Tuesday 21 January 2025 - Around Rivington and the Terraced Gardens

Andy joined Sue and me for a wander around Lever Park and the Terraced Gardens. After a leisurely coffee at the Great House Barn, we took the direct route along the tree lined avenue pictured above to the scale model of Liverpool Castle, an artefact started in 1912 but never finished.

The Lower Rivington Reservoir was constructed between 1852 and 1857, before the folly was built, so the castle has a commanding view over the reservoir.

Sue and Andy posed in the ramparts before we set off along a path lined by pretty moss covered trees on the overcast day.

We took a route to the Hall, passing walls and other artefacts dating back to the early days of the Levers’ tenure.

A recent addition to the attractions of the estate is a Pinetum.

I got confused by the map and identified this bridge incorrectly, as we wandered around the Hall, thinking incorrectly that we had reached the Terraced Gardens.

We soon realised, thanks in part to an information board, that this was the path we needed to follow.

We reached the site of the South Lodge. There’s lots about Rivington on the internet, and I’m doing this posting from a remote site, so I’ll just give brief mentions of the landmarks we visited, with photos, albeit on a gloomy day between spells of rain. Some of the information boards are also pictured, so if you wish you can click on and expand these to read the text. Here, the pictures are shown below the descriptions.

The view from South Lodge

The remains of the South Lodge.

The paths in the Terraced Gardens have been lovingly restored by volunteers and others.

Here’s an elaborate viewpoint near The Ravine

Looking down from high in The Ravine.

The Ravine.

Moving on, we enjoyed a coffee break by the Japanese Garden. Andy, who always carries plentiful supplies, fed the ducks.

The site of the Kitchen Gardens came next.

Then the first of two visits to the Great Lawns, with their impressive summer houses.

Rising to the upper track, and passing below Rivington Tower, we came to the Pigeon Tower, at the far north east corner of the gardens.

We looked down to the Italian Lake, without realising at the time that it was there amongst some ornate superstructures.

We then headed down past a small pond to reach the site of ‘The Bungalow’.

The Bungalow once stood here - an impressive building with numerous bedrooms, a ballroom and an observatory.

Were these stone constructions benches for summer visitors?

We found ourselves back at the Lawns, with their impressive summer houses and the site of a tennis court clearly marked.

Moving on, we passed an ornate archway to reach the far end of the Kitchen Garden, which happily is in use.

Then we came to the site of the Stone House Lodge.

Our final landmark was Lever’s Bridge, inspired by a bridge in Nigeria of similar design.

Now we descended to a post with the red mark that indices the tour of the gardens that we had followed on the way up.

Here’s our route - the best part of 10km with 240 metres of ascent, over which we took 3 hours.

We had visited all but the Orchard, and perhaps the Italian Lake, on our journey past the twelve landmarks noted on our map, but we will have to come again when the flowers are in bloom and we can admire again all the restoration that has been and is being achieved.

Then we enjoyed an excellent lunch back at the Great House Barn.

Later, I impressed myself with the close likeness of our tray bake dinner with the picture in the recipe book.