Rivington

infobox UK place
latitude= 53.625529
longitude= -2.566459
official_name= Rivington
map_type= Lancashire
population= 144 (2001 Census)
os_grid_reference= SD626144
civil_parish= Rivington
shire_district= Chorley
shire_county= Lancashire
region= North West England
country= England
post_town= BOLTON
postcode_area= BL
postcode_district= BL6
dial_code= 01204
constituency_westminster= Chorley Rivington is a small village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 144.

In the countryside around the village may be seen many sculptures and buildings built by Lord Leverhulme who converted a large area into a public park (Lever Park) from 1904 onwards. Notable buildings in the village include the parish church, a Unitarian chapel, two halls, a mill and a replica (gbmapping|SD6286513025) of Liverpool Castle. Rivington was used heavily in World War II as a storage and training post. There was also a prisoner of war camp where Italian POWs were kept.

The parish was the site of a number of buildings built for Leverhulme including Roynton Cottage (gbmapping|SD6391514010) (usually called The Bungalow though it had two floors), Japanese garden, Roman bridges and Pigeon Tower. The bungalow was destroyed in an arson attack by suffragette Edith Rigby on 8 July 1913. Traces of this bungalow and gardens can be found on the slopes of Rivington Pike. There were proposals to rebuild The Bungalow but these were blocked by Liverpool Corporation.

The village lies below Rivington Pike and further east is Winter Hill, and was a location for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Work has been undertaken recently to restore the gardens to their former glory, clearing many of the rhododendron bushes that had overgrown the site.

The village extended a little further to the west until 1847 when Liverpool Corporation.began the construction of the Rivington Reservoirs. The two reservoirs were completed in 1857, five years later than Anglezarke Reservoir to the north.

Hill Summits

Notable peaks [Book : Kenneth Fields. "Lancashire Country Walks (2) : Five Short Circular Walks From Anglezarke And White Coppice", Unmarked, available from Rivington Lower Barn p17] .

Winter Hill * 456m / 1496' SD659149

Counting Hill 433m / 1421' SD671141

Two Lads Hill * 389m / 1276' SD655133

Noon Hill * 380m / 1247' SD647150

Crooked Edge Hill 375m / 1230' SD654134

Rivington Pike 362m / 1188' SD643138

Adam Hill 360m / 1181' SD660126

White Brow 358m / 1175' SD661124

Whimberry Hill 340m / 1115' SD686139

Egg Hillock 328m / 1076' SD684142

Brown Hill 325m / 1066' SD644135

Brown Lowe 325m / 1066' SD669130

Burnt Edge 325m / 1066' SD667125

"*denotes walker's cairn or similar."

Notes and References

Further reading

*Smith, Malcolm David, "Leverhulme's Rivington", Wyre Publishing, Lancashire, ISBN 0-9526187-3-7, The Story of the Rivington 'Bungalow'.

External links

* [http://www.chorley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1202 Rivington] chorley.gov.uk.