Area Guides
Browse our useful guides on Horwich and surrounding areas
Feb 28, 2024
Adlington
Why Lancasters love Adlington… Adlington is a lovely village positioned between Chorley and Horwich. Traditionally the village was split into two parts- ‘upper & lower’, though they basically benefit from the same features and it takes just a matter of minutes to travel between the two. Whilst three would have been a time when you would have either been ‘one or t’other’ the areas are now nicely merged and include a selection of retail shops and services with many more available in Chorley itself or the nearby town of Horwich.The village suits many styles of buyer and there is a wide selection of property type. A feature that underpins the village, like many of its surrounding residential areas is the superb access to the surrounding countryside. The village hosts a stretch of the Leeds – Liverpool canal and has good links towards the West Pennine Moors and Winter Hill. Motorway and Rail links are good and there are two primary schools in the village itself. The creature comforts of pubs and restaurants are dotted around and it is not uncommon that locals would commute towards Manchester and the Trafford Centre or further into the countryside to socialise.
Feb 28, 2024
North Bolton
Why Lancasters love North Bolton… The area of North Bolton encompasses Bromley Cross, Egerton, Edgworth, Turton, Chapel Town and Belmont. These smaller villages within this region are all different and all have something unique to offer. For example, Bromley Cross, the larger of these, has several shops, pubs, local eateries, a couple of primary schools and also has its own railway station with trains into Bolton and Manchester and all it has to offer. Chapeltown has the oldest registered football pitch in the country (and therefore the world!). Edgworth has an ice cream shop dating back to the 1930’s (well worth a visit!), and Egerton was the birthplace of Bolton Wanderers F.C., which started there as Christ Church F.C. in 1874. The region of North Bolton is on the edge of the West Pennine Moors, Anglezarke Moors and Turton Moors surrounding the town and is a fabulous location for those who enjoy the outdoor life with plenty of walking, cycling and running space on offer. For keen sailors Bolton Sailing Club, one of the longest established Sailing Clubs in the North West, has its home on Belmont Reservoir. This is a semi-rural part of Bolton and each village has a pub (or two!) with good food on offer for after those long country walks with (or without) your dog around Entwistle and Wayoh reservoirs or the moors. There are primary and secondary schools, including Turton High School and Canon Slade C of E School, as well as several churches, restaurants, and small local convenience shops and post offices. North Bolton is only short drive from Bolton town centre but areas such as Preston and Blackburn are also accessible in the opposite direction. With so much on offer here what’s not to love!
Feb 28, 2024
Haigh & Aspull
Why Lancasters love Haigh & Aspull… A small village on the outskirts of Wigan, which gives a semi-rural feel, as it fringes Blackrod and Aspull. St. David Haigh and Aspull School holds a good Ofsted report, located on Copperas Lane, which is set within Haigh Country Park. Haigh Country Park is famous in Wigan and further afield for its impressive grounds and woodlands. The extensive plantations cover forty miles of pathways, which is ideal for dog walkers. The grounds lead to various hotspots in the Wigan area, such as; Wigan Lane, Whelley and Aspull. Within the grounds there are two championship-standard golf courses with first-class facilities. It is ideal for youngsters too, with a newly refurbished play area and courtyard selling arts and crafts and a cafe serving hot and cold refreshments. Haigh Hall itself dates back to 1827, and is currently owned by Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. A variety of events take place at the hall, such as; arts & craft fairs, vintage fairs, organised tours and weddings to name but a few. Based between Wigan town centre, Blackrod and Westhoughton, Aspull boasts; good primary schools, canal walks, pubs, restaurants, cafes and convenience stores, such as; butchers, bakers, hairdressers, chemist and a dry cleaners. The small town has a rugby union and football clubs plus village green where numerous after school activities take place. This is a village with its own identity and community spirit- don’t miss the annual ‘worm charming’ event which takes place during the summer months, organised by the Parish Hall. An ideal area for those needing to live between Bolton and Wigan and requiring excellent access to junction 6 of the M61.
Feb 28, 2024
Horwich
Why Lancasters love Horwich… We think this review from a travel website sums our home town up perfectly: ‘Horwich is a very pleasant, scenic area with friendly people and a friendly atmosphere’. A small and vibrant town centre hosts many independently owned shops and services and combines well with the large retail and leisure complex at The Middlebrook close to the Bolton Wanderers football stadium. The transport infrastructure is superb having several points of access to mainline train stations running towards Manchester and the junction into the M61 means that the ‘worlds your oyster’. Outside of main commuter times Manchester city centre can be reached in around half an hour whilst the stunning south Lake District will be around one hour. One of the highlights of Horwich and a feature that consistently attracts people to settle in the town is the impressive surrounding countryside. With Rivington Pike as its icon the area includes Winter Hill and the West Pennine Moors Country Park. For those who love the outdoors be it for walking your dog, cycling or simply ambling around then you can’t fail to love this very special aspect of the area. On a clear day from ‘The Pike’ itself you can see the Fylde coast with the outline of Blackpool tower and a glance further south will show of the distant Snowdon range in North Wales. If your hill walking days are behind you however there is equally impressive and level surroundings in Rivington Village with a number of reservoirs whilst the nearby village of Adlington plays host to a stretch of the Leeds Liverpool canal. Growing families have the choice of several private day nurseries and there is a healthy supply of Primary schools whilst the town is covered by two main Secondary Schools. Bolton Independent School which covers nursery through to A level stage is around five miles away. We feel that the package on offer within Horwich is very family friendly and therefore many people settle in the town for a lengthy stay.
Feb 28, 2024
Westhoughton
Why Lancasters love Westhoughton… Set just 4 miles from Bolton town centre, and 5 miles from Wigan town centre, Westhoughton has all it needs to provide local convenience to its residents. The town centre has an abundance of pubs, restaurants, cafes and shops, even with a number of supermarkets and its very own indoor market, which opens on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. New modern eateries, delis and bars seem to be thriving in the town too. It is also worth noting that Westhoughton boasts good primary and high schools, which are within close reach and underpin the family friendly area. With easy access to surrounding towns such as; Hindley, Atherton and Leigh, this makes the perfect location for good transport links for those working just outside of the Bolton Borough.
Feb 23, 2024
Rivington
Why Lancasters love Rivington… Rivington and its surrounding hills played host to part of the cycle race when Manchester held the Commonwealth Games in 2002. The locals already knew how picturesque the surroundings were but the coverage earned the area some very well deserved publicity. Sir Bradley Wiggins has commented that the areas iconic Rivington Pike is one of his vey favourite summits (and he has some good ones to choose from!). The woodland, rolling fields and maze of pathways provides a lovely rural ambiance in and around the village and we feel that Rivington is our local slice of the Lake District. With a small church, popular Secondary School and a Foundation Primary School, scenic reservoirs and access to a few nice eateries (be it a cafe, pub or restaurant) people are attracted to the area from far and wide. There are very few houses in the area and given planning restrictions they are a relatively fixed supply. The village in general is a great benefit to the surrounding area and those who live within Rivington most probably consider themselves very fortunate. The feature that we think is the strongest is the proximity to the ‘real world’. Living here allows you to retreat into rural surroundings yet you can still get to the motorway and train station within 10-15 minutes - what a winning combination.
Feb 23, 2024
Blackrod
Why Lancasters love Blackrod... Blackrod is a lovely village with a train station linking to Manchester and positioned well to access the nearby M61 and A6. With a growing community spirit events such as the annual Scarecrow Festival show what the people of the village are striving to achieve. There is a nursery and two primary schools one of which performs consistently high in the OFSTED rankings (top ten in the country in 2014). There is also a Church, doctor’s surgery and library.The village is surrounded by countryside and includes a handful of shops and services, some pubs and restaurants. The village would suit anybody looking to be in a good commuter belt to Manchester or Preston but wanting to stay in an affordable area retaining the good countryside access with a family friendly package. Places such as Haigh and Rivington with its associated moorland are in a convenient distance and ideal for outdoor activities. Many people settle in the area due to these pleasant surroundings. There is an excellent mix of homes from stone cottages, one bedroom apartments to large individual detached. Given the surroundings, some homes enjoy superb views over fields or towards the hills around Horwich. Be it that you are looking for a text book family home on an estate or an individual character home there is every chance you will find what you are looking for in this lovely village.
Feb 23, 2024
Heaton & Lostock
Why Lancasters love Heaton & Lostock… Lostock and Heaton are two of Boltons most highly regarded residential areas. Whilst they are neighbours and share many facilities they do offer a different feel. Parts of Lostock benefit from the open spaces of two golf courses and some reservoirs plus a train station linking to Manchester and the airport. Heaton has a nature reserve but also a concentration of large period homes constructed around the early 1900’s and attract those who like typical Tudor and Victorian styling with their high ceilings and large windows etc… Being an affluent part of town, it is no surprise that there are private schools, sports clubs and a thriving social scene. The consistently popular Bolton Independent School attracts many people to settle nearby and parts of Heaton can be considered as walking distance while Lostock is on the main bus route in to the school. Many different styles of property are available and range from terraced through to imposing detached. If you are looking for a house with easy access to Bolton School, with handy amenities and sports clubs with the added benefit of great transport infrastructure then these areas will be right up your street.