ACTOR Maxine Peake urged people to continue fighting for their rights of way as she joined the launch event celebrating the 125th anniversary of Bolton s fight to walk up Winter Hill. Maxine, who was born in Westhoughton, joined an open meeting via Zoom to hear more about the historical event and how the fight to enjoy the open countryside continues to this day with warnings on how rights to enjoy the open countryside are hugely curtailed. Up to 10,000 people marched in the Winter Hill Trespass of 1896 to reclaim their right of way, after landowner Colonel Richard Ainsworth of Smithills Hall closed off a well-used track that crossed his land on the slopes of Winter Hill, so he could pursue his love of game shooting uninterrupted.
Maxine Peake back in Bolton to mark 125th anniversary of Winter Hill trespass MAXINE Peake, who counts ‘hill walking, protest and the north’ as some of her ‘favourite things’ will be helping to launch events to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Winter Hill Trespass in her home town next month. Known as the UK’s biggest ever rights of way dispute, the Bolton born actor will be among those at a public meeting the first of whole host of events planned to mark the landmark moment in the ongoing issue of the right to roam in England The meeting, chaired by Bolton FM’s Keith Harris, will feature a number of high profile speakers, including Prof Paul Salveson, an historian and writer for whose book Moorlands, Memories and Reflections, marking the centenary of Allen Clarke’s book Moorlands and Memories, Maxine has penned the foreword in which she wrote: “Hill walking, cycling, literature, philosophy, protest and The North…. these are a few of my favourit
Thousands headed up Winter Hill in the fight for countryside rightsThe memorial stone on Coalpit Road EVENTS to commemorate the UK s biggest ever rights of way dispute which took place right here in Bolton get underway next month. In September 1896, thousands of Boltonians marched up to Halliwell Road and on to Coalpit Lane to protest the closure of the moors for the grouse season by Colonel Ainsworth of Smithills Hall. To mark the 125th anniversary of the event known as the Winter Hill Trespass a whole host of events are planned, starting with a public meeting featuring high profile speakers.