Captains Clough is a river valley which runs from Ivy Road up to Doffcocker, a distance of approximately one mile through beautiful peaceful woodland. It forms a wonderful wildlife corridor from Ivy Rd right up to Doffcocker. It is hard to believe that the Clough is surrounded by busy roads because it is so tranquil and quiet. But there is a problem. Hardly anyone knows about it.
Captains Clough is one of Bolton’s best kept secrets, a hidden gem. There is no signage, no information board, so people simply do not know it is there, even many of those who live locally. Sadly, it has been neglected for many years, and access points to the Clough are so overgrown they can be difficult to get
through even for those who are aware of them.
The Project
The Friends of Captains Clough, Bolton Green Umbrella and Groundwork Greater Manchester have joined forces to restore Captains Clough Local Nature Reserve to the beautiful local amenity that it deserves to be and more, to make it into a well designed and accessible nature trail for all our community. The project will have a staged approach, because of the scale and the amount of work and funding that will be required. The plan for stage 1 is shown below. At every stage we will invite the community to be involved in planning and implementing any significant changes to Captain’s Clough
Stage 1 will concentrate on the section from Ivy road to Captains Clough Road, which has the best
access and path network of the three sections. The plan includes
• Installing signage and information boards at the entrances to the Clough
• Installing fingerpost signs within the Clough
• Clearing access points
• Cutting back of overgrown shrubbery to improve access and improve safety
• Publicity via social media, and Bolton Green Umbrella network
• Involvement of volunteers in the conservation work
• Engaging with wildlife expert organisations
• Researching the history of the area
• Exciting nature walks, events and activities
• Plan work for future stages
