News

Popular ‘beating the bound’s perambulation to become an annual celebration of the outstanding landscape of the Forest of Bowland

An ancient tradition which was revived after an absence of more than 350 years will again take place in the Forest of Bowland this autumn.

Walkers will gather in Slaidburn on Sunday October 1st for a 10-mile hike exploring the scenic south-eastern boundary of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in rural Lancashire.

The last historic Perambulation was undertaken by General George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle after he was awarded the lordship of Bowland for his role in restoring Charles II to the throne in 1660.

Three and a half centuries later, William, 16th Lord of Bowland, revived the tradition last autumn ­– although the 21st century version is largely symbolic, taking the form of a guided walk from Slaidburn with all proceeds donated to local charities.

Last year’s revival attracted a large group of walkers and William Bowland will again send the group off from the steps of Slaidburn Village Hall and welcome the party back at the end of their 10-mile perambulation.

This year’s event has kindly been sponsored by The Traddock – a boutique country house hotel nestled between the Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales in the pretty village of Austwick. The Traddock is a popular destination for walkers wanting to explore walking routes in the Forest of Bowland and the Dales.

The Route

The Perambulation route explores the south-eastern boundaries of Bowland, beating the bounds first established under Henry V, Lord King of Bowland (1413-22):

“Then over Bradford and Grindleton moors, to the vaccary of Harrop, which bounds

on south-east side of Bolton-by-Bowland.”

Starting from the car park in Slaidburn, the route traverses the elevated pastures above the village, climbing gently to Harrop Fold, then more steeply through the woods and onto the summit of Bradford Fell.

Event Format

The walk will be led by local walking guide Mark Sutcliffe, supported by members of Bowland Mountain Rescue. Members of the Forest of Bowland AONB, Champion Bowland and the Bowland Sustainable Tourism Network will be among the participants.

The group will be limited to 50 people who will walk as one group around a circular route of approximately 10 miles. Places are available on a first-come, first-served basis via the Bowland-based ticketing platform Skiddle,

Parking will be at Slaidburn Pay & Display car park with the group assembling in front of the village hall. The walk will last approximately five hours, with walkers expected to return to Slaidburn between 3pm and 4pm. Tea, sandwiches and cakes (for a small fee) will be served in the village hall from 3pm for walkers, friends and family.

Charities

Places on the walk are free, but participants will be asked to make a voluntary donation, with proceeds being split between Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team and Champion Bowland, which awards small grants to help fund community schemes in the Forest of Bowland.

Book tickets here:

https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Blackburn/Slaidburn-Village-Car-Park/Beating-the-Bounds-of-Bowland---Guided-Walk/36532962/?hasNewTicketBox=1

Autumn is a fantastic time of year in the Forest of Bowland and this year's Festival Bowland events programme has a great opportunity for countryside lovers who relish getting outside, but who might have restricted mobility.

On Saturday 30th September the Forest of Bowland AONB will be running a series of Tramper taster sessions along the recently opened Churn Clough Easy Access Trail in Sabden.

Trampers are specially designed, all-terrain, four-wheel drive electric buggies, which can be used on country tracks, mud and grass. Trampers can help people who have difficulty walking, or who may be less mobile, to experience the countryside alongside  friends and family on suitable routes.

The stile-free trail is just over 2 ½ miles long and has been graded as Disabled Ramblers category 2 – moderate.  This circular walk climbs gradually from the village of Sabden to the edge of Churn Clough reservoir before looping back to the start. The route offers plenty of opportunity to take in views of famous Pendle Hill and even, on a clear day, Darwen Tower away to the south-west.

Sessions are available at 10am, 12 noon and 2pm and will last around one and half hours. Although there are no toilets along the route, facilities are available in Sabden village.

Early booking is recommended as Tramper numbers are limited.

First time Tramper-users will be given a full induction before each guided session and we ask that a walking companion accompanies any visitors wishing to use a Tramper. (Additional family and friends are very welcome and any under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.)

The event is free but donations towards the upkeep of the Trampers are welcome on the day.

There is a minimum age for Tramper use. Please enquire on booking.

For more information, and to book a place, please email sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk or phone Sandra on 07973 923142.

(To find out more about the Tramper which is available to hire in Sabden, please see this link Sabden Tramper | Forest of Bowland AONB)

The Forest of Bowland AONB Partnership has won a prestigious Chamber Low Carbon Award for its ground-breaking Eco Escapes sustainable tourism initiative.

In the very first Lancashire Business Environment Awards ceremony at Crow Wood Hotel & Spa in Burnley, the Eco Escapes project won the Public Sector Award, recognizing its contribution to reducing carbon emissions from the county’s tourism and hospitality sectors.

The Forest of Bowland collaborated with Arnside and Silverdale AONB Partnership to develop and promote sustainable tourism in rural Lancashire with the launch of a new website and social media campaign.

Funded by Lancashire County Council’s Rural Recovery Fund, the Eco Escapes initiative encourages visitors to arrive by train and explore the area on foot, by bike or on e-bike. The campaign is also designed to promote ‘slow tourism’ ­– inspiring visitors to stay longer and support independent rural businesses.

It also asks people to support independent businesses by buying local produce and stay longer at their destinations.

The award judges said they were: “Highly impressed with the achievements of a small, highly motivated team that have achieved a bottom-up approach to growing the tourism sector.  

"This has entailed getting the business community involved via collaboration, not to just stamp tourism growth onto the area but to enable low impact and sustainable tourism."

The Eco Escapes website: www.ecoescapes.org.uk provides car-free sustainable travel itineraries which link main stations and visitor attractions and highlight visitor destinations which support sustainable tourism.

Eco Escapes has four main objectives: all designed to reduce the carbon footprint of visitors travelling to and within each of the AONBs while enhancing the resilience of the rural economy.

• Travel light – leave the car at home and use public transport to visit
• Tread carefully – explore on foot, by bike, e-bike or mobility scooter
• Shop Local – support independent businesses by buying local produce
• Stay longer – explore more by extending your trip into a mini-break

At the heart of the initiative is a collection of bespoke Eco Escapes itineraries to help visitors make the most of their time in Lancashire’s rural landscapes. Each itinerary focuses on a different area or aspect of the Eco Escapes offer: from walking and cycling tours to railway walks and foodie tours.

Sustainable tourism businesses, hospitality and accommodation providers across the two AONBs have completed green tourism training and accreditation as part of the Eco Escapes initiative.

Local hospitality and accommodation providers and visitor attractions, as well as local government officers, also attended a Sustainable Tourism Symposium to share best practice and to learn more about sustainable and inclusive tourism in the Forest of Bowland. Hosted by Caz Graham of BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today programme, 85 attendees participated in the event.

Hetty Byrne, the Forest of Bowland AONB’s sustainable tourism officer said:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to receive recognition for the ground-breaking Eco Escapes initiative.

“Eco Escapes aims to protect and nurture our fragile environments while welcoming visitors who are happy to travel light, shop local and maybe linger a while longer in these outstandingly beautiful landscapes.”

“Slow and sustainable tourism is rapidly rising up the travel agenda and by encouraging both visitors and rural businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, we are helping future-proof Lancashire’s expanding rural tourism sector.”

Shaun Turner, Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change said:

“Few people outside the county realise Lancashire has some extraordinarily beautiful rural landscapes; these hidden gems are some of the county’s best-kept secrets.

“We backed the Eco Escapes project to help rural entrepreneurs reboot their businesses and build back more resilient rural enterprises.

“Supporting businesses in this way will not only encourage more spending in rural areas but will also help drive further investment in the rural economy going forward."

The principles of sustainable tourism have been at the heart of the Forest of Bowland AONB’s visitor economy for almost 20 years and the Eco Escapes initiative has been pivotal in consolidating this work to establish Lancashire’s outstanding natural landscapes as one of England’s foremost destinations for visitors in search of sustainable holidays in the great outdoors.

Photo: The Eco Escapes Team with their Chamber Low Carbon Award: (from left) Mark Sutcliffe, campaign consultant, Shaun Turner, Lancashire County Council, Hetty Byrne, Forest of Bowland AONB sustainable tourism officer, Karen Lawrenson, Senior Project Manager, Lancashire County Council.

Thanks to a grant of almost £200,000 from National Grid's Landscape Enhancement Initiative, the Forest of Bowland AONB Partnership is working with landowners and farmers to filter views of the high voltage electricity pylons along the north-western boundary of the AONB in the Halton, Quernmore and Ellel areas.

Projects include woodland planting and the creation and management of native hedgerows.

Tree and hedgerow planting in the right places can help to strengthen the connection between important ecological habitats, provide shelter for stock, benefit wildlife and improve biodiversity and water quality.

Forest of Bowland AONB Project Officer, Sandra Silk, said, "Woodland planting areas don't have to be large. In fact, we're looking for small-scale sites, such as field corners, cloughs and small copses, which will suit the landscape and existing field patterns. "

"We're also interested to hear from landowners or tenant farmers looking to plant new, native hedgerows, or bring existing hedge boundaries back into management."

The programme is being supported by UK conservation charity, the Woodland Trust, who are providing fully funded woodland saplings and plant protection. In addition, the Trust are offering "tree cages". These are small groups of four or five trees protected by timber fencing, which offer an effective way of incorporating field trees into the landscape.

As well as offering tree stock and protection, the funding can also support the cost of planting and stock proof fencing. Projects need to take place before the end of March 2024 and meet certain criteria.

A farmer in Ellel recently carried out woodland and hedge planting as part of the initiative and said, “The scheme has proved to be a great success for us. This is our second round of work and we are really happy with the entire process."

The area covered by the funding stretches from the outskirts of Halton, through Quernmore, to the area north of Ortner and Ellel Crag quarry.

Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Sandra by emailing sandra.silk@lancashire.gov.uk or by calling her on 07973 923142.