Bolton Hall

Bolton Hall in Bolton by Bowland was the home of the Pudsay family.In the church of St.Peter and St.Paul in the village is a memorial to Sir Ralph Pudsay.Shown on the memorial are his three wives and twenty-five children.Just up from Bolton Hall is Fooden Hall which has a mineral spring whose waters smell of sulphur.It was said to increase fertility.So no doubt Sir Ralph drunk gallons of the stuff. Henry VI hid here for a while after his defeat at the Battle of Hexham,he was later captured at Brungerly.It is said that William Pudsay made a spectacular leap on horseback from Ravensber Scar across the river to make his escape after being charged with counterfeiting silver shillings,the silver ore coming from mines on his estate near Rimington.Unfortunately this bizarre,historic place was demolished in the 1950's.Before the demolition they auctioned the contents.The most bizarre and macabre contents of the auction was 3 skeletons.One of a horse called 'Balloon Boy',the skeleton of a unknown man and a dog.They were kept in the harness room.
BACK TO THE RIBBLE VALLEY INDEX