It's amazing what little gems are right on your doorstep. A few months ago I was tagged in a post on facebook about a photo competition for the calendar for a local park. I never even heard of it! So early one sunday off we popped for a walk around Bold Venture Park in Darwen.
There is no car park for this park but plenty of street parking. This park is in "two" parts. It is split in half by a road and is locally known as top park and bottom park. We parked near the main entrance of the bottom park. As soon as you walk in you are greeted with the gorgeous view of the war memorial, a colorful lake with a children's playground to the right, which my little boy went straight for. Not that I minded as it gave me time to take some pictures.......
After a play on the park off we went to explore. There was lots of little paths leading off to different parts of the park. Lots of hidden gems like streams, waterfalls, sculptures and some gorgeous bedding plants.
We took the path to the left of the lake. The path climbs gradually and reaches a junction of paths beyond the top end of the lake, keep going straight ahead past steep steps on the right to reach a t-junction of paths. Turn right here and follow the lower path towards a wooden signpost. You then come to another junction, we turned left and came to circle area that I believe had a labyrinth on it a some point. We took the step stairs that lead to the exit gates of the "bottom" park.
Cross over the road to enter the "top" park. Straight away you notice this park isn't as well kept as the lower park, slightly more overgrown and more of a woodland walk. We zig zagged our way round this park, trying to find all the different sculptures.
When we reached the top of this, we realised it was a route to Darwen Tower, but that's a walk for another day!
We made our way back down, back across the road and down the opposite paths we came up on. Where we came across this beautiful waterfall. From doing some research, before the park opened, the land was the site of a quarry and so the water from bold venture brook falls over a old quarry face.
A little bit further down the paths and walk straight ahead down a few steps to the ornate drinking fountain commemorating the coronation of King Edward VII.
A little bit further down and we were back where we started, where there was some little friends on the side of the lake just asking for their picture to be taken.
With one last play on the park, our walk was done, lots of photos taken and hopefully one good enough to win the Friends of bold venture park darwen calendar photo competition...... Fingers Crossed!
I shall update once the results are announced.
The details of these walks can be found here and here .
Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy my photos!
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