The little village of Belmont, nestling in the hills of the moors between Bolton and Chorley. Ryan Killeen sitting on his front door step taking in the views. (Image: Manchester Evening News)
The quaint Lancashire village of Belmont, just north of Bolton, is so remote it doesn’t even have a shop. The peaceful hamlet, with its church, historic pub and residents at its heart, feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere.
As you wander around the serene village, the only sounds to be heard are the chirping of birds and the quintessentially English wind rustling through the bushes and trees.
In essence, it’s a picture-perfect example of a quintessential British village, nestled amidst the rolling hills of the Lancashire countryside. Home to just 500 inhabitants, many may not have heard of Belmont.
However, it’s merely a stone’s throw away from several major towns and cities in Lancashire.
Situated within the unitary authority area of Blackburn with Darwen, the village is conveniently close to Darwen, Chorley and even Bolton (which technically falls under Greater Manchester, but that’s a debate for another day), reports Lancashire Live.
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While it doesn’t have a shop, the Black Dog pub is a popular feature in the village (Image: Manchester Evening News)
Upon visiting the village – which lacks even a shop – one immediately gets the sense of being in a secluded world of their own.
Despite the absence of a corner shop for a quick pint of milk or loaf of bread, the village does boast its own pub, as any respectable English village should. The Black Dog, almost the heart of Belmont, first opened its doors in 1825 and has been serving the villagers ever since.
The building, which now houses the pub, boasts a storied past that stretches back to the 1700s when it functioned as a village courthouse and later as a farmhouse. Now under the stewardship of brewer Joseph Holt, the establishment has garnered a spot in the Good Pub Guide.
During a tranquil Thursday afternoon visit, sister site LancsLive was welcomed by the quintessential countryside pub ambiance: low ceilings and a crackling fireplace. The bar staff greeted them with warmth, eager to recount the tales of the village and the pub’s historical significance.
The village is surrounded by gorgeous countryside (Image: Manchester Evening News)
The barmaid divulged that the weekly pub quiz is a staple here, but she cautioned that without a grasp of Belmont trivia, success might be elusive. She noted that while weekends are not overly busy, a steady flow of locals and some “passing trade” keep the place lively during the week.
She regaled us with a particularly sombre piece of the Black Dog’s history: in bygone days, the deceased were brought here for their cause of death to be debated over. It’s a chilling history to mull over with your pint, yet it’s evident that the pub is steeped in the local lore.
Just across the way stands St Peter’s Church, another cornerstone of the community, though it trades ale for spiritual services. This landmark is the go-to venue for life’s milestones like weddings and funerals, yet on Friday mornings, it offers something quite different.
Belmont’s quaint charm is epitomised by its dual-purpose church, which also serves as a Post Office, a lifeline in a village with a stark absence of shops. Resident Ryan Killeen, who moved from Bolton six years ago, relishes the tight-knit community and traditional feel of the place.
He said: “It’s a really nice community. We’ve got the local pub at the top, the Black Dog which has all your different people, you have your Monday people that go in, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.”
“All the old boys go in at 10 o’clock and have a drink before it’s time to go to bed.”
Ryan appreciates the unique setup of the church-cum-Post Office, despite the limited shopping options, highlighting the strong community bonds that makeup for it.
Mayor of Belmont Tom Carr (Image: Manchester Evening News)
He added: “You can go in and do Post Office business in the church, but that’s only on a Friday morning. We’ve also got a guy who lives halfway up this road, Tom and we call him the Mayor of Belmont.
“He’s involved with everything, he rings the church bells, he’s part of projects.”
To get an insider’s perspective on Belmont, a hidden jewel in Lancashire’s rural landscape, we turned to the so-called “Mayor of Belmont” Tom Carr, who has spent his entire life in the village. His passion for the area is infectious as he said: “It’s a really good community with lots going on.
Belmont is just north of Bolton (Image: Manchester Evening News)
“There’s a gardener’s club, church, Women’s Institute, history society – so a lot goes on within the village. Then organisations come together for celebrations such as the Platinum Jubilee or the Coronation. Both of those were well attended and enjoyable events.”
Sitting in Maria Square, Tom said that these dwellings came to be back in 1804 and that’s when the hamlet was still known as Hordern.
Initially, it was home to cotton mills and a massive dye works under the ownership of Thomas Rycroft, hinting at the future establishment of a new printing works. Tom added about the savvy entrepreneur who saw a brilliant opportunity to build works in the village, essentially putting the locale onto everyone’s radar.