
Bolton-by-Bowland

About Bolton-By-Bowland
Bolton-by-Bowland is a tranquil and charming little village, with two village greens. The smaller green contains the remains of a 13th Century stone cross and old stocks. The village was recorded as Bodeton in the Domesday Book, meaning bow in the river. The church has many ornamental carvings and a font dating from 1500, which bears the arms of the Pudsay, Percy, Tempest, Hammerton and other families. The famous Pudsay tomb has an engraved figure of Sir Ralph Pudsay in full armour with the figures of his three wives and 25 children. Overlooking the River Ribble is Rainsber Scar, which is a beautiful spot - known locally as Pudsay's leap where William Pudsay is said to have made the leap on horseback when being chased by soldiers for illegally minting his own coins
Explore Bolton-By-Bowland
There’s so much to see in Bolton-by-Bowland. Explore the highlights, experience the sights and sounds, learn something new, and discover all that the Historical sites and village has to offer.



Village History
Bolton-by-Bowland was first recorded in the Domesday Book in 1087 as ‘Bodeton’, a derivative of bothl-tun which is Old English meaning an enclosure with dwellings; in other words a hamlet. The village’s next claim to fame arose in 1464 when Henry VI sought shelter with Ralph Pudsey at Bolton Hall after his defeat by the Yorkists at the battle of Hexham during the ‘War of the Roses’. A somewhat strange haven, for Henry was a Lancastrian and in 1464 Bolton-by-Bowland was in the Craven District of Yorkshire!
Bolton Hall
Bolton Hall was the home of the Pudsay family from the fourteenth century until the end of line in 1771. It was with Sir Ralph Pudsay with whom King Henry the 6th stayed after he lost the Battle of Hexham on the 15th May 1464. King Henry the 6th was a scholarly, pious King, who became a pawn in the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485).
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