Bolton-by-Bowland is a quiet, attractive village in the Ribble Valley on the southern fringe of the Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Lancashire. The village is centred on a broad green with a set of old stocks, overlooked by the medieval church of St Peter and St Paul. It is the kind of place where very little happens, and that is precisely the appeal.
The Forest of Bowland is one of England's least-visited upland landscapes, a rolling expanse of heather moorland, deep valleys, and scattered farms. Walking is the main reason to come here. The village makes a good starting point for circular walks along the Ribble Way or up onto the fells, where you are likely to see curlews, lapwings, and hen harriers. Gisburn Forest, four kilometres to the north, offers mountain biking trails and walks through conifer woodland.
The Coach and Horses pub on the green serves decent food and local ales. Bolton-by-Bowland is small enough that you can see everything in half an hour, but the countryside around it rewards a longer stay. The larger market town of Clitheroe, with its Norman castle and good independent shops, is about 10 kilometres to the south.