Walk Around Rivington.
27 September 2003
Rivington barn it's between Chorley & Bolton. If you go down the M61, come off at junction 6, go through Horwich, take the turn off for Rivington lane on the right and Rivington barn is about a mile down the lane. If you need more help click here for a map
Rivington Barn History
The Great house barn is said to be dated around 811 A.D. It was once the
residence of Alexander Pilkington a Saxon noble. It stayed in his family until the 17th century when its owner Robert Pilkington died leaving the land as security for his loans. William Hesketh Lever 1st viscount Leverhulme (right) bought the property & land for the princely sum of
£60,000 in 1900. He later gave Rivington barn & the land surrounding it to the people.
Viscount Leverhulme made his fortune in soap manufacturing. His philanthropic endeavours include founding the model industrial town of Port Sunlight. His company still exists today under the name Unilever. Rivington barn is Scandinavian in design which could be a clue to the origin of its builders.
Time taken about 4 hours 30 minutes
The going is moderate
Free parking & refreshments at Rivington Barn Visitors centre.
Landranger map No.109
On leaving Great Barn Visitors Centre, cross the road, and follow the road towards Rivington Hall Barn. At the far side of the hall follow the footpath heading up into woods, soon going through a gate, with a stream to the right.
The track levels out to a T-junction. Go left and almost immediately right through a kissing gate. Head towards the car park. Cross a stile and wooden footbridge, then pass through a kissing gate. Head towards the upper car park. In the top right hand corner is a kissing gate.
Follow the path straight on with a deep cut stream to the right. Keep left. Continue straight on crossing two footbridges, heading towards a tree line. Cross the stile at the tree line and over the footbridge. Pass through the trees and cross the stile. Continue straight on with the fence to your right, heading towards the road. Head down hill crossing a couple of stiles and bridges to get across the stream. Head back up hill; keep left over stile and up some sunken steps, before reaching the road.
Bear right up the road. Stay on the road for about 100 yards then go left over a stone stile next to a metal gate (public footpath sign). Can get muddy around the gate area in wet weather. Head straight on from the gate, heading to the left of a cluster of trees. On passing the trees continue down hill, keeping the wall to your right. Ignore the fork to the left at the way marker. A further 20 yards down the hill bear right. Cross over a gap in the wall, and carry straight on, heading for Higher Hempshaws (derelict) farm. Crossing stone bridge over stream, then a stile (as you enter Angelzarke Moor) then continue straight on.
Now passing to the right of a wall, go left through a gap in the wall onto a well-worn track. At the first fork in the track (near some derelict buildings) keep right. At the next fork keep left heading down hill. After some distance pass through a kissing gate. The path then comes to another kissing gate. Head down the steep slope towards Lead Mines Clough.
At the bottom of the hill turn right towards the clough, crossing a wide bridge. Once over the bridge turn right through the kissing gate in the Clough. Take the left path, up a steep hill to a memorial at the top (in memory of RAF personnel whose plane crashed on the moors in 1943).
Facing the memorial, take the left path and pass through a kissing gate. Head off diagonally towards the gate on the other side of the field. Cross the stile and turn right onto the track. Soon pass through a metal gate. At the 2nd gate, a road is met.
Bear left, down the road to a bend. Go over the step stile on the right. Head across the field towards the gap in the trees. Cross a stile on the right side of the gap. Cross the field with the buildings to your left. Follow public footpath signs can get a bit confusing. Go through metal gate on left, immediately right go over the stile (through the chicken run) and then immediately left over another stile. Follow passage way to the farms main gate onto the road. Turn left heading downhill.
Take the first left, passing through a kissing gate. Head straight down towards another gate. Go through gate and follow path down hill through some woods. Cross the bridge over the stream and turn left. At the fork bear right passing a bench. At junction turn right down hill (ignore the woodland trail). Follow this path which has views of the reservoir to the left. Carry straight on along this track ignoring the fork to the right. Go through the kissing gate and cross a series of wooden bridges. At the end of the path, pass through a kissing gate, turn left onto the road that goes round the top of the reservoir.
At the far side of the reservoir, go left over a stile and up some steps. At the top cross the step stile, and continue uphill with the fence to your right. At the top of the field cross a stile and turn left onto the bridleway. After a while the track bears right, but you follow the footpath as it narrows and carries straight on. At the end of the footpath is Kays Farm house, turn right down the driveway. At the bottom of the drive, turn left.
Follow the road, passing some houses on the right. Continue until you see a gateway on the left, cross the stile into the field. Cross over another stile on the right. Follow this around until the edge of the reservoir. Take the footpath following the edge of the reservoir. As the path opens out into a field, keep left against the wall. At the far end of the field pass through a kissing gate onto the road. Cross over and continue ahead on the track.
Just after a large house “The Street”; turn right up some steps and cross the stile. Go straight on and cross 2 more stiles, reaching a farm track. Carry straight on and through a metal gate. Cross the bridge and head towards the houses at the top of the hill on reaching them turn left. Cross the stile and the field to the kissing gate. Keep to the left and head for the top left corner. Go through the gate and follow the track towards the farm buildings. Cross stile on the right just before the farmyard. Keep left and cross a stile. Turn left and follow the track down hill. Turn right onto the track at the side of the reservoir. At the road turn left and cross the bridge over the reservoir.
Follow the road up to a right turning; follow this passing a school on the left. At far end of the car park, the path forks. Turn left and then first right, this heads back to the car park at Great Barn Visitors Centre.
Want more information on this walk? Email [email protected]