Rivington Pike and Terraced Gardens

Rivington Pike is a moorland summit of 363 m on the western edge of the West Pennine Moors in Lancashire, topped by a stone tower built in 1733 and long a popular Easter walk for people from Bolton and Greater Manchester. The circular route starts near Rivington Hall Barn on Rivington Lane, Rivington, Bolton, BL6 7SB, where there is a car park near the barn and the nearby Rivington Reservoir. By public transport, visitors take a Northern train from Manchester Piccadilly to Horwich Parkway in about 35 minutes, then a Bee Network bus towards Rivington; the drive from central Manchester takes about 40 minutes. No permit is needed. The walk is about 7 km with roughly 250 m of ascent and is graded moderate because of the steady climb up the hillside. Paths are a mix of gravel tracks, stone steps, grass and some boggy moor sections, with little shade once above the woodland. The ascent passes through the Lord Leverhulme Terraced Gardens, a Grade II listed landscape created by the soap manufacturer William Lever in the early twentieth century, with ruined pavilions, a Japanese lake, a seven-arch bridge and a ruined bungalow that adds to the atmosphere. Above the gardens, the path climbs to Rivington Pike, where the tower offers views over the Lancashire plain, Blackpool Tower on clear days, Winter Hill and the Welsh hills in exceptional visibility. The descent follows the stone steps and tracks back to the hall, passing the reservoir shore and the replica Liverpool Castle. Walkers wanting a shorter walk can turn back at the tower, or wander only in the gardens. The Rivington Hall Barn has refreshments and toilets; there are no huts on the moor, but the tower and gardens provide some shelter. Stream water should not be drunk untreated, so carry water for the full route. The area is managed by the Rivington Heritage Trust and United Utilities, and dogs should be on leads in grazing areas.