extended 7 pass Holly Tree Farm on your gave their lives in the 1914-18 L L KISSING right. You are now on Punstock the road immediately in front of I in both 1898 and 1914 to QUARRY H war. The memorial stands E GATE Lane which leads down to you (Borough Rd). reach up to the foot of Darwen (Disused) L After visiting the Tower, retrace D D symbolically on five steps for LOWER I your steps down the hill to the Punstock Road. moor. N the five years of WWI. It is also CONEY S Ordnance Survey triangulation 2 TURN LANE inscribed in memory of those 10 point. Take the path on the who died in World War II. In Follow Borough Road up the KISSING KISSING GATE right and at the next junction 11 this picturesque setting, it makes GATE HOLLY TREE carry straight on ahead along hill to enter the main gates of 5 FARM Bold Venture Park on your for one of the most attractive BOLD the wide path downhill. Turn left out of Punstock Road right. war memorials in the area. VENTURE at the T-junction to join PARK Borough Road, which leads you 2 POND D WAR back to Darwen town centre. THE LAKE R 3 MEMORIAL Blackurn 4 R O The ornamental lake, the N Town Centre A LAKE UNSTOCK ROAD centrepiece of the park is M P populated by breeding mallards 2 BELGR 11 KISSING and was know as Bold Venture AVE ROAD GATE BOROUGH Reservoir. ROAD THE WATERFALL D CR 4 OA OF A 70-foot cascade which creates N R T S TO T. Cross Manor Road to enter BOL a dramatic sight after heavy 66 A6 DARWEN rain, forming a small lake at its upper Bold Venture Park. To Bolton base. Take the right fork of the path 1 START TOWN HALL to follow the arrow on the stone way marker. Keep Bold 3 Venture Brook to your left all the way up the wooded paths, Take the path to the right which are bordered by holly, following the edge of the lake, rhododendron, lime and ash past the waterfall, making your trees. 1. Bold Venture Park (War Memorial) way up the park to emerge onto 2. Bold Venture Lake, populated by 3. Looking up to the Tower Manor Road. breeding mallards.

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