The Bolton Ramblers has been facilitating accessible walking routes in and around Bolton for more than 50 years.
Part of Britain’s walking charity, The Ramblers Association, Bolton’s branch is led by a small but dedicated team of volunteers.
The group offers a range of walks for all abilities, from midweek and weekend rambles of roughly five miles to much longer hikes locally and further afield.
To discover more about the Bolton Ramblers, The Bolton News attended a two-hour circular walk on Thursday morning (May 14).
We were met by Judith Heale, publicity and information officer, outside Horwich Leisure Centre.
Every Thursday, a walk takes place from there at 10.30am, except for the third Thursday of the month, when a different starting point is used.
Setting off outside Horwich Leisure Centre (Image: NQ)
Judith shared fascinating information about the history of the Bolton Ramblers and the extraordinary volunteers whose drive has kept the group thriving.
The walk leader for the day was Tony Hough, 71, who is also the membership secretary and walks co-ordinator.
Tony from Blackrod has been with the Ramblers for the past 12 years and is a walking encyclopaedia on routes around the area.
He confidently leads the walks and even scouts out the journey beforehand to ensure everything is as it should be.
Tony Hough (Image: NQ)
The midweek walk typically draws around 30 participants, making it a scenic and sociable way to spend the morning.
Once the friendly group had arrived, Tony shared a few welcoming words and reminders about upcoming events before we set off.
The route first took us up to Wilderswood, a small strip of native woodland following a brook that flows down from the moorland above.
It was especially relaxing not having to worry about directions, as Tony led the way.
Despite a brief spell of light rain, the sun soon began to shine and the beauty of Horwich in late spring could be fully appreciated.
Lambs grazing in a nearby field (Image: NQ)
Along the way, we met Sean Lovell, 63, from Smithills.
Sean has been part of the Ramblers for the past three years, joining after working from home left him keen to get out and about.
“It’s been a great way to socialise, with flexibility through the number of different walks on offer,” he said.
“The exercise, connection with nature and social contact are all brilliant for mental health, which is the field I work in.”
As we hiked further up the hill, we were greeted by lambs grazing and even some Huacaya alpacas from Poppywood Alpacas.
On the hills, there were wonderful views of Rivington Pike Tower and a historic trackway buried in the fields, which Tony pointed out.
Rivington Pike Tower (Image: NQ)
We then made our way towards Tigers Clough, a charming woodland featuring the River Douglas, and onwards to the Liverpool Castle replica.
Lord Leverhulme commissioned a replica of Liverpool Castle to be built on his Rivington estate at Lever Park, Tony explained.
Walking by Lower Rivington Reservoir, we chatted with Sue Farrell, 71, from Horwich.
Sue has been on the Bolton Ramblers committee for 18 months but has been walking with the group for years.
She is a walks co-ordinator and occasional walk leader, putting together the programme for the short Sunday walks.
These four-mile walks enable ramblers to explore the network of footpaths around Bolton.
Liverpool Castle replica (Image: NQ)
Winding back round through picturesque woodland and past more sheep, Annie Turner, 68, shared why she joined the Bolton Ramblers.
Annie said: “I lived in Chester for 25 years and walked in Wales a lot with an outdoor group.
“I’ve always loved being outdoors, and when I moved over here I wanted to carry on, so I joined The Ramblers.”
Annie has completed training to become a walks leader and successfully led her first walk.
She is now looking forward to leading her next walk this summer.
Stunning woodland (Image: NQ)
As the ramble drew to a close, and before the group went for a well-deserved drink, Tony shared news of an exciting project he has been working on.
On behalf of the Bolton Ramblers, Tony has put together Our Favourite Local Walks, the group’s first publication.
Featuring experienced walk leaders, the handy A5-sized book includes 11 handpicked walks around Bolton.
“The leaders shared why it’s their favourite walk, points of interest, step-by-step directions and photographs,” said Tony.
Tony guided us along a winding route that had been thoughtfully planned (Image: NQ)
The book has already received a great response from group members, and copies can be obtained directly by emailing boltonramblers@hotmail.co.uk.
For £6.99, all proceeds go back into the Bolton Ramblers.
As well as offering a huge variety of walks, the Bolton Ramblers are also at the heart of helping to maintain local footpaths in the area.
Its footpath liaison officer works with Bolton Council to scrutinise planning applications involving issues with local rights of way.
The Ramblers Association is committed to keeping these routes open and in good condition.
Bluebells set the woodland ablaze (Image: NQ)
To volunteer on the monthly footpath maintenance programme, email boltonramblers@hotmail.co.uk.
To join the Bolton Ramblers, visit the Ramblers Association website at www.ramblers.org.uk and select “Join The Ramblers”, specifying the Bolton Ramblers group.
Visit www.boltonramblers.org.uk for more information.
If you’re looking to make new friends while enjoying the beauty of Bolton’s countryside, we can’t recommend the Bolton Ramblers highly enough.
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