Bolton-by-Bowland is a village and civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 in the Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status within the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Clitheroe. Other places include Whalley, Longridge and Ribchester. The area is so called due to the River Ribble which flows in its final stages...

 district of Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, England. Prior to 1974

Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...

, the village was part of Bowland Rural District

Bowland Rural District

Bowland was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974. It was named after the Forest of Bowland, which it included.It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from that part of the Clitheroe rural sanitary district which was in Yorkshire .The district was abolished...

 in the West Riding of Yorkshire

West Riding of Yorkshire

The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...

.

In medieval times, it was known as Bolton-in-Bowland, reflecting the shifting boundaries of the ancient Forest of Bowland

Forest of Bowland

The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...

 on whose south-east flank the village sits. The first recorded Bowbearer of the Forest of Bowland, Oughtred de Bolton, is thought have been lord of the manor in the late twelfth century. However, the manor of Bolton-by-Bowland was never included within the Lordship of Bowland

Lordship of Bowland

The Lordship of Bowland, an ancient English title connected with the Forest of Bowland in the northwest of England, was once thought lost and was only recently rediscovered. It disappeared from sight in 1885 when the estates of the Towneleys, one of Lancashire’s great aristocratic families, were...

, being a part of the Percy family fee from earliest times.

The village is on the Tosside Beck, near its confluence with the River Ribble

River Ribble

The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...

. The Beck has for many centuries marked the boundary between Bowland and Craven.

The village has a car park, toilet facilities and a tourist information centre, is the starting point for many of the area's walks. According to the 2001 census, it had a population of 498.

Pubs

The village also has two pubs, the first, the Coach and Horses is situated in the middle of the village and is the centre of village life. The second, The Copy Nook, is a bar and restaurant and is situated a short distance from the centre of the village.

External links

• Virtual Tour of St Peter & St Paul's Church, Bolton-by-Bowland
• http://www.bolton-by-bowland.com