Author Topic: Forest of Bowland 2018  (Read 1903 times)

nesty

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Forest of Bowland 2018
« on: 14:07:28, 23/10/17 »
Looking at some tours for 2018.
The Forest of Bowland looks very nice. Anyone been before?

gunwharfman

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #1 on: 19:19:52, 23/10/17 »
I have but can only remember its very rural. Not my idea of heaven, I like to arrive at a pub or restaurant at the end of each walking day, not only to eat and drink but to meet people as well.

adalard

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #2 on: 20:00:53, 23/10/17 »
I've only been there once and it was just a short walk. Large stretches of moorland, to my mind very beautiful but not to all tastes. I've often meant to return and explore more but I don't drive and it is not easily accessible by public transport (and even less so since we moved to Derbyshire from Manchester).


This site is a good resource about the area, I've always thought:


http://www.bowlandwalks.co.uk/

nesty

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #3 on: 20:29:55, 23/10/17 »
It certainly looks like a place for getting away from it all!

Yorkshiremarv

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #4 on: 20:42:43, 23/10/17 »
just been this weekend, went for a walk up around langden castle but due to storm brian the streams were raging and we couldnt do our planned route so it was walk back the same way. didnt see much in the way of great views due to low cloud but its defo my type of terrain, hilly with nice valleys and lots of moors. you get that feeling of been in the middle of nowhere miles away from civilization.
"if in doubt, flat out"

nesty

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #5 on: 23:01:02, 23/10/17 »
just been this weekend, went for a walk up around langden castle but due to storm brian the streams were raging and we couldnt do our planned route so it was walk back the same way. didnt see much in the way of great views due to low cloud but its defo my type of terrain, hilly with nice valleys and lots of moors. you get that feeling of been in the middle of nowhere miles away from civilization.

Sounds perfect to me!
Sometimes and call me weird. I like having a place to myself!
Looking at at some of the photos of Bowland. It looks great.
Though the downside I see. There isn't many campsites in Bowland. A CCC site in Clitheroe, but that is slightly outside Bowland

Skip

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #6 on: 00:45:44, 24/10/17 »
A few years back I did a dozen or so miles one winter from Chipping. Up Parlick and Fairsnape then east across the moor to Totteridge. I remember it as boggy peat moorland, bit Kinder-esque in parts, very remote feeling. 
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archaeoroutes

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #7 on: 14:42:26, 24/10/17 »
I love it for teaching navigation. I grew up in Clitheroe and in more recent years have taught courses based out of Halton (Lancaster).
The scenery is bleak (which I like) with some gentler valleys. Superb for birdwatching too (I once came across a family of Eurasian Eagle Owls (pair of adults plus three fledgelings).
Walking routes visiting ancient sites in Britain's uplands: http://www.archaeoroutes.co.uk

happyhiker

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #8 on: 23:18:50, 24/10/17 »
Generally a quiet area for walkng as everyone is charging off to the Lakes or Yorkshire Dales but there are some gems. Pendle Hill is an obvious winner and this Hareden Fell Circuit I recorded has some amazing views. Take the gaiters though! http://www.happyhiker.co.uk/MyWalks/Lancashire/HaredenFellCircuit/Hiking%20Pages%20-%20Harden%20Fell%20Circuit.htm

Pura Vida

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #9 on: 07:02:43, 25/10/17 »
Went once, renamed it Forest of Bogland - not been back.


There are some dry areas, do your research.


Enjoy.  :)
Show a man a route then he will have an Adventure; Teach a man to navigate then he will have many adventures

Hillhiker1

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #10 on: 21:03:37, 25/10/17 »
The 'edges' of Bowland (E.g Pendle hill, Fair snape fell, Nicy Nook etc) are nice and accessible and fairly popular areas. The 'interior' (Eg. Ward's Stone, Wolfhole Crag,Whitendale fell etc ) on the other hand is much more remote and often rough and trackless (And YES; boggy) If it's solitude you're after you'll get it in spades here (make sure your navigation's up to snuff though, swathes of it are featureless; akin to Bleaklow / Kinder.

Not long back I parked up at the Jubillee tower and hiked up to Grit fell and Ward's stone and returned down toward Tarnbrook. I didn't see a soul all day. No-one. Not even in the distance on adjacent fells. Pretty eerie actually.

It's a beautiful place, but Make sure you're with someone or a least leave a plan behind; if you get into difficulties it may be a while before you're found; 3 weeks in the case of a fell runner a couple of years ago. And he wasn't in a particularly remote part of it.

nesty

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #11 on: 22:37:44, 25/10/17 »
Many thanks for all the replies.
The Bowland does look lovely and nice solitude.
Tho, I am fully aware, as a solo walker that Bowland could be an issue. If I ever got into a difficulty. Vodafone signal doesn't seem to be that bad on Bowland, according to their signal checker.
When at the Peak district recently. I was often in line of sight of the phone transmitter. I did have a nasty fall down William clough of wet mud stone, but was unscathed. It made me aware that for lone walking I do need a plan!
 
 

archaeoroutes

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Re: Forest of Bowland 2018
« Reply #12 on: 19:32:07, 26/10/17 »
The 'interior' (Eg. Ward's Stone, Wolfhole Crag,Whitendale fell etc ) on the other hand is much more remote and often rough and trackless (And YES; boggy) If it's solitude you're after you'll get it in spades here (make sure your navigation's up to snuff though
That just reminded me. I did my last day's practice before ML assessment around Wolfhole Crag etc.
Walking routes visiting ancient sites in Britain's uplands: http://www.archaeoroutes.co.uk

 

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