This down-to-earth Greater Manchester town has local museums, a thriving pub culture, and easy access to the Pennine countryside. Known for its warm local community.
Bolton, a town in Greater Manchester, sits at the edge of the West Pennine Moors. The town's Le Mans Crescent appears regularly in TV shows like Peaky Blinders, while Bolton Museum houses the mummy of Thutmose III's priest in its Egypt galleries. You can walk through the restored rooms of Hall i' th' Wood manor house, watch new productions at the Octagon Theatre, or climb to Rivington Pike for views across Lancashire.
Getting to Bolton
Direct trains run from Bolton Interchange to Manchester, Blackpool, and Edinburgh every 30 minutes. The A666 dual carriageway connects to the M61 motorway, putting Manchester airport within 40 minutes' drive. Local Bee Network buses stop at all major attractions and run every 10 minutes between Bolton and neighboring towns.
Cultural Venues in Bolton
The Octagon Theatre stages its own productions and touring shows throughout the year, with performances Tuesday through Saturday. At Bolton Museum, you'll find the 3,000-year-old mummy of Thutmose III's priest in the Egyptian galleries, alongside a full-scale recreation of the Tomb of Thutmose III. The museum's aquarium contains species from the Amazon River. Bolton Central Library, built in 1853, opens its Victorian reading rooms daily and hosts weekly book clubs.
Film and TV Productions
Film crews transform Le Mans Crescent's Georgian-style columns and archways into different locations. The street became 1920s Birmingham in Peaky Blinders, 1960s London in The Ipcress File, and most recently appeared in A Gentleman in Moscow. Walk the same paths as the actors while following the Bolton Film Trail.
Parks and Walking Routes
Queens Park has three Victorian fountains, a children's playground, and three bowling greens open from April to September. From the northern edge of Bolton, the Two Rivers Trail leads across the West Pennine Moors to Rivington Pike. At Moses Gate Country Park, follow the paths along the River Croal to spot kingfishers and herons nesting in the riverbanks.
Annual Events
The Bolton Food and Drink Festival brings 200 food stalls and cooking demonstrations to Victoria Square each August. IRONMAN UK athletes begin with a swim in Pennington Flash before cycling and running through Bolton's streets. Bolton Pride fills the town center with street performances and a parade every summer.
Shopping Areas
The Marketplace shopping center contains three floors of shops, with independent boutiques on the ground level. In Market Place's Victorian vaults, restaurants now occupy the spaces under original brick arches. Middlebrook retail park combines shops with a cinema and restaurants next to Bolton Wanderers' stadium.
