Bolton Hall in the Ribble Valley was the home of the Pudsay family in the 15th century, and it was in 1464 that Sir Ralph Pudsay took the risk of hiding the Lancastrian King Henry VI, who was fleeing from his Yorkshire enemies after the defeat at the Battle of Hexham. Sir Ralph was quite a character having three wives and 25 children.
However, Sir Ralph was not the only infamous Pudsay. At the end of the 16th century, the squire of Bolton Hall, William Pudsay, was short of money due to his rich living and the fines he had to pay for refusing to attend church.
One day in the wood he chanced to meet fairies who told him where to find silver in his lead mines.
This he did and commenced to make his own coins with silver from his mine using them as local currency. Everyone became rich in the area until a drunken miner boasted about his wealth and threw his coins around. This was reported to the Royal Mint who sent soldiers to arrest William. He was chased by the soldiers on horseback, but he escaped with a daring leap down a 90 foot precipice, now called Pudsay’s Leap.
Landing unharmed, he rode to London where he received a pardon from Queen Elizabeth who was said to have been his godmother.
This tale has some truth in it as counterfeit coins are known to have been made in the area around that time.
The hall was eventually bought by a rich mine owner who lived there in modest luxury until the hall became too expensive to run and was demolished in the 1950s with the contents auctioned off.
Among the contents of the harness room was a macabre surprise. Three skeletons were found, all named – one of a dog called Milton Spanker, one of a horse called Balloon Boy and one named as a Frenchman.
So let us mount up to see if we can find any skeletons as we take a ride around this beautiful area with its pretty villages, most of which have a pub for refreshment. You never know, you might find a silver coin or two.
Your route
Leave Clitheroe on the Waddington Road, the B6478. Cycle among beautiful countryside through Waddington to escape towards the high fells in front of you. You soon start to climb Waddington Fell with Easington Fell to your right.
After about three miles of hard cycling from Waddington, watch-out for a cattle grid as you reach the summit. Enjoy the views from here, then start to descend very steeply over another cattle grid to the pretty village of Newton in Bowland. You could stop here for a hot Bowland beef and horseradish sandwich at the Parker Arms Inn.
Continue along through the village on the B6478 and go right at the T-junction signed to Slaidburn. Not far along this undulating, twisty road, you reach Slaidburn village and the historic Hark to Bounty Inn.
Follow the B6478 through the village and start a steady climb with good views of the fells again. At the summit you can take a look at Stocks reservoir and Gisburn Forest on your left.
A twisty steep descent now with lots of double bends. Keep straight ahead on the B6478 at all times. The road descends and ascends for about five miles until eventually you reach a large pub complex, The Dog and Partridge. Also at the rear of the pub is a mountain bike centre and café.
Turn right opposite the pub onto a narrow road downhill. Watch out for greasy double bends. At the T-junction, turn right signed to Bolton by Bowland and Sawley. A better road now but still with steep descents until soon you reach another T-junction.
If you would like to visit Bolton by Bowland, where the Pudsay’s of Bolton Hall would have been, go left here. The village has a chequered history and has some beauty to commend it, a pub, tea rooms, toilets and a glorious church.
If not turn right signed to Sawley and Clitheroe. Continue along for about two miles enjoying the view to the fells until you reach a junction. Go right here to ride along to Grindelton and on through West Bradford to Waddington. Go left here onto the B6478 to return to Clitheroe.
The facts
Distance – 26miles/42km.
Terrain – Hilly.
Best map – OS Landranger 103.
Start/grid ref – Clitheroe, grid ref: 744421.
Refreshments – Clitheroe and plenty of good pubs and a café on route.
Public toilets – Clitheroe, Slaidburn, Bolton by Bowland.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article