Rivington Terraced Gardens is a magical place of hidden paths, caves, structures and lakes covering an area of roughly 45 acres of hillside. It’s open 365 days a year and is completely free to visit.

Lord Leverhulme (William Hesketh Lever), the soap magnate and founder of Lever Brothers (now Unilever) conceived and built the Terraced Gardens with the help of Thomas Mawson between 1905 and 1925. After his death, and subsequent sale of the property in 1925, the gardens began to fall into disrepair. The houses were demolished after World War II, and Rivington Terraced Gardens were left to the forces of nature.

60 years later, United Utilities owns the land, and the Rivington Heritage Trust repair and conservation project is underway.

As the project progresses and more of the shrubs, self-seeded trees and mud are cleared away, the original shape of Lord Leverhulme’s garden is more visible. New paths are being discovered, new stairways uncovered, and visitors to the gardens are beginning to see how it once might have been.

There is nowhere else like it on Earth. With iconic structures like the Pigeon Tower, the Seven Arch Bridge, the Summer Houses and Loggia, not to mention the Pulham rock faces around the pathways and Lakes – the Italian lake, where Lever used to take his morning swim, and the beautiful Japanese Lake, which was once looked upon from glamorous oriental pagoda-style tea houses – the Gardens are truly unique.

Rivington Terraced Gardens has something for everyone:

• Garden and history enthusiasts will delight in its stories about

  • Thomas Mawson – the world’s first “landscape gardener”

  • James Pulham – a landscape gardener specialising in rock gardens and grottoes, and

  • Edith Rigby – the suffragette who burned down Lever’s original house in the Gardens

• Families and children will love exploring the paths, finding caves and exploring the foundation remains of the Bungalow.

• Walkers and Runners love the steps, inclines and hills and this majestic entrance to the West Pennine Moors.

• Wildlife and nature enthusiasts will enjoy the interesting plants that have survived from the oriental gardens, the vast variety of fungi, and the many birds and animals that live here. Will you spot some of our roe deer as you explore the myriad of pathways? Will you hear the green woodpeckers?

• Schools and Children’s groups – visit our Outdoor Classroom.

• Events – Visit the What’s On pages to see a list of activities coming soon.

The entrance signs all have a copy of the following map to help you get around:

For more information about these areas, click on the link:

The Italian Lake

The Pigeon Tower

The Bungalow

The Great Lawn and Tennis Lawn

The Kitchen Gardens

Accessibility

Rivington Terraced Gardens sit on layers of terraces on the western side of Winter Hill, just below Rivington Pike. The hill is steep with uneven paths. It is not accessible to wheelchairs, and even the most ruggedly built pram would struggle. There are a lot of steps.
Roynton lane, which runs through the gardens from Lower House car park, has been resurfaced, vastly improving access to wheeled vehicles and all-terrain wheelchairs and prams.
Sensible footwear is advised.

Car Parking

There are quite a few Car Parks dotted around the base of the Gardens, we encourage people to park sensibly as access to gates can be required urgently.

Food and Drink

The area is well-served for tea rooms and cafes in the village of Rivington, at the base of the hill, and the Fika coffee and cake takeaway can be found at the old toilet block site – B – on the map above.

Toilets

There are well-maintained public toilets below the Visitor Centre, at the base of the hill, on Rivington Lane.

Great House Visitor Centre

As well as finding maps, walking guides and books here at the Visitor Centre, you will also find a charming gift shop with local arts and crafts.

Great House Visitor Centre
Rivington Lane
Rivington
BL6 7SB