Slaidburn Steam Rally

Posted byNorthwest nature and historyPosted in#Lancashire, #Yorkshire, Forest of BowlandTags:, , , , , , , ,

Slaidburn Steam Rally, or The Slaidburn Steam and Vintage Vehicle Display, to give it its official name, is an annual event held in the village of Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland.

Although originally conceived as solely for steam a variety of other vehicles now attend, including vintage cars and tractors, alongside stalls showcasing local crafts like clog making and stick carving.

Started in 1980 by steam enthusiast David McNamee, it has grown into a popular, family-friendly event on the steam rally calendar, raising over £100,000 for local causes. Admission is free, with donations supporting village groups.

The next event is scheduled for June 7th and 8th, and will be held by the village green this year instead of its birthplace, and home for the last 42 years, the Hark to Bounty Inn.

Please visit slaidburnsteam.co.uk for more details.

The Bounty Bus

The famous ‘Bounty Bus’, a beautifully restored Reo Speedwagon that once plied the route between t’ Bounty and the Inn at Whitewell at the other end of the valley, stopping at Newton and Dunsop Bridge in-between.

Vintage Vehicles

Despite its name the rally is not restricted solely to steam powered vehicles.

Last but certainly not least, local farmers bring their vintage tractors to the event each year

All photos by author.

A B-H

(May 2025)

Published by Northwest nature and history

Hi, my name is Alexander Burton-Hargreaves, I live in the Northwest of England and have over two decades of experience working in and studying the fields of land management and conservation. As well as ecology and conservation, in particular upland ecology, I am also interested in photography, classical natural history books, architecture, archaeology, cooking and gardening, amongst many other things. These are all subjects I cover in my articles here and on other sites and I plan to eventually publish a series of books on the history and wildlife of Northern England.

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