Bolton

Bolton is a large town in Greater Manchester in the North-West of England, 17 miles north of Manchester city centre. As well as Bolton itself, the borough includes several small towns, notably Blackrod, Farnworth, Heaton, Horwich, Little Lever and Westhoughton.

Bolton grew rapidly as a textile and metal-bashing town during the 18th & 19th centuries. The Spinning Mule was invented here: it spun yarn into cotton thread faster and more efficiently than earlier processes, to feed the great hungry looms, and in its heyday there were 50 million Mules in Lancashire alone. A few were still in use for specialist fine yarns until the 1980s, but the Lancashire cotton trade collapsed from the 1950s, unable to compete with cheap imports. Bolton and similar towns slumped.

In 1974 Manchester and its surrounding towns, including Bolton, were separated from Lancashire and became Greater Manchester. Bolton is nowadays mainly a commuter town for the big city. With a population of 128,000, Bolton may well be "the biggest town in Britain" but its bids to be recognised as a city itself continue to be rebuffed.

The town's traditional dialect is more "Lanky" (Lancashire) than Mancunian. You're unlikely nowadays to hear "thee / tha / thi" for "you / your" unless ironically, but you might hear "owt" (anything), "nowt" (nothing), "summat" (something) and "reeght" (right). Thus, a trivial matter is dismissed as "summat 'n nowt." Residents of Westhoughton are dubbed Keawyeds - cow heads; there's a bovine legend about this but it's probably from their victory banquet after Waterloo in 1815, when they roasted an ox and paraded the skull as "Old Boney".

• Bolton Town Hall., opened in 1873, is a confident statement of municipal pride, in neoclassical style with a baroque clock tower. Leeds and Portsmouth city halls were built to the same pattern. The elegant Le Mans Crescent behind was added in the 1930s.
• Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium, Le Mans Crescent BL1 1SL (by Town Hall. M-Sa 09:00-17:00, Su 10:00-16:00. Visitors particularly enjoy the Ancient Egyptian collection. There's an aquarium in the basement. Free.
• The famous Fish and Veg Market, the newly developed Market Hall and Churchgate are worth visiting.
• Bolton Parish Church is Victorian. Samuel Crompton lies in the graveyard.
• Hall i' th' Wood, Crompton Way BL1 8UH (A mile north of Bolton off A58. Mar-Oct Tu 10:00-16:00, Sa 12:00-16:00. 16th century mansion, timber-framed with stone additions, used not as a single home but as multiple lets for 17th / 18th C cottage industry. One of those occupants was Samuel Compton, who designed his "Spinning Mule" here. This helped textile processes grow bigger and bigger, into "dark satanic mills", and the days of cottage industry were ended. The Hall fell into disrepair but was bought up by Lord Leverhulme the "Sunlight Soap" tycoon, who gifted it to the town.
• Prestolee Aqueduct. is a four-arched stone aqueduct built in 1793 to carry the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal over the River Irwell. The canal climbed from Manchester over Pendleton to Prestolee where it branched, to Bolton and to Bury. This section is still in water and you can walk along the towpath but it's not navigable: work is under way to partly restore it.
• Turton Tower, Chapeltown BL7 0HG (On hill 4 miles north of Bolton on B6391. Mar-Oct W-Su 10:00-16:00. Odd-looking building, which started out as a 15th C pele tower, then a stone mansion was added in late Tudor times. It was derelict by the 19th C but restored, with Dutch gables covering the stonework. With extensive gardens. It's nowadays within Blackburn, but is easiest accessed from Bolton, with Bromley Cross rwy station a mile or so south. Adult £6.

Bolton Town Hall., opened in 1873, is a confident statement of municipal pride, in neoclassical style with a baroque clock tower. Leeds and Portsmouth city halls were built to the same pattern. The elegant Le Mans Crescent behind was added in the 1930s.

Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium, Le Mans Crescent BL1 1SL (by Town Hall. M-Sa 09:00-17:00, Su 10:00-16:00. Visitors particularly enjoy the Ancient Egyptian collection. There's an aquarium in the basement. Free.

The famous Fish and Veg Market, the newly developed Market Hall and Churchgate are worth visiting.

Bolton Parish Church is Victorian. Samuel Crompton lies in the graveyard.

Hall i' th' Wood, Crompton Way BL1 8UH (A mile north of Bolton off A58. Mar-Oct Tu 10:00-16:00, Sa 12:00-16:00. 16th century mansion, timber-framed with stone additions, used not as a single home but as multiple lets for 17th / 18th C cottage industry. One of those occupants was Samuel Compton, who designed his "Spinning Mule" here. This helped textile processes grow bigger and bigger, into "dark satanic mills", and the days of cottage industry were ended. The Hall fell into disrepair but was bought up by Lord Leverhulme the "Sunlight Soap" tycoon, who gifted it to the town.

Prestolee Aqueduct. is a four-arched stone aqueduct built in 1793 to carry the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal over the River Irwell. The canal climbed from Manchester over Pendleton to Prestolee where it branched, to Bolton and to Bury. This section is still in water and you can walk along the towpath but it's not navigable: work is under way to partly restore it.

Turton Tower, Chapeltown BL7 0HG (On hill 4 miles north of Bolton on B6391. Mar-Oct W-Su 10:00-16:00. Odd-looking building, which started out as a 15th C pele tower, then a stone mansion was added in late Tudor times. It was derelict by the 19th C but restored, with Dutch gables covering the stonework. With extensive gardens. It's nowadays within Blackburn, but is easiest accessed from Bolton, with Bromley Cross rwy station a mile or so south. Adult £6.

• Octagon Theatre next to Town Hall is undergoing a major re-furb in 2019, but remains open with a full theatre programme.
• Parks and countryside: central in town are Queen's Park and Moss Bank Park.

  Moses Gate Country Park., also known as Crompton Lodges, is on the Farnworth & Little Lever road.

  Eatock Lodge. in Westhoughton is a small wooded nature reserve on "The Hoskers", a reclaimed colliery site. Also nearby is Cunningham Clough, a bosky gully with lots of scrubs for the dog to fossick in.

• St Gregory's Social Club, 13 Church Street, Farnworth BL4 8AG, +44 1204 573168, +44 7513 897949. M-Th 19:00-23:30, F-Su 17:00-00:00. The one Phoenix Nights was based on. It's variously a function suite eg for weddings and funerals, a TV sports venue for big matches, an event space and has visiting acts.
• Watch football (soccer) at Bolton Wanderers. They were relegated in 2019 so they now play in League One, the third tier of English football. Their home ground, capacity 28,800, is called the "University of Bolton Stadium" but is better known as the Macron or Reebok. It's on Burnden Way, Horwich BL6 6 JW, five miles west of town, off M6 jcn 6.
• Ironman UK Triathlon is held in Bolton in July. The next event is 12 July 2020.
• Bolton Food & Drink Festival is held over the August bank holiday weekend. The next is expected to be F 28 - M 31 Aug 2020 but tbc.

Octagon Theatre next to Town Hall is undergoing a major re-furb in 2019, but remains open with a full theatre programme.

Parks and countryside: central in town are Queen's Park and Moss Bank Park.

Moses Gate Country Park., also known as Crompton Lodges, is on the Farnworth & Little Lever road.

Eatock Lodge. in Westhoughton is a small wooded nature reserve on "The Hoskers", a reclaimed colliery site. Also nearby is Cunningham Clough, a bosky gully with lots of scrubs for the dog to fossick in.

St Gregory's Social Club, 13 Church Street, Farnworth BL4 8AG, +44 1204 573168, +44 7513 897949. M-Th 19:00-23:30, F-Su 17:00-00:00. The one Phoenix Nights was based on. It's variously a function suite eg for weddings and funerals, a TV sports venue for big matches, an event space and has visiting acts.

Watch football (soccer) at Bolton Wanderers. They were relegated in 2019 so they now play in League One, the third tier of English football. Their home ground, capacity 28,800, is called the "University of Bolton Stadium" but is better known as the Macron or Reebok. It's on Burnden Way, Horwich BL6 6 JW, five miles west of town, off M6 jcn 6.

Ironman UK Triathlon is held in Bolton in July. The next event is 12 July 2020.

Bolton Food & Drink Festival is held over the August bank holiday weekend. The next is expected to be F 28 - M 31 Aug 2020 but tbc.

The town centre retail areas are The Market Place (the former market hall) and Crompton Place (formerly the Arndale Centre). There's also a large Marks & Spencer on Deansgate. The edge-of-town retail park is Middlebrook, near the football stadium towards Horwich.

• Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe, 31 Churchgate BL1 1HU (corner of Bradshawgate. M-F 09:00-14:45. A Bolton tradition, renowned for its pasties, which you can take into the pub across the street, "Ye Olde Man & Scythe Inn".
• A strip of places on Bridge St include Nadii's Diner, Viva La Salsa, Jo's Grill House and Sake Sushi.
• Rice 'n' Three, 80 Bradshawgate BL1 1QQ. M-Sa 11:00-18:00. An independent curry house with good meat dishes and vegetarian options, inexpensive. They've another branch on Deane Road.

Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe, 31 Churchgate BL1 1HU (corner of Bradshawgate. M-F 09:00-14:45. A Bolton tradition, renowned for its pasties, which you can take into the pub across the street, "Ye Olde Man & Scythe Inn".

Rice 'n' Three, 80 Bradshawgate BL1 1QQ. M-Sa 11:00-18:00. An independent curry house with good meat dishes and vegetarian options, inexpensive. They've another branch on Deane Road.

• Bolton is home to an independent brewery, Bank Top. Their ales can be found in many local pubs and off-licences.
• Other ales from the area include Lees (Middleton), Holts (Manchester), Hydes (Manchester) and Robinsons (Stockport).
• House Without A Name, 75-77 Lea Gate, Bolton BL2 3ET (3 miles north of Bolton on B6196, +44 1204 433568. M-Th 12:00-00:30, F Sa 12:00-01:30. The area's standout pub with brilliant ales, regulars are Joseph Holt Bitter and Sharp's Doom. Bar food, quiz night Mons.
• Ye Olde Man and Scythe, 6-8 Churchgate Bolton BL1 1HL, +44 1204 451237. M-Th 11:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-00:30, Su 12:00-23:00. Long-established friendly pub, often has live muic. Good beer and try the cider, you can bring in pasties from the shop opposite.
• Barristers, 7 Bradshawgate Bolton BL1 1HJ, +44 1204 365174.
• The Alma, 152-154 Bradshawgate Bolton BL2 1BA, +44 1204 364113.
• Out of town: Farnworth has the Railway (aka Moses Gate) and Shakespeare.

  Westhoughton has the White Lion, The Victoria, Wheatsheaf, The Robert Shaw (Weatherspoons), Rose & Crown (formerly Howfener) and White Horse.

  Wingates has Waggon & Horses and The Royal Oak.

  Daisy Hill has Rosehill Tavern and Grey Man; and Over Hulton has Red Lion and Hulton Arms.

Bolton is home to an independent brewery, Bank Top. Their ales can be found in many local pubs and off-licences.

House Without A Name, 75-77 Lea Gate, Bolton BL2 3ET (3 miles north of Bolton on B6196, +44 1204 433568. M-Th 12:00-00:30, F Sa 12:00-01:30. The area's standout pub with brilliant ales, regulars are Joseph Holt Bitter and Sharp's Doom. Bar food, quiz night Mons.

Ye Olde Man and Scythe, 6-8 Churchgate Bolton BL1 1HL, +44 1204 451237. M-Th 11:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-00:30, Su 12:00-23:00. Long-established friendly pub, often has live muic. Good beer and try the cider, you can bring in pasties from the shop opposite.

Barristers, 7 Bradshawgate Bolton BL1 1HJ, +44 1204 365174.

The Alma, 152-154 Bradshawgate Bolton BL2 1BA, +44 1204 364113.

Out of town: Farnworth has the Railway (aka Moses Gate) and Shakespeare.

Westhoughton has the White Lion, The Victoria, Wheatsheaf, The Robert Shaw (Weatherspoons), Rose & Crown (formerly Howfener) and White Horse.

Wingates has Waggon & Horses and The Royal Oak.

Daisy Hill has Rosehill Tavern and Grey Man; and Over Hulton has Red Lion and Hulton Arms.

The local dialling code for Bolton is 01204. The country code for the United Kingdom is +44.

In an emergency call 999 for Police, Ambulance, Fire Service or Coastguard. Call 101 to report concerns to the Police that do not require an emergency response.

• Manchester - Manchester is a major centre for culture and commerce in the North of England and a great (and easy!) place to visit from Bolton. The city formerly known as 'Cottonopolis' has hung up its clogs and welcomed in a world of culture, business, music, art, shopping and fine dining. This exciting, evolving city is a must-see for visitors to the area and an excellent place to go for some retail therapy when Bolton's outlets have been exhausted.

[[Manchester]] - Manchester is a major centre for culture and commerce in the North of England and a great (and easy!) place to visit from Bolton. The city formerly known as 'Cottonopolis' has hung up its clogs and welcomed in a world of culture, business, music, art, shopping and fine dining. This exciting, evolving city is a must-see for visitors to the area and an excellent place to go for some retail therapy when Bolton's outlets have been exhausted.