Rivington Country Park.

Start. Drive to Rivington Hall Barn.

Route. Drive to Rivington Hall Barn - Rivington Country Park - Higher Derbyshires - Rounton Road - Rivington Lane - Liverpool Castle - Lower Rivington Reservoir - Go Ape - Great House Barn - Drive to Rivington Hall Barn.

Notes. Gifted to the people of Bolton by Lord Leverhulme, Rivington Country Park has been a country estate since 1904. Designed by Thomas Hayton Mawson in collaboration with William Hesketh Lever, later first Viscount Leverhulme. The park was laid out as a country park between 1901-11, situated between the villages of Rivington and Horwich, on land which slopes westwards down to Lower Rivington Reservoir.

This was a short one, mainly a ramble through woodland over ancient carriage ways, probably some of the original routes to the main hall, the second half took us to the shores of Lower Rivington Reservoir. One of two built to supply water to the city of Liverpool, before their completion the good citizens of Liverpool had to rely on streams and wells. The city received it’s first supply from Rivington in 1857.

After parking on the main drive to Rivington Hall Barn we wandered towards the building, turning right onto a lesser trod that guided us to a wider track, this still had the original cobbled surface causing me to assume this was once one of the main entrances to the main hall. The drive guided us through woodland, passed parkland eventually depositing us on a narrow tarmac road, this in turn guided us down hill passed Rivington and Blackrod School depositing us on Rivington Lane a busy road.

After turning right we strolled to the next car park, here a tree lined cobbled drive lead to Liverpool Castle. Here you step back in time, the castle is actually a folly, a scaled replica of Merseyside’s 13th century stronghold. From this fairytale castle we wandered along the reservoir shore, Go-Ape marked the point we headed back, a quick stop at Great House Barn for ice cream, then the main drive ushered us back to the car.

view route map.

home.

My grandson Jack was behind the camera today.

Striding out through the man made landscape of Rivington Country Park.

Dappled light on the path ahead.

Easy walking through tree lined avenues.

The track through Higher Derbyshires.

Lone Foxglove.

Tree lined avenue to Liverpool Castle.

Liverpool Castle, actually a folly, a scaled replica of Merseyside’s 13th century stronghold.

From the castle woodland paths lead along the shore line of Lower Rivington Reservoir.

Over the tree tops Rivington Pike.

Lower Rivington Reservoir.

Viewing the woodland of Rivington Country Park from the reservoir shore.

Viewing The Anderton Centre across Lower Rivington Reservoir.

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