EG Group

Peel Tower

Holcombe · 7.5 miles

Rising 128 feet above Holcombe Moor, the stone monument known locally as Holcombe Tower marks the spot where Robert Peel, the former Prime Minister and founder of the modern police force, was commemorated after his death in 1850. Situated near Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, the tower sits at an elevation of roughly 1 100 feet (335 metres) and forms a prominent landmark on the moorland that separates the town from the surrounding countryside. Construction began shortly after Peel’s passing, driven by a public appeal and overseen by a committee chaired by industrialist William Grant. The gritstone used for the structure was quarried on-site, leaving a visible pit beside the base. The tower’s crenellated base bears the name “Peel” above its entrance, and the four-stage shaft features mullioned windows and battlements that support a viewing platform. In 1929 the original wooden staircase was replaced with iron, and a marble panel bearing an excerpt from Peel’s 1846 speech to the House of Commons was added. During the Second World War the tower served as a lookout post; later corrosion led to its closure until a new concrete staircase was installed and the monument was rededicated in November 1985. Today the structure is owned by Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, holds Grade II listed status (designated 1984), and is occasionally accessible to visitors on Sundays when the flag at its summit is flying, the flag being maintained by volunteers.

Smithills Hall

Smithills · 8.7 miles

Set on the slopes of the West Pennine Moors, about 500 feet above Bolton and three miles north-west of the town centre, Smithills Hall commands views over the surrounding valleys. The Grade I-listed manor and scheduled monument occupies a defensive site near the Astley and Raveden Brooks, and its earliest surviving elements – notably the great hall – date from the 15th century, with later extensions forming a west wing. The original structure was partly timber-framed, built on a formal terrace and once surrounded by a moat, while the 19th-century additions display coursed stone and decorative timber work. The hall’s name derives from Old English terms meaning “smooth hill”, recorded as Smythell in 1322. Ownership passed from the Radcliffe family in the 14th century through the Bartons, Belasyse, Byroms and Ainsworths before the Bolton Corporation acquired it in 1938. A museum opened in the oldest parts in 1963 and was expanded in the 1990s; the west wing was restored in 1999 and the Devey Room refurbished in 2018. Since 2017 the ground floor hosts “Poppins at Smithills”, a Mary Poppins-themed tea room. The estate also features 48 hectares of gardens and pleasure grounds, including formal lawns, a steep wooded valley and a lake. Admission is free and opening times are published by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council, which owns the property. Visitors can explore the historic interiors, the museum displays and the restored Victorian spaces, and enjoy refreshments in the tea room. The surrounding parkland offers walks among the formal gardens and the moorland edge, making the hall accessible for both cultural and outdoor interests.

Hall i' th' Wood Museum

Bank Top · 9.3 miles

Hall i' th' Wood is an early 16th-century manor house in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is a Grade I listed building and is currently used as a museum by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. It was the manor house for the moiety of the Tonge with Haulgh township held by the Brownlows in the 16th century. The original building is timber framed and has a stone flagged roof; there were later additions to the house, built from stone, in 1591 and 1648. The name represents "Hall in the Wood' spoken in the local regional English dialect and is pronounced.

Burrs Country Park

Brandlesholme · 11 miles

Set on the banks of the River Irwell, Burrs Country Park occupies a 36-hectare site north of Bury in Greater Manchester, close to the Brandlesholme suburb. Acquired by Bury Metropolitan Borough Council in 1986, the area was transformed from the derelict grounds of the former Burr and Higher Woodhill cotton mills. While most mill structures were removed, the chimney, a section of the mill floor and the water-wheel pit remain as visible reminders of its industrial past. The park also contains the feeder canal for Elton Reservoir, three sculptures that form part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail, and the Bury Agricultural Society Show Ground, which relocated here in 2001. A limited Countryside Warden office occupies an old mill cottage on Stock Street, and the park holds Green Flag accreditation for 2007/08 together with a Fields in Trust “Much Loved” award. A range of leisure pursuits is available within the park. The Irwell Sculpture Trail, National Cycle Route 6 and marked walking and orienteering routes provide opportunities for exploration, while interpretation boards detail the site’s industrial archaeology. Canoe training facilities, a slalom course and the long-established Bury Canoe Club support water-based activity; fishing is permitted by licence, and birdwatchers may spot herons, dippers and kingfishers. Additional amenities include a playground, picnic tables, the Lamppost Café, the Brown Cow public house, and a Caravan and Motorhome Club site. The park is served by several bus routes (472, 474, 477) from Bury Interchange, and by Burrs Country Park railway station on the heritage East Lancashire Railway, which operates weekend services year-round with extra trains from Easter to the end of September. Access by car or bicycle is possible via Bury Bridge on the A58, and footpaths link the park with Brandlesholme, Walmersley, Seedfield and Limefield.

Bolton Art Gallery, Library & Museum

Eagley · 11 miles

Has an archive section

Leverhulme Park

Tonge Fold · 11 miles

Leverhulme Park occupies the greatest expanse of green space in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and lies close to the Tonge Fold area. The land was presented to the town’s residents by the late Lord Leverhulme, after whom the park is named, and it is bordered by the districts of Breightmet, Darcy Lever, the Haulgh and Tonge Fold. Its position within the town makes it readily reachable from the surrounding neighbourhoods and the nearest settlement identified on mapping services is Tonge Fold. The site now includes a community centre, an athletics stadium and a set of five-a-side football pitches, providing facilities for a range of organised sports. A free weekly parkrun is held each Saturday at 09:00, inviting walkers and runners to use the park’s pathways. Historically the park hosted the Bolton Show, an event that evolved from a 1950s agricultural exhibition and ran intermittently for more than half a century, usually each August until 2003. At its height the show drew crowds of up to 90 000 and featured craft stalls, motorbike displays, stunt performances, falconry, dog handling, a fairground, car-boot sales and a concluding fireworks display. A later family-focused programme, Bolton One Big Weekend, attracted an estimated 20 000 visitors and offered activities such as quad-bike racing, bungee jumping, tank rides, a vintage car showcase, morris dancing, martial-arts demonstrations and a dog show. No admission charges or specific opening hours are recorded, reflecting its status as a public park with open access for visitors.