TRANSPORT a proud Victorian Boltonian 100 or so years forward, place him in the town centre -- and watch the sense of wonder grow writes Features Editor, Angela Kelly

True, he would still recognise some of the buildings around him.

The Market Hall would be a familiar landmark, although its ornate ironwork would probably be the only unchanged part of it. Modern stalls now fill its walkways, selling goods of all kinds as well as the meat, fruit and vegs he might remember well

Now, the Victorian building is grafted on to the costly Market Place development, with its bright and pleasing decor and wealth of stores proving a beacon for shoppers.

He would recognise the Town Hall and its reassuring, solid Victorian lines, and the imposing sweep of Le Mans Crescent.

But, he would be baffled as to where the traffic had gone in Victoria Square, and amazed by the gushing fountains and planning that created new-look pathways and seating there.

For in 2002, there is much to spark feelings of pride in Bolton -- in its town centre, its districts and its countryside.

And it does not take a huge leap in time to appreciate the way that the town has grown and developed.

Its chequered history is still visible in buildings like the Old Man and Scythe inn on Churchgate and in the imposing and lofty Bolton Parish Church nearby.

Here, office workers lunch in its lush grounds in summer, and inside its impressive, echoing grandeur has recorded the historic milestones of the town -- from wars to weddings -- and heralding the new centuries.

A true taste of the town is available at Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe just over the road, still using a secret recipe to please residents and visitors alike.

Stroll up Bradshawgate, look above the shops and the handsome brick fascias of the buildings are largely unchanged. On towards Nelson Square, providing a green oasis for its monuments.

Today, leisure has replaced cotton as king, and pubs and hotels surround this lively little square in a comfortable marriage across time.

Families can splash about in the The Water Place. And sports' fans can try the Excel Centre close to Bolton College, where students daily spill onto the streets in bursts of youthful energy.

The town's Museum and Art Gallery offers a feast for the mind and the eyes, while at St Georges Craft Centre the hush of the former church now gives way to exciting exclamations at the goods on offer.

Bolton's famous Market off Great Moor Street is a timeless microcosm of individual trade and endeavour.

Our Victorian would feel comfortable here, among the shouting of prices from the fish stalls and the personal service of the local stallholders, enticing customers from the swarming sea of shoppers moving through the aisles.

Middlebrook, on the other hand, would definitely be beyond his understanding.

Huge, bright stores everywhere, restaurants and fast food outlets, cinemas, bowling .... This self-contained retail village caters for every possible modern need and entertainment.

But, stand in its centre -- with the hi-tech Reebok Stadium home of Bolton Wanderers and the multi-million pound Commonwealth Games' venue Bolton Arena at your back -- and it is the countryside which claims your entire view.

The West Pennine Moors provide an undulating green horizon, the foothills now taken by homes but the real rural swathes uncluttered except by Nature.

Here, Lord Leverhulme -- born in Wood Street in the town centre, a place now restored to Georgian glory -- had a country home and estate.

On the slopes of Rivington Pike he built a fantastic garden, recreating the ruins of Liverpool Castle.

Zebras and other exotic animals wandered over the same estate that today walkers in brightly coloured anoraks enjoy, as Leverhulme donated the land as a park for the people of Bolton.

A few miles away lies another building which Leverhulme restored and presented to Bolton Council in 1900.

Hall i' th' Wood is where spinning mule inventor Samuel Crompton lived. He was born at nearby Firwood Fold, where the sympathetically modernised cottages are a popular place to live these days.

Smithills Hall, now sumptuously recreated. Historic Barrow Bridge, set amid some of the borough's loveliest countryside, rolling parkland at Moss Bank and Leverhulme parks -- all would please our Victorian's sense of grandeur.

And he would view this still green land, and perhaps be pleased that, yes, there is still much to be proud of in our Bolton.