Moses Gate Country Park is a large park to the southeast of Bolton town centre, between Farnworth and Little Lever. It’s a large park covering more than 750 acres and features a decent playground, lakes, a nature reserve, canals, and more. My daughter and I decided to visit on a sunny day in April.
The park is centred on three large lakes. Crompton’s Lodges were formerly reservoirs for Farnworth Paper Mill and are now a haven for wildlife.
Feeding the swans and other wildfowl is a popular activity with visitors. On reaching the largest lake my daughter was offered a carrier bag full of bread by an elderly man. Judging by the amount of uneaten bread on the shoreline, the birds had clearly had enough and weren’t interested. We decided to move onto the playground.
The playground itself is pretty good. Most of the equipment is linked together to form a play trail. Kids move from one piece to another by walking over stumps, ropes, and beams. My 9-year old daughter loved it, but I think most of the stuff here would be too tricky for toddlers.
The River Croal runs through the park, and there’s a pretty impressive weir opposite the playground entrance.
Elsewhere there are plenty of open fields, picnic areas, woodland, and the nature reserve at Nob End. The giant Meccano Bridge at Prestolee Locks on the Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal is well worth a visit.
The main entrance to Moses Gate Country Park is on Hall Lane, just off St Peter’s Way (A666). Parking is free.
Moses Gate Train Station is approximately ½ mile from the park’s main entrance.
Today, 31 May 2019, I visited Moses Gate Country Park with my mum and grandmother and their three dogs. We had not been there long when a man approached my dogs. They backed away and growled. He swore at me a few times – think of the worst expletives in the English language. I said “There’s no need for that.” The next thing I know he’s moved across the 4 metres separating us and he punched me in the nose and mouth so hard I was lifted off my feet and found myself staring at the sky. My glasses were a few metres behind me in the dirt. The man did this without cause or warning in front of my 88 year old grandmother and 67 year old mother. I’m a 45 year old woman. I was, and am, very shaken up by this. I phoned the police and followed the man at a distance. He walked along the grass by the side of the road into the park. When he reached Hall Lane he turned towards Little Lever and crossed the road. He turned into a little lane that I now know leads to a permanent gypsy camp. The man was mid to late 50s with a swarthy complexion and close cropped white hair. He was around 5 foot 10 or 5 foot 11. His build was stocky. He wore a black heavy metal style T-shirt, a denim jacket and a pair of denim jeans slightly darker than the jacket.
This assault was unprovoked and I cannot understand why it happened. If a woman aged 45 cannot walk her dogs peacefully in Moses Gate Country Park without a middle aged man punching her so hard she was flung to the ground I don’t think the park is safe for anyone.
Please inform people of this and be vigilant for this man.