The Bolton Steam Museum has a fascinating collection of mill steam engines in working order. On a number of steaming days throughout the year they are operated with steam from the adjacent boiler house. There are plenty of interactive displays explaining their history and scale models showing how the engines work. Entrance is free but donations can be made. I spent a couple of fascinated hours here and can highly recommend it.

I loved visiting this little gem, fascinating, suitable for young and old alike, what a fabulous place, so proud of all the volunteers who obviously keep the mill functioning, what would we do without them. Free entry but well worth a donation x

Really friendly staff, he kindly showed me around and explained all the nuts and bolts about steam engines even though I was by myself. Highly recommended.

Incredible place run by friendly knowledgeable volunteers. I’ve been wanting to visit for a while and finally found the chance, just wish I’d visited sooner. Lots to see and learn. John kindly explained some of the engines and certainly knew his stuff. A real credit to the place, together with all the other volunteers on the floor and behind the scenes. It’s good people like those volunteers that fill me with pride of our country and its creations. We are lucky to have a wonderful museum in the north west and long may it continue. I hope the children and schools of Bolton visit so they can learn about what their ancestors worked on and the glory days of the Industrial Revolution. I’ll be back.

Fantastic. Such a great place. Well laid out, good info boards, quite a few interactive displays and friendly and knowledge staff. Great to see the engines in such fabulous condition and working on the bank holiday we went. A jewel to find. And best of all, it was free. Clean toilets on site, small shop selling drinks and sweets.

This place needs more visitors you don’t need to pay to get in but there is a donation box places like this are hard to keep mainting! Spent about and hour an half and very informative.

What great find. Lots of engines,a cafe and a second hand book stall. A great couple of hours can easily be spent here.

Amazing little museum showcasing evolution of a medieval Manor house into victorian grand house. Highlights include the great hall, chapel and solar wing. Beautiful gardens at front of house. Small cafe inside. Free entry.

Smithills Hall is a beautiful place for a walk! We really enjoyed exploring the well-kept gardens and then taking a longer stroll through the surrounding woodland. The path was perfect and eventually led us out to Barlow playing fields. It was a peaceful and enjoyable walk, and we'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great outdoor space to explore. Plus it's free!

Went on a Ghost/History tour late last Thursday. Was very interesting hearing about the history of the place and how it helped shaped the town. Hearing stories about the ghostly goings on, and even a personal first hand account in the chapel. The main ghost we heard about was George Marsh. Was amazing seeing the passage of time when going into the different wings. I haven’t included any pictures of the Victorian side, with the library and the Ainsworth rooms which is well worth a nosey. Will be coming back during the day for a non-ghostly version, as loved hearing about something so close to home.

Lovely grand hall. parts of which go back to the 14th century and now owned by Bolton council, so it's free to get in. Once you've finished the hall there are gardens, and woodland leading up to Rivington should you want to. Wonderful cafe and shop located in the hall - well worth a visit.

Beautiful Elizabethan manor house with the oldest parts dating back to the C14th. Owned by Bolton Council it has been excellently restored with information boards in the different rooms. The guide we had was very good in telling the story of the building. In 1554, during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary, local Protestant preacher George Marsh was interrogated here before he was burned at the stake in Chester for heresy. It is said that there is a footprint on the floor where he stamped his foot to show the injustice. There's a tea room and a gift shop. Also attractive grounds to wander around. Although it's free to go in, a donation is deserved.

The hall is smaller than we expected (or you can see less of it than we thought) but it is a lovely building. You can only see one room upstairs and no kitchens. The tour groups blocked off alot of the house during our visit unfortunately. The chapel was my favourite part, beautiful windows. There are lots of very low door frames which was rather amusing with my 6ft 4 husband, he must have been a rarity back then! If you take a left instead if heading into the house, it leads you to a stone bridge, go down the bottom of the bridge and theres a lovely waterfall. Entry is free, please make a donation. Check opening times on Google and check for private events before setting off. Parking is free just over the road and theres disabled parking right in front of the house.

An absolutely legendary place to visit especially for free but please make sure to donate some shrapnel at least. I want to say thank you to John for giving us such an amazing tour of this glorious building. We would have missed so much if we didn’t have his plethora of knowledge and information. I would recommend this place to anyone.

We visited Smithy Open Farm last month as a family, and it was a truly wonderful experience. The farm is well-kept and full of charm, and the animals are all very gentle and friendly — perfect for children to interact with. From calves and lambs to many other farm animals, you can really enjoy close-up encounters and even watch the process of milk production, which was fascinating to see. There are plenty of activities for children and families, and feeding the animals is made easy with affordable feed available on-site. It’s both fun and educational, giving kids the chance to experience farm life in an authentic and enjoyable way. One of the highlights for us was trying the farm’s own freshly made yogurt — it was absolutely delicious and highly recommended! Overall, it’s a fantastic place for a family day out, especially with young children. Warm atmosphere, well-cared-for animals, and plenty to see and do — we’ll definitely be coming back again.

We visited Smithills Open Farm during the school holidays with the kids, and it was such a fantastic day out! The highlight was seeing the full process of how cows are milked and how the milk is stored — really fascinating and educational. The children loved getting hands-on, feeding the cows and other farm animals, and learning more about farm life. There are so many activities for kids, and it’s a great balance of fun and education. The staff were friendly and made the experience engaging for both children and adults. Overall, a brilliant day out for families — highly recommend!

Really enjoyable family day out. Lots available for small children, from donkey and tractor rides to feeding the cows and other farm animals. Also being able to interact and hold baby lambs, baby goats, Emu's, Rabbits and chicks in pets corner. The specific animal based talks were really informative and the kids had chance to get a photo which was great. There are also a selection of parks for the children to enjoy and multiple shops were you can grab a coffee and locally produced ice cream which was delicious.

Love this place, but if something for all of us. Getting so close to the cows isn't something kids from the city get to do that often and it's great. Staff seem to love their jobs and It does make it extra enjoyable. Some of the other local farms are good for an hour or two but we regularly spend 4-5 hours here

Every single member of staff we encountered made this day super special! They were so warm and welcoming, all made an effort to educate us on the animals and help us to get as much from the experience as possible. We loved it! P.s we’re still dreaming about the ice cream!

We brought our 9 month old granddaughter for her first visit to a farm and we all absolutely loved it. Even for a baby there is so much to do. She was obsessed with the mini horses and the donkeys ❤️ She was fighting sleep at the end so we couldn't go to meet the animals but we certainly will be doing on our next visit. The tractor ride to the donkeys made her day 🥰 Thank you all for making our first Grandparent day the best ever ❤️

It was an amazing trip. Kids enjoying the encounter with different animals though the emus are a bit terrifying. A pity was that the cafe only provided tea/ coffee and cake. No hot food provided.

Beautiful museum with stunning architecture. The aquarium hiding in the basement is fab. Very educational content. Egyptian room is amazing and natural history is awesome too. There are little hands on bits and dress up woven into the museum's journey for little ones.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Amazing Experience at Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Library! I had a fantastic time visiting the Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Library. It’s such a hidden gem in the heart of Bolton — beautifully maintained, educational, and fun for all ages. The museum has a wonderful mix of history, art, and interactive exhibits, while the aquarium adds an extra touch of excitement, especially for children. The Egyptian gallery is particularly impressive and full of fascinating displays. The library staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and always ready to help. The entire place is spotless and welcoming, making it a perfect spot for families, students, or anyone looking to spend a relaxing and inspiring day. Best of all, it’s completely free! Highly recommended — Bolton can truly be proud of this place!

Interesting museum. A lot more artifacts from Egypt than one would expect and thr exhibits seem well put togeather. The aquarium is not much to look. Overall, for a free museum, it was pretty good.

Many people will find something of interest in the museum: for me, it was the section devoted to the history of Bolton and the very engaging section on the shoe brand. Also the aquarium. The museum has a café and clean toilets.

A day trip to Bolton to visit the museum and a look around the town. The museum was good, a few different sections including an Egyptian section, natural history style section, and as it's Bolton an area dedicated to Reebok sportswear. There is a small aquarium with a variety of different species to see. Various fish and some stingrays. Overall really pleased with the museum.

Good rich history of the city and its people, also i enjoyed the tour of the tomb of the unknown man, the items in the museum are well preserved and displayed with detailed information on the items, very helpful staff too.

Bolton Museum is an absolute gem, a place that truly exceeds expectations. The museum itself is fascinating, beautifully curated, and full of engaging exhibits. From local history and art and natural science and world archeology, there’s a real sense of pride in how the town’s heritage is presented. The adjoining library is equally impressive, spacious, modern, and well laid out, offering a calm and welcoming environment for readers, students, and families alike. Then there’s the little aquarium tucked inside the basement, which is a delightful surprise. It might be small, but it’s brilliantly designed, showcasing a diverse range of aquatic life in an educational and enjoyable way. The staff deserve a special mention, every member of the team is warm and eager to help, which really adds to the overall experience. It’s clear that a lot of care, thought, and funding has gone into making Bolton Museum the outstanding cultural hub it is today. And perhaps the best part? It’s completely free to enter. For a museum, library, and aquarium of this quality, that’s remarkable. You could easily spend an afternoon here and still find new things to explore. A genuine five-star attraction, if I could give it another star, I would. Bolton should be incredibly proud of this treasure.

Nice walk on a lovely sunny day. We went mid week so not too busy. The car park is not huge so I expect it will fill up early on weekends. Cake and coffee in cafe were very good as was the ice cream.

First time walk - a few other paths to take next time. Some lovely views and lots of dog walkers about. Nice cafe at the end of it and toilet facilities in the carpark.

Went in a Monday and the cafe was shut but not sure if it’s open in other days. Beautiful views around the lake and we carried on down river which was a really picturesque walk.

A beautiful walk - I recommend sensible footwear! It is a beautiful circular walk and not too strenuous.

Large park, lovely walks,toilets and cafe, small car park.

An excellent place to walk around the reservoir with well signposted largely dry paths despite recently weather. An excellent café located near the car park offering a good choice of food with friendly staff and prompt service. Toilets are a disgrace however since they are run by a separate part of a local council and not part of the café so once toilets are installed within the café buildings, they’ll be no course a complaint.

The walk around the res is NOT buggy friendly. It's pram friendly if you have a tough pram with inflatable tyres. There are spots you will struggle to get a pram round. The start of the walk is very rough for a pram and you have some tight spots on the return side but mostly okay as long as you have a solid tough pram. Wasn't the most tranquil area, listening to constant security alarms and Chain saws most the way round. The cafe was closed. Looks like someone has crashed into the pay and display machine "Not all heroes wear capes". Some areas need some maintenance but otherwise it's nice to have a gentle walk. Would happily come again to walk around, decent Pokemon Go spot

Personally I love this place. It’s our go to Italian. There are of course others however we are always happily accommodated, even if we turn up unannounced. Their region of Italy means it’s one of the few places that do Veal, Negroni & Affogato. My kind of Heaven. All the dishes are delicious, give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Went for a birthday meal. The place was very busy and also very warm! Good variety of food on the menu to choose from, all very nice and piping hot. Portion sizes are quite big, but we still managed dessert as they looked too good not to try. One of the waitresses was quite miserable, but luckily, ours was lovely. I would definitely go here again.

Superb! We've driven past this restaurant for years and for some bizarre reason haven't visited till last night. We're gutted we've missed out for so long! The restaurant is lovely and the staff are all really smart, professional and friendly. The food is gorgeous. I had the king prawns then spaghetti carbonara which was the best I've tasted, large portion so I've got some for lunch. My husband had the mushrooms with pate and Gorgonzola which he said were divine then lasagna. Lovely to see Guiseppe again and to chat with the waiters, definitely coming here again soon.

Had an amazing night with friends. We were looked after as soon as we walked through the door. Atmosphere was good, Food was amazing (Ribs are huge), and service second to none. My only disappointment was that I have never been here before. It Will definitely be my new go-to place. A friend said they do a great breakfast too.

Wow what a place - Have driven past this place so many times and thought it was a cafe to get a coffee and maybe a pizza but how wrong i have been all this time - Its a full blown resturant and lovely inside and way bigger than it looks. Staff are all lovely and very chatty and helpful. The food we had was cooked lovely and very tasty indeed. This has got to be the best Italian in Bolton by far and trust me we have tried them all.

Excellent quality food. Usually, i have a large plate of garlic mussels, but today, I had a sizeable piece of cod in a tomato and mushroom sauce with seasonal vegetables. Recommended.

Great food with great service. Visited Monday mid afternoon and we got 2 x 3 course meals, 2 additional sides and 2 large drinks for £60. The lasagna was exceptional - there is also a deal on during the week for selected mains. Will definitely be back.

**update from response to owner...our order was 1x 12 Oz cod & chips 1x kids fish bites & chips 1x curry sauce 2x cans coke. =£47 We asked the chap at the counter if the 12oz cod had enough food for 2 adults to share & his reply was definitely yes its a very large portion of fish & chips. Look at the photo I uploaded. It has barely enough chips for 1 person. Lucky as the chips were horrible. The batter on the fish wasn't that good either. Have a look yourself -------------------------------- Came here for lunch had 2 portions of fish & chips, 1 sauce and 2 drinks at £47 it's getting very expensive also the chip portions seem to have got even smaller over the years. Whilst I understand the concept of charging more to cover your overheads but charging more and giving less chips. I don't understand? Whilst the crispy cod was lovely and tasty. The chips were a bit dry and very greasy. The mushy peas were also very bland and tasteless also wish they would not use green food coloring. Very expensive lunch for 2 kids and 2 adults. Probably won't bother again in future

Terrible cod fish..No batter to speak off. Peas were off Gravy was watery and runny. Asked for the fish to be replaced before I started eating. The chief fryer had a big fit and flatly refused. He appeared to have had a bad day.!!! Claimed it had just come out and was fresh as could be. The woman that attempted to serve me had no clue about customer service. Regret not asking for my money back. Was sooo disappointed. Was highly rated. But arrogance makes complacency. Or they treat paler customers differently. I'm not sure???

We visited for the first time today and found everything first class. We has heard favourable reports about the place and would now endorse this. The food was excellent and the portion we had was enormous! The service was brilliant and herecI must mention Tyler, who greeted us and showed us to our table. He gave us somewhere that was convenient for parking my mobility scooter and generally has the most perfect attitude to customer service. He is warm and friendly and definitely made our visit even better. Thank you Tyler, keep it up!

This had been a long-standing favourite for me and my family over the years. Five starts for nostalgia, however the food quality has declined over the years. That said, I still like visiting and the team of people that work there are top. Olympus.

A quiet and comfy restaurant located right opposite to the Bolton bus interchange. Had to order at the counter but all the staff members were very friendly, helpful and professional. Food was nice, especially the pepperoni pizza topped with a very generous amount of cheese. Their soup of the day was tasty too. It was vegetable soup, creamy enough to be a nice dip for the chips. P.S. love their choice of music. Their playlist featured a lot of songs of the Bee Gees, which did add some classiness to the vibe of the restaurant.

I got a normal cod and chips. It was my first time. It was cooked well, but I seriously think it lacked some flavour. The chips were really good and I liked the cod and peas too. Portions are decent. Service was great, everyone was polite. The atmosphere was absolutely perfect, A little jazz playing in the back while it was raining, really well lit and decorated. The only thing that stood out to me was the price. It isn't unaffordable, but I would go there more often if it was a little cheaper. Other than that, not a lot was bad.

Nice large place in central Bolton close to the bus interchange, specialising in fish and chips but they do provide other options for vegetarians ie. Cheese and onion pasty/pie. Different choices of size of fish etc. depending on how hungry you are, for example, we had the mini fish and chips £11 as we weren't very hungry, which consisted of; small battered cod, 6 chips...yes just 6 (it's advertised as 6 chips) and mushy peas. We were quite full after, perfect if you just want a few chips. There's the full fish and chips with peas, bread and butter and tea or coffee and other combinations. Only 2 types of fish that I remember, cod or haddock. There's a lovely conservatory that you can eat in with sunlight pouring through the windows that look out onto a small concrete yard with pot plants. Whilst we were eating a pianists started playing nostalgic songs, which was nice. It's full of elderly people, like being in a care home, but all very pleasant. They do serve alcohol and desserts. The chippy next door also belongs to them, so if you don't want to sit inside, you can always get a takeaway.

Great food with plenty of seating both inside and in the garden. One of the best cheese and onion pies served with mushy peas and proper chips! Wide range of drink options and really nice friendly, helpful staff. Padded seating in the beer garden, perfect for a summers day.

Firstly I would like to say how friendly and polite the staff are, thank you to Ellie for looking after us. The food was excellent, the beef was cooked to perfection, as per our request. We had a starter, a main, and desert for £26 each. For starters we had a mix of the starters, Mac and cheese croquettes, salt and pepper chicken chunks and prawns with Marie sauce. The mains were all roast beef and they were cooked to our preferences, this came with cauliflower cheese, potato with cream, roast potatoes, roasted and glazed carrots and cabbage. The deserts were good, but only myself had a desert, it was apple crumble pie withe caramel and custard. This was very tasty and was a good size for a finish. Overall the food was excellent and I would recommend here. Next time I will try something from the main menu. Today we had the Sunday lunch menu.

Fabulous food. Sat on the veranda. Staff were very attentive and friendly. Offered some great recommendations for the menu. The lamb roast was hands down on of the best I have tried in the local area. Will be coming back!

Thanks Mia for the excellent service. She and all the staff took great care of us! Mia was so attentive constantly walking around checking all the tables, always at hand if we needed anything. Everything was fast, efficient and with a smile. Food was excellent the beef was pink as asked and the lamb tasted amazing. Huge homemade Yorkshire puddings! Great coffee! We will definitely come back!

We went in last night at 1800hrs and asked for a table for 3, we sat down and were given menus we ordered drinks and they came at about 1810, ok so far, at 1830 I went to the bar and asked could we place an order 5 mins later a waitress came and took the order. The place was about half full and there was 4 staff on. I went to the bar at 1845 and ordered more drinks, still no food. At 1930 we gave up and said we were leaving I then paid the bar bill, the women said thats fine when did we place the order and that they had party of14 in the back room, they were in when we came in at 1800hrs. We then got our coats and the woman came over and said that the food was now ready to com out, at that point in was a full hour after ordering and an hour 35 mins after coming in, shocking service. We then went to up to Ciao baby and had the excellent meal on the table in 15 mins. I had been going in the Globe/Thomas Egerton for 45 years but now no more shocking service

Excellent Sunday lunch … the lamb was beautiful cooked served with cauliflower cheese my favourite, cabbage, carrots nicely glazed, green beans and lots of gravy. I definitely recommend and I’ll be back thank you so much

Family Sunday lunch. Absolutely loved our meal, roast lamb was just perfect, you even get the cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets as part of the main! Service was brilliant, friendly, polite and a bit of banter too which is always welcome. Would definitely recommend you book in advance, by 2pm it was very busy (great atmosphere!)

Waited for 10 minutes to be seen to a table , the restaurant wasn’t busy at all. Ordered our food , when the started came the waiter basically threw it on the table and never spoke. Once the mains came the waiter didn’t take the starter plates away. Cutlery was dirty. Had to go through the pot to find any clean knifes and forks. The food was good but the service of the staff let down the experience sadly.

Ordered on bank holiday monday paid £77 and very disappointed. Never again . Who will pay £10 for this salad. Ripped off

Thank you so much Sally for the best services, and nice smile. We are from London and we are enjoying the city, we have nice time and food in Nando’s. Best!

Honestly extremely dissapointed, first time visiting this branch and literally nothing good to say besides the atmosphere and the seats. The main issue was the food, in particular the chicken thighs - they were cold, burnt and dry honestly horrific especially for the premium pricepoint. Also there was a firefly hovering over my food the entire time. Staff seemed nice but the Middlebrook branch is alot better and more reliable, stay away from this one extremely unacceptable.

The main course itself is the most important part for me, the two whole chickens I ordered were very under-grilled and tasted like boiled chicken. My previous good experience at Nando's Trafford Centre was ruined. Main course: Whole Chicken: bad 🌟 Sides: Chips: bad [over cooked & little bitter ] Spicy Rice: good Garlic bread: good

Finley, who is honestly a star at this Nando’s. From the moment I walked in, he had the kindest, bubbliest energy – always smiling, always attentive. The service was genuinely perfect; he made sure everything ran smoothly and went above and beyond to keep the place spotless. What really stood out to me was that he was the only one I saw consistently cleaning tables, taking initiative without hesitation. That kind of pride in the job is rare, and it made the whole atmosphere so much better. Finley is an absolute credit to the team – professional, welcoming, and clearly passionate about giving great service. If every restaurant had a Finley, eating out would always be a 10/10 experience.

I dont usually write reviews but i felt i had to say how welcoming Dawn was when we entered Nandos. Enquiring if we had any allergies, seating us in a place that accommodated a disability trolley that wouldnt be in anyones way, and seating us in a quiet place suitable for my son with autism, she then swiftly went to get a highchair for him as well as crayons and paper to colour which made him really happy! She also periodically came back to our table to check on us to ask if there was anything more that she could assist us with. The whole experience was great and i would highly recommend this nandos especially if Dawn is there!