Forest of Bowland

The Forest of Bowland is a wild upland area of gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland in north-east Lancashire and North Yorkshire. Roughly half of its land once belonged to the historic West Riding of Yorkshire. It is a western outlier of the Pennines and was named an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1964. The AONB also includes the separate Forest of Pendle, an ancient royal forest with its own history. Pendle Hill stands in Pendle Forest and is one of the area’s best-known landmarks. The Forest of Bowland contains more than 500 listed buildings and 18 scheduled monuments within its boundaries. The Trough of Bowland is a pass that links the Marshaw Wyre valley with Langden Brook and divides the upland core into two main blocks. Clougha Pike overlooks Lancaster from the west and is the westernmost hill at 413 metres. The hills form a large horseshoe shape, with Grit Fell, Ward’s Stone and White Hill among the highest points. The geographic centre of Great Britain lies close to Whitendale Hanging Stones, about six kilometres north of Dunsop Bridge. Walkers come from Lancaster to explore the western hills and moorland. The landscape includes deep valleys, peat bogs and wide river bends shaped by ancient Norse names. The area was once part of the British kingdom of Rheged and later absorbed into Northumbria in the 7th century. By the 11th century it became the Forest and Liberty of Bowland under William Rufus. The Bowbearer’s role dates back to the 12th century, originally carrying the lord’s hunting bow and later evolving into a ceremonial office.