Rivington Pike and Lever Park.

Start. Driveway to Rivington Hall.

Route. Driveway to Rivington Hall - Rivington Hall - Breres Meadow - South Lodge Entrance - Terraced Gardens - Belmont Road - Rivington Pike - Belmont Road - Higher Knoll - Higher Derbyshire - The Little Tea Room - Driveway to Rivington Hall.

Notes. Gifted to the people of Bolton by Lord Leverhulme, Lever 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. In 2014 they were named Britain’s Best Lost Gardens by Country File, the BBC TV show, although the people of Bolton have always known of their existence, they just haven’t looked after them very well, since 2016 restoration work has been ongoing.

On the other hand Rivington Pike has been seen by thousands, it dominates the skyline as you travel along the M61 towards Bolton, adorned with a squat tower, Pike Tower an 18th century hunting lodge, unfortunately the door and windows have been bricked up to prevent vandalism, such are our times.

There is loads of free parking around Rivington, we parked on the drive leading to Rivington Hall, with way marked paths to guide us we wandered towards Rivington Hall before turning right, this path guided us through woodland as far as Breres Meadow, still following a good path we climbed the meadow to access the myriad of paths ascending through Rivington Terraced Gardens.

All we did was keep climbing by sloping paths and many steps, there’s loads to see here but our aiming point was Rivington Pike. After a great many steps we arrived at the Belmont Road, an old cobbled road running across the slopes of Winter Hill, the cobbled surface then guided us south to another cobbled path ascending to the summit of Rivington Pike. The views from this top with it’s squat tower were stunning even on a hazy day like today, Blackpool Tower was clearly visible on the Fylde Coast also Jodrell Bank’s radio telescope, unfortunately not on show today the Isle of Man or the Lake District.

From Rivington Pike we descended to the south to access a path descending through rough pastures, this guided us passed Higher Knoll to a path junction at a small car park, here we turned sharp right to access the left hand of two paths. This trod another cobbled road guided us through the plantings of the Lever Estate, through Higher Derbyshire, passed The Little Tea Room, that was just about to close then back to the parked car.

view route map.

home.

Ascending through Breres Meadow.

Jack ascends the first of many flights of steps.

And more steps.

Looking through one of a number of arches, look closely you can just make out the Italian Lake.

The Dovecote Tower.

From the Belmont Road views to the summit of Rivington Pike.

Hazy views over Horwich to the Lancashire coastal plane.

From Rivington Pike views to Yarrow and Anglezarke Reservoirs.

Views over Lower Rivington Reservoir, melting into a murky horizon the Fylde Coast.

Standing proud on the summit of Rivington Pike, Pike Tower.

Soaking up the view over Horwick and Bolton.

Our descent route with Horwick in the valley below.

A birds eye view over Lower Rivington reservoir.

Striding out through the plantings of Lever Park.

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