The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England with a small part in North Yorkshire . It is a western spur of the Pennines and was once described as the Switzerland of England.The Forest of Bowland has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1964. The Forest of Bowland AONB also includes a detached part known as the Forest of Pendle separated from the main part by the Ribble Valley, and anciently a forest with its own separate history. One of the best-known features of the area is Pendle Hill, which lies in Pendle Forest. There are more than 500 listed buildings and 18 scheduled monuments within the AONB. Bowland survives as the north-western remainder of the ancient wilderness that once stretched over a huge part of England, encompassing the Forest of Bowland, Sherwood Forest , the New Forest and Savernake Forest . While the Trough of Bowland represents the area, to many, on account of its popularity, it is in fact only a small part of the wider Forest of Bowland area. The hills on the western side of the Forest of Bowland attract walkers from Lancaster and the surrounding area. Overlooking Lancaster is Clougha Pike, the western-most hill. The hills form a large horseshoe shape with its open end facing west. Clockwise from Lancaster the hills are Clougha Pike , Grit Fell , Ward's Stone , Wolfhole Crag , White Hill , Whins Brow , Totridge , Parlick , Fair Snape Fell , Bleasdale Moor , and Hawthornthwaite Fell . Considerable areas of the Bowland fells were used for military training during the Second World War, and there are still unexploded bombs in some areas. The area contains the geographic centre of Great Britain which is close to the Whitendale Hanging Stones, around four miles north of Dunsop Bridge. The historical extent of Bowland Forest is divided into two large administrative townships, Great Bowland and Little Bowland , but the modern-day AONB covers a much larger area.
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