A PROJECT to mark the 50th anniversary of the Forest of Bowland becoming an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has been hailed a success and has been extended to run into 2016.

‘Bowland Revealed’ was a partnership project between Lancashire County Council Arts Development, Ribble Valley Borough Council and the Forest of Bowland to celebrate the forest being named an Area of Outstanding Beauty in 1964 and was due to last until the end of 2015.

The project was given £62,000 funding by Arts Council England through its Grants for Arts programme which consisted of different exhibitions and workshops.

A section of the project, ‘Explore and Engage’, ran throughout this year and offered creative participation sessions to hit communities in and around the AONB.

These were designed to bring clubs, communities and families to the forest.

The popular Blackburn Heritage Festival used the forest as one of its main inspirations, as did the Platform Gallery in Clitheroe, which held multiple art exhibitions throughout the year focusing on the forest’s wildlife, landscape and habitats.

Burnley Mechanics produced a series of crafts based on their visit to the Beacon Fell County Park earlier this year.

Sandra Silk, project officer at the Forest of Bowland, said : “We had open access events throughout the year with the Bowland Explorers and a mums to mums group from Burnley holding art workshops.

“We wanted to bring as many people to the forest who are on the fringe of the AONB as we could. The forest is visible from those areas of Clitheroe and Preston and we wanted to get them interested and involved with the forest as much as possible.

“Due to the success, we have extra workshops going on next year now which is fantastic.

“It’s the biggest project I’ve seen the forest take on and it was important we celebrated the anniversary.”

‘Landmarks’ featured a series of outdoor visual art pieces inspired by the landscape of the AONB, which featured Celeste by Salina Somalya on show at Gisburn Forest Hub and Beauty by Geraldine Pilgrim at Beacon Fell Country Park.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: “The Forest of Bowland deserves to be an AONB because it is completely unspoilt and not crowded. It is a hidden gem of natural beauty and inspiration.

“It brings a much-needed asylum from the madding crowd, and it’s right on our doorstep.”

For more information about upcoming events in the forest, visit forestofbowland.com