Bowland Forest High is a civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 in the Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley

Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status within the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Clitheroe. Other places include Whalley, Longridge and Ribchester. The area is so called due to the River Ribble which flows in its final stages...

 district of Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, covering some 20,000 acres of the Forest of Bowland

Forest of Bowland

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. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...

. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 163.. The parish includes the settlements of Hareden, Sykes, and Dunsop Bridge

Dunsop Bridge

Dunsop Bridge is a village within the Ribble Valley borough of Lancashire, England, situated north-west of Clitheroe, south-east of Lancaster and east of Skipton. It is in the civil parish of Bowland Forest High....

. It covers Sykes Fell, Whins Brow, Croasdale Fell and Wolfhole Crag

Wolfhole Crag

Wolfhole Crag is a lonely and seldom-visited hill in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, England. Its seclusion is due in part to its low profile and long approach walks. A long path approaches from Ward's Stone in the west which is fraught with bogs. Another tarmac path from Tarnbrook meets this...

. Prior to 1974, it formed part of Bowland Rural District

Bowland Rural District

Bowland was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1894 to 1974. It was named after the Forest of Bowland, which it included.It was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from that part of the Clitheroe rural sanitary district which was in Yorkshire .The district was abolished...

 in the West Riding of Yorkshire

West Riding of Yorkshire

The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...

.

History

Historic Bowland comprised a Royal Forest

Royal forest

A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...

 and a Liberty

Liberty (division)

Originating in the Middle Ages, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord...

 of ten manors spanning eight townships and four parishes and covered an area of almost 300 square miles (777 km²) on the historic borders of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The manors within the Liberty were Slaidburn

Slaidburn

Slaidburn is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. With a population in 2001 of just under 300, it covers just over 5000 acres of the Forest of Bowland...

 (Newton-in-Bowland, West Bradford

West Bradford

West Bradford may refer to:*West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania*West Bradford, Lancashire*Bradford West...

, Grindleton), Knowlmere

Slaidburn

Slaidburn is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. With a population in 2001 of just under 300, it covers just over 5000 acres of the Forest of Bowland...

, Waddington

Waddington

Waddington is a large rural commuter village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Situated approximately south of Lincoln on the A607 Grantham Road...

, Easington

Easington, Lancashire

Easington is a civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, with a population in 2001 of 52. Prior to 1974, it formed part of Bowland Rural District in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It covers just over 9000 acres.-History:...

, Bashall

Bashall Eaves

Bashall Eaves is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, about four miles west of Clitheroe. The placename element eaves is Old English and refers to Bashall's location on the borders of the Forest of Bowland.According to the 2001 census, the parish of...

, Mitton

Great Mitton

Great Mitton is a village and a civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. It is separated from the civil parish of Little Mitton by the River Ribble, both lie about 3 miles from the town of Clitheroe...

, Withgill (Crook)

Great Mitton

Great Mitton is a village and a civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. It is separated from the civil parish of Little Mitton by the River Ribble, both lie about 3 miles from the town of Clitheroe...

, Leagram (Bowland-with-Leagram

Bowland-with-Leagram

Bowland-with-Leagram is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, covering part of the Forest of Bowland. According to the census, the parish had a population of 181 in 1951 and 128 in 2001....

), Hammerton

Slaidburn

Slaidburn is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. With a population in 2001 of just under 300, it covers just over 5000 acres of the Forest of Bowland...

 and Dunnow (Battersby)

Slaidburn

Slaidburn is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. With a population in 2001 of just under 300, it covers just over 5000 acres of the Forest of Bowland...

. Modern-day Bowland Forest is divided into two large administrative townships - Great Bowland (Bowland Forest High and Bowland Forest Low

Bowland Forest Low

Bowland Forest Low is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, covering some 5500 acres of the Forest of Bowland. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 168. The parish includes the hamlets of Whitewell and Cow Ark...

) and Little Bowland (Bowland-with-Leagram

Bowland-with-Leagram

Bowland-with-Leagram is a civil parish in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England, covering part of the Forest of Bowland. According to the census, the parish had a population of 181 in 1951 and 128 in 2001....

) - but the Forest was much more extensive in previous times.

St Hubert, the patron saint of hunting, is also patron saint of the Forest of Bowland

Forest of Bowland

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. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...

 and has a chapel dedicated to him in Dunsop Bridge

Dunsop Bridge

Dunsop Bridge is a village within the Ribble Valley borough of Lancashire, England, situated north-west of Clitheroe, south-east of Lancaster and east of Skipton. It is in the civil parish of Bowland Forest High....

. This chapel was founded by Richard Eastwood of Thorneyholme, land agent to the Towneley family. Eastwood was the last known Bowbearer of the Forest of Bowland. An acclaimed breeder of racehorses and shorthorn cattle, he died in 1871 and is buried at St Hubert's.