Where is it? Near Darwen & Bolton

In which area of outstanding natural beauty? West Pennines

How tall is it? 1,220 feet (approx)

Write Up
We have lift off! Nobody can deny (or ought to) the likeness of the Jubilee Tower atop Darwen Tower near Darwen, Lancashire to that of the Rockets of science fiction films of yesterday. Given that this was errected in 1898 this is almost prophetic!

The hill that the tower is ready to launch from is known rather sedately as Darwen Hill – not a very inspiring name for an hill near Darwen but that’s straight-talking Lancashire people for you, no airs or graces and a spade is never more or less than a spade (digging implement if and only if, Royalty are present!). The hills features speak for themselves and they speak loudly.

Darwen itself is a demanding borough to walk through, the main road (A666) is the only road that you don’t need an oxygen mask to traverse and the hill echoes this with added volume, it realy is steep. There are numerous ascents of Darwen Hill – none are easy, the flat footpath is only flat in its own x-axis and makes for a long slog of a climb. Other more rural, organic paths that have evolved are a mixture of walk and scramble though it has to be added that this is only scrambling over what could be termed as micro-gills as opposed to the Ingleborough, Catbells and Pen-y-ghent type of rock scrambling.

The views from the base of the tower are nothing short of breath-taking, in itself this is a play on words as the hill is in such an exposed position that the wind hitting you from all around is both ferocious and relentless, one should seek shelter in the tower at the first chance!