On the 22nd August, the group visited Bolton by Bowland which is a lovely village just under 4 miles from Gisburn. A group of 10 of us met at the Church of St Peter & St Paul. There has been a church on this site since about 1190, but the earliest fabric of the church appears to date from the middle of the 13th Century. The Pudsay family name appears through the centuries and has played a significant part in the church’s history. Major rebuilding, under Sir Ralph Pudsay, took place mid 15th Century. There is a Chapel built by Henry Pudsay early in the 16th Century. Sir Ralph Pudsay was married 3 times and had 25 children, all of whom are depicted on a huge stone slab in the Chapel, where all the family crests are also shown. Sir Ralph gave refuge to King Henry VI in Bolton Hall, when Henry VI was fleeing from defeat at the Battle of Hexham in May 1464.
Church of St Peter and Paul
The group then went on to view some of the most interesting houses in the village, starting with Old Court House, 1859. This is most impressive, built mainly in limestone with sandstone dressing and a stone-slate roof. There is an inscribed plaque near a mullioned window. On the roof is a square louvre with a weathervane.
Old Court House
We then walked along Gisburn Road and studied Church Gates, a house probably dating from the late 18th century, and constructed from sandstone with a slate roof. Further along Gisburn Road (5-13) was a row of 5 sandstone houses with slate roof in two storeys. The houses have one or two bays and most of the windows are mullioned.
Gisburn Road
We turned right into Hellifield Road and looked at several most interesting houses, the prettiest of these being Yew Tree Cottage. This is a pair of sandstone houses, and the original windows are mullioned. This house is a short distance from Yew Tree Farm, which once owned a lot of the land in that area. Hellifield Road is an extremely tranquil area with a beck flowing alongside and many majestic trees.
Yew Tree Cottage
We proceeded towards the Coach & Horses Inn on Main Road and in that area we stopped to look at Stocks House, which overlooks the stocks on one of the greens. This is an imposing building, the date of which is uncertain, possibly late 19th century, It consists of two sandstone sidepieces with grooves containing modern wooden boards. There is a spring with a tap at the roadside adjoining the house, which is thought to be fed from the hillside.
Stocks House
Our next destination was 9 and 11 Main Street, a pair of stone, whitewashed, houses with a blue slate roof. These are late 17th century houses and No 11 has two mullioned windows, the others being modern. The doorway has a chamfered surround and a Tudor arched head. No 9 to the left has two bays, a central doorway and modern windows. We proceeded to 4 and 5 Main Street which is a row of whitewashed houses built in 1716 with mullioned windows, one of which contains the Post Office and café.
Post Office
This is where we ended our most pleasant and interesting walk and exploration of Bolton by Bowland which, incidentally, was originally called “Bodeton” meaning bow in the river. We had a delicious tea at the café, consisting of pots of tea or coffee, and scones, cream and jam, baked and served by Tim Hall, who welcomed us and provided typical Lancastrian hospitality. I think we all agreed that Bolton by Bowland is a lovely village and well worth a visit.
Words and pictures by Vivien G.
Content created by Keith P
