Belmont Village

Nestled away between the lower slopes of the Pennine Hills lies the Lancashire village of Belmont, surrounded by rural landscapes.

The village itself lies at the foot of Winter Hill along the main road between the towns of Darwen and Bolton and was very much part of the Industrial Revolution, housing a cotton mill, a dye factory, and a paper mill that worked perfectly with the printers also housed there.

All those industries are long gone, but the place itself still thrives.

The lower slopes of Winter Hill run down to the outskirts of the village, lined with grass and trees and the centre of the village is easy to pick out due to the steeple of St Peters Church.

Right alongside the village and the church is Ward's Reservoir which was specifically built for the dye factory and now forms a nice entrance as you descend off the top of Winter Hill and Belmont Road.

The road here flattens as it approaches the reservoir and takes a sharp left-hand turn but the road has caught out many a motorist and cyclist who have ended up taking an early bath.

It is a spectacular run down off the hill into the village, a steep and relatively straight road makes its way between the hills on either side.

There are lots of great walks and views around Belmont, so if you like that sort of thing, get your walking boots out, and of course, take something waterproof (rain is common) and enjoy!