The area of Smithills lies on the lower south facing slopes of the West Pennine Moors and north west of central Bolton. Smithills is widely considered a residential suburb featuring plentiful green spaces. Though in actuality, the area of Smithills is mostly an area of non-residential land, encompassing farmland, Smithills Country Park and Smithills Moor which covers many square miles of green land leading up onto the West Pennine Moors. This land boasts many scenic walking trails, from dense forest to hilly grassland.

 

On the north east boundary of Smithills is Smithills Hall – a beautifully preserved grade 2 listed mansion with manicured gardens and forestry land dating back to pre-medieval times (before 1300). The historic hall is open to the public and serves as a museum.

 

Smithills Open Farm can be found to the north east of Smithills Hall and makes a great family day out in the summer months with a wide range of fun activities for children.

 

Smithills is also home to one of Bolton’s best family parks, Moss Bank Park, which you will find bustling with Bolton residents through the summer months, as well as visitors from outside Bolton. The park features many football pitches, tennis courts, a bowling green, several playgrounds for children of all ages, a miniature railway, cafes, fairground rides, and plenty of green spaces for picnics.

 

Within the area of Smithills are the suburbs of Barrow Bridge, Doffcocker, and the residential suburb lying between Moss Bank Park (to the west) and Smithills Hall (to the east) is simply known as Smithills.

 

Barrow Bridge is an award-winning model village in the north westerly corner of Smithills. It was created during the industrial revolution but since the demolition of the mills has been a small, picturesque village. The village has a river flowing through its centre with a 15ft waterfall – after heavy rain the waterfall is often seen with huge amounts of water gushing over its edge flowing down from the West Pennine Moors. Barrow Bridge can also be recognised due to its iconic chimney which was built in 1863 and still stands at around 80 metres tall today - the chimney is visible for miles around and is appealing to many history fans due to its now-rural setting amongst swathes of trees, unlike other preserved remains of the industrial revolution.

 

The suburb known as Doffcocker is a small residential area in the south westerly corner of Smithills. Doffcocker Lodge, a former mill lodge created in 1874, is now a local nature reserve for wildfowl which is popular amongst dog walkers and runners living in the area. Directly south of Doffcocker Lodge is the suburb of Markland Hill, which, although considered a suburb in its own right, falls into the wider area of Heaton that lies south of Smithills.

 

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES

 

Properties in Lower Smithills had an overall average price of £159,005 over the last year. The majority of sales in Lower Smithills during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £112,853. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £176,305, with detached properties fetching £336,678. (Source: Rightmove, 2021)

 

Properties in Upper Smithills had an overall average price of £357,000 over the last year. (Source: Rightmove, 2021)

 

Properties in Barrow Bridge had an overall average price of £254,800 over the last year. The majority of sales in Barrow Bridge during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £238,200. Detached properties sold for an average of £403,500, with semi-detached properties fetching £211,250. (Source: Rightmove, 2021)

 

Properties in Doffcocker had an overall average price of £267,757 over the last year. The majority of sales in Doffcocker during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £243,323. Terraced properties sold for an average of £132,262, with detached properties fetching £474,815. (Source: Rightmove, 2021)