cafe
Rapha Clubhouse Manchester
Manchester's cycling culture hub offering specialty coffee, kit, and a community space for riding enthusiasts.
17 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Bolton
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Bolton
Bolton is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Little Lever, 40km from Snake Pass (A57).
Bolton is in England, United Kingdom, with about 140,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Little Lever, about 4 km away.
Bolton ( BOHL-tən, locally BOH-tən) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and villages that form the wider borough, of which Bolton is the administrative centre. TheRead more
town is within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.
A former mill town, Bolton has been a centre for textile production since the 14th century when Flemish weavers settled in the area, introducing a wool and cotton-weaving tradition. It was a 19th-century boomtown, development largely coincided with the introduction of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. At its peak in 1929, its 216 cotton mills and 26 bleaching and dyeing works made it one of the largest and most productive centres of cotton spinning in the world. The British cotton industry declined sharply after the First World War and, by the 1980s, cotton manufacture had virtually ceased in the town.
The town has a population of 184,073, whilst the wider metropolitan borough has a population of 296,169. Bolton originated as a small settlement in the moorland known as Bolton le Moors. In the English Civil War, the town was a Parliamentarian outpost in 1644 in a staunchly Royalist region and, as a result, the Royalist Prince Rupert of the Rhine led the 1644 storming of Bolton of 3,000 Royalist troops, which is also referred to as The Bolton Massacre, with 1,600 residents perished and 700 were taken prisoner.
Bolton Wanderers football club now play home games at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in Horwich. Cultural interests include the Octagon Theatre and the Bolton Museum and Art Gallery, as well as one of the earliest public libraries established after the Public Libraries Act 1850.
Bolton is of high strategic importance, being the location of missile production for the Ministry of Defence through the MBDA facility at Over Hulton.
Where to Stay in Bolton
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bolton?
Within an hour or so of Bolton: Rapha Clubhouse Manchester (17 km), Aintree Motor Racing Circuit (36 km), Lyme Park (Pemberley, 1995 Pride and Prejudice) (37 km), Holme Moss (39 km).
Are there any good drives near Bolton?
The nearest famous roads are Holme Moss, Woodhead Pass and Snake Pass.
Where is Bolton?
Bolton is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Little Lever.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 141,331
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 53.5833, -2.4333
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Bolton
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
racetrack
Aintree Motor Racing Circuit
Historic circuit inside Aintree Racecourse that hosted five British Grands Prix in the 1950s-60s, where Stirling Moss took his first home GP win. Club sprints still run on the old track.
36 km · about 40 min drive
film location
Lyme Park (Pemberley, 1995 Pride and Prejudice)
The lake at Lyme Park is where Colin Firth's Mr Darcy emerges from the water in the BBC serial.
37 km · about 45 min drive
mountain pass
Holme Moss
A 524 m Pennine pass on the A6024 topped by a landmark transmitter mast, a celebrated cycling climb used in the 2014 Tour de France.
39 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
Snake Pass (A57)
The Woodhead-era Telford road over the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower reservoirs, with fast curves and frequent winter closures.
40 km · about 45 min drive
waterfall
Kinder Downfall
The Peak's highest waterfall at 30m, famously blown back up the cliff as spray in a westerly wind.
40 km · about 45 min drive
mountain pass
Woodhead Pass
The A628 trans-Pennine route over bleak moorland past the Woodhead reservoirs, frequently closed by snow and high winds.
40 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
Snake Pass
A twisting road through the Peak District connecting Sheffield and Manchester, beloved by motorcyclists and driving enthusiasts.
41 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Bolton
8 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 60km.
- 39 kmHolme MossA 524 m Pennine pass on the A6024 topped by a landmark transmitter mast, a celebrated cycling climb used in the 2014 Tour de France.
- 40 kmSnake Pass (A57)The Woodhead-era Telford road over the Pennines between Glossop and the Ladybower reservoirs, with fast curves and frequent winter closures.
- 40 kmWoodhead PassThe A628 trans-Pennine route over bleak moorland past the Woodhead reservoirs, frequently closed by snow and high winds.
- 41 kmSnake PassA twisting road through the Peak District connecting Sheffield and Manchester, beloved by motorcyclists and driving enthusiasts.
- 41 kmSnake Pass SummitThe highest point on the A57 crossing the Pennines, with moorland views stretching across the Dark Peak landscape.
- 43 kmKinder ScoutThe Peak District's highest ground at 636m, site of the 1932 Mass Trespass that led to Britain's national parks and right to roam.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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