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Economy: Tourism

The Hodder just upstream from the Village Hall

Tourism

Tourism is second only to farming in its economic importance to the area and if the government has its way it may become even more important. The whole area comes within an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" and one of their officers has written:

The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers 312 square miles of rural Lancashire and North Yorkshire. It is a nationally protected landscape because of its unspoiled and richly diverse landscapes, wildlife and heritage. It stretches from the wooded cloughs of the Lune Valley in the north to the majestic sweep of Pendle Hill in the south, and from the quiet lanes of Eldroth and Lawkland in the east through the pastoral Ribble Valley to Beacon Fell and Abbeystead in the west.

The heather coloured fells as you come down to Slaidburn

The primary purpose of the AONB is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area, whilst meeting the social and economic needs of landowners, farmers and communities. AONB status has helped the area to maintain its special qualities. Its beautiful scenery and pretty villages are some of the area’s key attractions.

The Forest of Bowland AONB is a very special place for wildlife, and the moors are an especially important breeding ground for upland birds. Bowland is one of the few remaining breeding sites in England for hen harriers (a nationally threatened bird). It is also the home of the peregrine falcon and Britain's smallest bird of prey - the merlin. The damp, unimproved upland pastures attract large populations of wading birds in spring and summer including curlew, lapwing, snipe and redshank. There are also valuable wildflower meadows, woodlands and geological features within the AONB.

Dramatic skies over Bowland

The AONB has a secondary duty to cater for recreation and tourism, but only if this is consistent with protecting the natural beauty of the area. It is for this reason that we are promoting sustainable tourism in the Forest of Bowland: tourism which depends on the area’s environment, and which will conserve and improve that environment, not detract from it. For example, Bowland offers wonderful opportunities for quiet enjoyment such as birdwatching, cycling, fishing and horseriding. And with newly opened access land, the area now offers some of the most remote and rugged walking in the north west.

The AONB has a secondary duty to cater for recreation and tourism, but only if this is consistent with protecting the natural beauty of the area. It is for this reason that the AONB is promoting sustainable tourism in the Forest of Bowland: tourism which depends on the area’s environment, and which will conserve and improve that environment, not detract from it. For example, Bowland offers wonderful opportunities for quiet enjoyment such as birdwatching, cycling, fishing and horseriding. And with newly opened access land, the area now offers some of the most remote and rugged walking in the north west.

www.forestofbowland.com