Rivington Terraced Gardens

A Lost Edwardian Dream Reclaimed

Rivington Terraced Gardens began as the private hilltop retreat of William Hesketh Lever, later Lord Leverhulme, founder of Lever Brothers. In the early 1900s, he acquired the Rivington estate and commissioned the renowned landscape architect Thomas Mawson to transform a steep hillside into a spectacular terraced garden. Inspired by Italian Renaissance hillside gardens, Mawson created a series of formal terraces linked by long stone staircases, loggias, and belvederes, with strong vertical axes and dramatic viewpoints. The result was a show garden of grand proportions, designed both as a place of relaxation and as a backdrop for entertaining, where Lever could enjoy panoramic views across the Lancashire plain.

Layers of Landscape and Legacy

The gardens unfold across roughly 45 acres of terraced hillside, with paths winding between lawns, rockwork, and water features. The Italian Lake, where Lever famously took his morning swim, and the more intimate Japanese Lake, once framed by oriental pagoda-style tea houses, are central to the design. The Pulham rock faces, waterfalls, and caves add a wild, romantic character, while structures like the Seven Arch Bridge and the Pigeon Tower (originally a lookout and dovecote) provide focal points. The gardens were never fully completed in Lever’s lifetime, and after his death in 1925, the estate passed through various hands before falling into decline. Today, the site is a partial restoration, with the Rivington Heritage Trust and volunteers working to uncover and preserve the original layout, paths, and features.

Exploring the Ruins and Paths

Visitors today walk among the evocative remains of Lever’s grand vision. The footprint of the Bungalow, Lever’s hilltop home, has been excavated and marked with a circle of wildflowers where the ballroom once stood. The Great Lawn and Tennis Lawn, the Kitchen Gardens, and the Orchestra Lawn with its historic sundial all speak to the estate’s former life. Hidden paths, caves, and stairways invite exploration, while the Pigeon Tower still offers one of the best views in the area. The gardens are layered with history: the suffragette Edith Rigby’s burning of the original house in 1913, Lever’s rebuilding in stone, and the later demolition of the Bungalow in 1948 all form part of the site’s rich, sometimes turbulent, story.

A Garden for All Seasons and Interests

Rivington Terraced Gardens appeal to a wide range of visitors. Garden and history enthusiasts appreciate the Mawson design, the Pulham rockwork, and the social history of the Lever family and the suffragette movement. Families and children enjoy the sense of adventure in exploring paths, caves, and ruins. Walkers and runners relish the steps, inclines, and connection to the West Pennine Moors, while wildlife lovers find interest in the surviving ornamental plants, fungi, birds, and roe deer. The gardens are open year-round and free to enter, making them a flexible destination for a short stroll or a full day out, often combined with a hike up to Rivington Pike for even more expansive views.