Forest of Bowland

Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (1964): A Quiet Area Of Heather Moorland, River Valleys And Stone Villages, A Breeding Area For Hen Harriers And Curlews. Dunsop Bridge Is Said To Be The Village Nearest The Centre Of Great Britain. Not A Forest In The Modern Sense; Forest Here Is An Old Royal Hunting Term. · Dunsop Bridge, England

The Forest of Bowland is a large area of heather moor, gritstone fells and green river valleys in Lancashire and North Yorkshire, and one of the quietest protected landscapes in England. Forest here is an old hunting term, not woodland. There are few big sights and that is the point: it suits walkers, cyclists and birdwatchers who want space rather than attractions. Roads are narrow with passing places, villages such as Dunsop Bridge, Slaidburn and Newton are small, and facilities are thin, so fuel up and carry food. Mobile signal drops out in the valleys. Much of the high ground is managed grouse moor. Access land is open to walkers, but parts close on some days, and the area is a known breeding site for hen harriers, a species whose persecution on some moors is a long-running issue. Clitheroe and Slaidburn make the best bases. Allow a day for a single walk, and expect rain, wind and mist.

Upland moor and valley country in Lancashire and North Yorkshire with small villages such as Dunsop Bridge, Slaidburn and Clitheroe's edge, reached by narrow lanes and with few facilities, Dunsop Bridge, England, United Kingdom

Bowland is open countryside with no gate or fixed hours, and public rights of way can be used at any time. Open access land, mostly the high moors, is generally open to walkers on foot, but landowners can close parts for a number of days a year for shooting or for fire risk, so check the Natural England or Access Land closure information the day before. Cafes, pubs and small shops in the villages keep short hours that shrink in winter and midweek, and some close on one weekday. Paths and lanes are unlit. Gisburn Forest trails and car parks have their own hours and pay machines, so confirm before you travel.

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