Boulder Valley

Valley in Lancashire South Lakeland

England

Boulder Valley

Goat's Water from Dow Crag View down Easter Gully to Goat’s Water from near the summit of Dow Crag. — Goat's Water from Dow Crag Credit: Adrian Taylor

Boulder Valley, Lancashire, commonly referred to as Valley, is a picturesque village located in the borough of Rossendale, in the county of Lancashire, England. Situated in the South Pennines, this rural area is known for its stunning landscapes and tranquil atmosphere.

Covering an area of approximately 3 square miles, Valley is home to a population of around 2,500 residents. The village is nestled between the towns of Bacup and Burnley, offering a peaceful retreat while still being within easy reach of urban amenities.

Boulder Valley is characterized by its rolling hills, lush green meadows, and charming stone-built cottages. The area's natural beauty attracts outdoor enthusiasts, with numerous footpaths and trails for hiking and cycling. The nearby Clowbridge Reservoir also provides opportunities for fishing and bird-watching.

The village boasts a strong sense of community, with various local events and activities taking place throughout the year. The annual Valley Carnival is a highlight, featuring a parade, live music, and entertainment for people of all ages.

Valley is well-served by several amenities, including a primary school, a post office, and a selection of shops and pubs. The neighboring towns offer a wider range of services, including secondary schools, supermarkets, and healthcare facilities.

Overall, Boulder Valley, Lancashire is a charming and idyllic village that offers a peaceful lifestyle amidst stunning natural surroundings. With its strong community spirit and convenient access to nearby towns, it provides an ideal balance between rural living and urban convenience.

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Boulder Valley Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.37852/-3.1105972 or Grid Reference SD2798. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Goat's Water from Dow Crag

View down Easter Gully to Goat’s Water from near the summit of Dow Crag.

Adrian Taylor

Irish Cottages, Coppermines Valley

Irish Cottages in the valley of Church Beck is a terrace of houses above Coniston; two of them together form a climbing hut of the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club. The gravel flats through the centre of the image are where the Church Beck flows and winds.

Trevor Littlewood

Spoil terrace with ruined building

A view from the 'Quarries Route', the main ascent path for the Old Man of Coniston. The grassed / mossed-over terrace of spoil is a very small one compared to a number of others along the way. Wetherlam is the mountain in the distance.

Trevor Littlewood

Crag rim at summit area of Coniston Old Man

Snow residues lie at the edge of broken ground at the summit of the mountain. The crag rim and broad ridge extend initially to the north-west before turning north. The Scafell group of mountains lie in the distance at the centre of the image.

Trevor Littlewood

Northern slope of Dow Crag

The darker slope rising to the left reaches Dow Crag. Goat's Hause is the col at the left side of the image from which a stream groove descends. Harter Fell is the pyramidal peak at the centre of the image.

Trevor Littlewood

Boulders at shore of Goat's Water

Goat's Water lies between two mountains of the Coniston group. The Old Man of Coniston rises unseen to the right, Dow Crag, to the left, across the lake. Goat's Hause is the col in the distance.

Trevor Littlewood

Road heading for Coppermines Valley

The valley is actually that of Church Beck but is popularly known as the Coppermines Valley because of the extensive disused mine workings there. The road is private but is used to access accommodation in the valley including houses, a youth hostel and two climbing club huts. The road is also a public footpath. Coniston Old Man is the mountain seen against the sky.

Trevor Littlewood

Slope with minor rock outcrops

The near slope is close to the feature named on OS maps as Flat Bield and is separated from the camera location by a steep stream groove. The valley beyond it is Red Dell. The sunlit rockface at the centre of the image and beyond Red Dell is Kennel Crag, sometimes known as Kernel Crag.

Trevor Littlewood

Large rocks at eastern shore of Levers Water

Levers Water is an enlarged tarn, dammed to create a greater volume of water for the generation of power for use in the mines below. The dam can be seen in the distance.

Trevor Littlewood

Settling tanks at Bonsor upper mill

The series of shallow depressions near to the Coppermines Youth Hostel is named as 'tanks' in the 1969 volume, 'Industrial Archaeology of the Lake Counties' - Marshall & Davies-Shiel. It's supposed that they were settling tanks in which small particles of rock etc. would be allowed to fall to the bottom before the then clearer water would be allowed to flow down to Coniston in the valley below.

Trevor Littlewood

Coppermines Cottage

In the past, when copper was being mined, the cottage was occupied by a mine official, presumably the site manager. In 1958 it was acquired by the Barrow Mountaineering and Ski Club which still uses it as a club hut.

Trevor Littlewood

Boulders on mountain slope

Boulders, large, small and embedded below Sam Bottom in the valley of Swirl Hause Beck which runs down into Levers Water. The slope rising beyond reaches Swirl How.

Trevor Littlewood

Have you paid and displayed?

The 'waste ground' here at the end of the publicly motorable stretch of the Walna Scar Road was for years accepted as a free car parking area for visitors and walkers, the photographer has used it a number of times in the past. Now, (early 2022), the Rydal estate levies a charge of £8 for all day parking! There are no facilities, no surfacing to the area, in fact no improvement to the space other than the embedding of a few logs to demarcate some spaces. As can be seen, at least one vehicle has even had to be parked with the driver's side of it including the driver's exit, in a flood!

Trevor Littlewood

Path rising towards Goat's Hause

The path is partly constructed using rocks set into the ground to minimise erosion. More work on the route seems to be planned - along the path line, below the image centre there are bagged boulders awaiting use to improve or repair the way. Goat's Hause is the obvious dip on the horizon.

Trevor Littlewood