Discover Bolton, Greater Manchester

Bolton Town Hall: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bolton_Town_Hall_from_South_.jpg
Author: Tony Grist


Bolton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. Located to the northwestern part of downtown Manchester, Bolton has a population of 140,000 people (2012 estimate) within a metropolitan borough with 265,000 inhabitants.

Bolton was part of Lancashire until the creation of Greater Manchester on 1 April 1974. It was originally called Bolton le Moors, as it is located in the moorland. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years. Remnants of human presence can be seen as in the stone circle at Cheetham Close and the ancient burial mounds at Winter Hill.

The Romans as well as Anglo-Saxons also left evidence of their presence in Bolton. The town itself grew out of a Saxon settlement. There were in the old days two separate settlements namely Great Bolton and Little Bolton. Bolton was granted a market charter by King Henry III in 1251.

Hall i' th' Wood, Bolton: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hall_i_th_Wood_manor_house_front_view.jpg
Author: John Darch


An influx of Flemish weavers fleeing religious persecution settled in Bolton in 1337, bringing with them the tradition of woollen cloth weaving. Successive wave of weavers arrived over the subsequent centuries, further enriching the town's reputation as a center for the textile industry. In the 19th century local inventors Richard Arkwright and Samuel Crompton industrialized the textile industry, introducing the use of machinery for spinning cotton. The industrialization of Bolton transformed its skyline, which in the 19th century was dominated by chimneys.

The textile industry of Bolton went into decline after the First World War. It experienced a brief upsurge after the Second World War, but then began a slow decline until eventual demise. Today Bolton is a modern town with a diverse range of economic industries that include wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle repair, health and social work, and some manufacturing.

Visiting Bolton

From Manchester, take the M61 motorway to Junction 2, then continue on the A666 road until you arrive in Bolton.

Smithills Hall, Bolton: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Smithills_Hall_1.jpg
Author: John Darch

Places of Interest in Bolton

Ye Olde Man & Scythe, Bolton: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Man_%26_Scythe.jpg
Author: Ian Roberts


10 Firwood Fold, Bolton: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:10_Firwood_Fold.jpg
Author: Margaret Clough

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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