Lever Park
Lever Park, Rivington, Lancashire was designed by Thomas Hayton Mawson between 1901 and 1911 for the founder of Unilever, Lord Leverhulme. An historic 1904 map of the Lever Park proposed area can be obtained here. Two Pillars mark the entrance located at the junction of Scholes Bank and Lever Park Avenue, Horwich. The pillars are inscribed with the words:
“William Hesketh Lever 1st Viscount Leverhulme. Lever Park the gift of William Hesketh Lever 1st Viscount Leverhulme born at 6 Wood Street, Bolton, September 19, 1851 died at Hampstead, London, May 7, 1925. For the benefit of the citizens of his native town and neighbourhood by act of parliament in 1902 the ownership and care of the park were vested in the Corporation of the City of Liverpool”.
The park opened in 1904, work had commenced in June 1902. Existing roads were improved and new roads were made, public amenities were provided, the Hall was renovated and a museum was commenced, pictures were hung in the Hall and historical articles and curios were placed on show.
The two large Saxon barns were restored and fitted up for refreshment and catering and land and shelter was fitted out for the accommodation of a collection of animals in selected parts of the park. As soon as possible the park was opened to the public and on the 18th of May, 1904, with appropriate ceremony, Mr. W. T. Mason of Abergele, formerly Head of Bolton High School for Boys, declared Lever Park Rivington open for public use, in the presence of a large and representative gathering. The ceremony took place on the open space in front of the western porch of the Hall Barn and four trees were planted to mark the occasion and a dedication ceremony was held in 10th October 1911 at a luncheon at the Hall.
Leverhulme was son of James Lever a successful grocer of Bolton, his son became a self made multimillionaire, Liberal politician and founder of many Masonic lodges in the area. He was a related of the Tillottsons who owned the local news papers including the Bolton Evening News.
Rivington was a quiet backwater prior to the reservoirs, farms had no running water, instead relying on wells, nor did they have modern treatment of sewage, bleaching and dying was a local industry contaminating ground water, pig farming and a slaughterhouse operated in the village. The reservoirs construction brought in vast numbers of workers who brought money into the village and led to increased Public Houses, including the Bowling Green and Black O Mores Hotel, demolished 1903, The Sportmans Arms, at Georges Lane built 1816 for shooting parties boomed. The lakes were a wonderment to the Victorians led to a tourist industry, aided by improved transport through the railways, the increased numbers of workers in factories nearby and a significant population boom at Horwich from the arrival of Railways and Horwich locomotive works, the new reservoir's landscape provided an escape from the factories the area became known as the 'Little Lake District'.
Other nearby drinking places were John Berry's Frozen Mop, now known as the Yew Tree, Millstone at Anderton, still in operation, two illicit pubs one at Tigers at Knoll Wood, demolished 1868 and The Clog, Anglezarke, demolished, and many Tea Rooms, Fisher House in the village being one. Rivington Hall operated a wash house during reservoir construction, the local businesses received delivery supplied by amongst others James Lever, who's son later become Lord Leverhulme, he had a keen interest in the local history of Rivington and supported the right to roam. Lever and his fiancé Elizabeth Hulme had dreamt of owning a property on the hillside of Rivington, after picnicking at Old Kate's Close on the hillside now adjacent to the Bungalow Grounds, where they later made their country home.
Replica castle
The replica of Liverpool castle, known also as Rivington Castle (It's official name) and Levers Castle, it is a very popular place for visitors and is a grade II listed building protected from 17th April 1967. The interior was fenced off with just a slight gap in the huge metal palisade gate until the 1990s. It has since been opened to the public and it is one of the features of Lever Park.
The replica is known by various names including Levers Castle, Rivington Castle, the model Liverpool Castle and by most local folk simply as 'The Castle'. The castle is built to a smaller scale than the original. The site chosen to build on was an ancient burial mound called Coblowe Hillock which is within the area known as The Crosses on the banks of the Lower Rivington reservoir,.
The original Liverpool Castle was the scene of exchanges between the royalist and parliamentarian forces during the Civil War, first held by Earl of Derby in support of Charles I. In 1643 he lost control to parliamentarian John Moore and in 1644 those under the command of Prince Rupert gained the castle for the royalist side, but Moore retook the castle. After the royalist defeat Parliament ordered demolition, some walls and the gatehouse were removed the rest left standing to be occupied by supporters of William of Orange in 1689. The city wanted total demolition and after some delays due to disputes the site was used to build a church in 1734 with subsequent places of worship replacing the first until 1899, after which the Victoria Monument was erected there 1902.
The replica Castle at Rivington was constructed between the first foundation stone being laid 16th August 19136)7)8) continued on through the Great War, although during the war this use of labour was objected to.9)
On the death of Lord Leverhulme in 1925 work came to a complete stop, from the site was sold a one ton hand powered crane, a stone masons bogie, wheel barrows and galvanized sheets also a wooden shed of 14ft by 7ft by 8ft.
There have been some modifications to the walls of the castle in 21st century and two lots of steps had been destroyed by the late 20th century.
There were originally an internal spiral stair case, leading from the Chapel and Anti Chapel and south west "Prison Tower", with adjacent passageway to the remains of an upper floor passageway and arched doorway of the Great Hall.
An external set of steps rose from the west postern, where in the original was kept supplies from the River passage, a shed was between between hall and keep, these steps led to the upper floor 'Keep' also known as 'Great Tower', there is a remaining stone ledge and from there is a passageway.
Drone Video View of Rivington Castle
The build of the ruin was a design based on a sketch and diagram by Edward W. Cox, published in 1892, titled “An Attempt to Recover the Plans of the Castle of Liverpool from Authentic records; Considered in Connection with Medieval Principles of Defence and Construction”. The Historical Society of Lancashire and Cheshire were the original publishers of the plans and sketch. W.H Lever and his brother James, the two founders of Lever Brothers were both members of the society. The replica was built as a folly and intended as a romantic ruin.
In the words of William Hulme Lever, 2nd Viscount Leverhulme in 1927, 'The castle should act as a reminder to the city of Liverpool of its duty to the area'.10)
The dream of Leverhulme was for Lever Park to receive ongoing
care and attention after his death as it had during his
lifetime. John Rawlinson in his book 'About Rivington', 1969,
describing the roads that lead to the Castle says if the park
had been maintained these three roads would have been beautiful
avenues by now, leading up to what he intended to be the Castle
Tea Gardens. If his original plans had been carried out there
would have been light catering at the castle, consisting of a
cafe with a long terrace overlooking the lake with a lovely view
of Anderton Park and the ridge of Blackrod across the water. The
terrace would be furnished with small tables and chairs like the
pavement outside a Parisian cafe. It is a great pity that this
plan was not carried out. To complete the establishment there
would have been a cottage for the caterer and his family.11)
In June 2012 United Utilities made some alterations, removing some of the stones
on the walls and some built up and straightened, this created
the straight sections on its ruined walls, the outline of the
castle ruin appearance has changed since its built ended in 1925
on the death of Leverhulme. For many years there was a
large palisade fence blocking access at the main gateway.
DO NOT CLIMB - Lever Castle Rivington has been the scene of some very terrible accidents as a result of young people falling after climbing. During my own lifetime there have been many young people who have fallen from the walls, the stones at the top are uneven, some mortar is loose and can move or detach, the top of the walls are not in anyway intended or safe to climb on, note the green in the video on the top of the castle walls is moss and weeds which also become slippery. Parents, please do not allow your young people to take their chances climbing this castle, even if you climbed it yourself as a youngster, the top walls are now far less even and masonry has deteriorated. due to the height and terrain and restricted access for emergency services a fall from the castle could end your life.
Dog Owners
Alabama Rot The area has had a recent case of Alabama rot, it is best to check any local reports and also have plenty of clean water to wash dogs paws if in contact with wet areas. Map at https://www.vets4pets.com/stop-alabama-rot/ The reservoirs sometimes have blooms of toxic algae, Blooms of blue-green algae can produce harmful toxins which stop a dog's liver from functioning properly, exposure is often fatal, and can also cause long term health problems in dogs that survive. There are also unseen currents which form deep in the water as it flows on to serve consumers. https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/blue-green-algae-and-its-dangers-dogs
Great House Barn
Great House Barn is located off Rivington Lane, Rivington, Lancashire and is a listed building 13), the barn as part of Great House Farm was purchased by Leverhulme in the early part of the 20th century.
Great House Barn along with Rivington Hall and Barn are today both leased by the Salmon family.14). At the barn the roof is spectacular with an internal oak framework, Great House Barn is a Cruck construction. Locally the lower Barn was always noted as being a Tithe Barn. The barn here, like that nearby Barn at Rivington Hall were both greatly altered by W.H Lever after his purchase in the early 20th century. He substantially changed the constructions adding the lower elevations to what were standard smaller barn constructions. This was to enable more seating to be added for the barns new purposes as Tea rooms. Mullion windows and the mock Tudor porch are 20th century additions.
Today the Great House Barn contains a pleasant Cafe where there are displays about the Leverhulme era. Many Souvenirs are on sale inside. The barn has underdone renovation and is popular with walkers and families. Today the Great House Barn contains a pleasant Cafe where there are displays about the Leverhulme era. Many Souvenirs are on sale inside. The barn has underdone renovation and is popular with walkers and families.
Rivington Information Centre is located in what was once Great House Farm, a large stone building next to Great House Barn where local tourist guides are sold and paintings by local artists. The Great House Barn is within walking distance to Rivington Hall.
Go Ape adventure area is a short distance from Great House Barn.
Rivington Hall & Barn
A major attraction is the Georgian fronted Rivington Hall built built on the site of part of an earlier Hall demolished 1774, at the rear the earlier stone build dates to the 17th century, the site was once occupied by a Wattle and Daud building built in late 15th century, replacing an earlier Hall, it is now a private residence. The current Hall and Barn were owned by the Pilkington family of Rivington and today both are owned by the Salmon family. The Hall Barn serves snacks in the day and hosts wedding receptions, birthday parties and other special events in the evenings by arrangement. The Hall barn is also a meeting place for Motorbike enthusiasts on Sundays.
The Hall was occupied from medieval times to 1605 by the Pilkington family after which time it was sold to their inlaws the Breres and remained occupied by their heirs until 1910, after which it served as a Museum for Lever Park until 1925, also housing a zoo. At Hall Barn tenders were first invited 10th March 1906 for the sale of refreshments at both the Hall Barn and Great House, with the exception of the war years both premises have continued selling refreshments to present day.18)
On Leverhulmes death in 1925 located at Rivington Hall were furniture and works of art of varying types, the furniture a large portion of it being Sheraton Satinwood and Chippendale Mahogany, a collection of Nankin blue and white porcelain of the Kang-Hsi dynasty (1643-1661) and a variety of paintings, contemporary to his own time, from well known and obscure artists in addition to a collection of other pieces of artwork along with a glass cased pair of Emu eggs laid at the Hall.
During the life of Leverhulme the park was home to a variety of native and exotic species, including free roaming Llama at the farms and at the Hall records confirm Emu, a caged Tiger, 60 Mallards and 300 Tumbler Pigeons, the birds were sold as Poultry after his death.
Other animals were sold to Belle Vue Zoo arriving in August 1925 after roaming free in Lever Park, these included a sacred Zebu, (Indian Cow) 10 old English Sheep, 18 Deer, 3 Cranes, Pair of Peafowl, 2 white Swan, a black Swan, family of 5 Wallabies, pair of Zebra - mother and son, Emu's.
At Hall Barn and Pigeon Tower there are stones set back with stone ledges at the base to encourage pigeons to nest, the Pigeon Tower ledges have not yet been repaired. Birds were also bred at Leverhulmes Bungalow within the grounds, Leverhulme had a Hearson's hot water incubator and accompanying brooder for 100 eggs a time at his Bungalow grounds where he had also incorporated an Avery in its design. A Llama, named Lewis was for a short time reintroduced in 2005 by Higher Knoll farm to fend off Foxes that had been attacking Lambs, the farmer reported a great deal of success.
From 8th January 1940 to 1945 Rivington Hall Barn was used as a food store and likewise guarded, land nearby was used for food production. There was considerable military use of the area, including the moorland during both wars, more so in the second world war, British troops were guarding the area and air defense guns were in place there, the Nazi's were targeting Liverpool, passing over what was a top secret munitions factory at Chorley, employing thousands at the time and Tank production at Horwich, employing hundreds, it is due to the patriotism of the locals that the operations were not reported back to the enemy. More information of the Rivington in the war years may be found at this link.
Activity at Rivington and surrounding areas increased from 1942
after the first US soldiers arrived in Lancashire with a build
up of US troops who were stationed there, numbers increased
greatly in the buildup for D day in 1944, another huge operation
that really did test the locals in keeping our war time
operations secret. The nissen huts were located at either side
of Rivington Lane, these and other war relics were
removed after the War.
The Hall and barn almost faced the same fate as The Bungalow
after World War 2 and it was almost
demolished until Mr.
Salmon, a local businessman stepped in to save it in 1953
offering to restore the Hall and Barns to their former glory.
The garden wall near the Georgian frontage made up of Heraldic
stones came from Anderton Hall, a mansion that stood on the
Anderton banks of the Lower Rivington Reservoir until its
demolition in 1930, now the site of the Anderton Centre, built
in the 1970s.
The Hall, Barn and its land are now held under land registry
title number LAN62356, the owner being United Utilities and
leased to Salmon Catering Ltd, it is not a part of Lever Park
and has no covenants of restriction or mention of the Liverpool
Corporation Act 1902 within its title deeds.
There is a collectors fair held every alternate Wednesday at
the Hall Barn of around 50 stalls. Booking is by arrangement.
There are also regular evening dances held between 8pm and
12.30am.17)
Today the Hall Barn hosts weddings, special private events,
seasonable ticketed events and is open daytimes as a tea room
serving drinks and snacks to visitors.
Old
Coach house, Rivington Hall, prior to demolition c.1950 20)
Creation of Lever Park
W.H Lever had bought Rivington Hall in 1900 and Rockhaven Castle nearby in 1899 and was its absentee landlord. also purchasing over the next few years almost all the land at that side of Horwich. W.H. Lever, later to become Lord Leverhulme was the eldest son of businessman James Lever. By 30th April 1901 he moved his family to Thornton Manor, Cheshire which he had purchased in 1888. The Lever family were wealthy and influential local family. In 1899 he had also bought and then donated Hall'ith Wood to the people of Bolton.
On 5th March 1901 W.H Lever arranged a dinner at the Black Lad in Rivington Village where he was introduced to the farmers on the Rivington Hall estate as the estates new owner, he was welcomed. He had purchased Rivington Hall for £60,000.2)
The proposal to create Lever Park came from W.H Lever 30th November 1901 in a letter from Thornton Manor to his Bolton Agent. Within three months Horwich Chronicle announced 22nd February 1902 that twelve months notice had been served on the Rivington Farmers and the Bungalow was to built on the hillside. The Chapel, Church and School were reprieved from the demolitions and the Lever Park Bill was before parliament by May 1902.
Free and Uninterrupted Enjoyment
The Liverpool Corporation Act 1902 permitted W H Lever to create
a park in lower Rivington and to retain his home and grounds on
the slopes of the Pike. The details were contained in section
21, paragraphs 1 to 4 which forbid the Corporation taking other
than by agreement the Bungalow or its grounds. W.H Lever had
made an agreement to sell the remaining land on the slopes of
the pike along with the Moorland, excluding his Bungalow and
subject that the land sold to the corporation could only be
built on for farming or for the water works, the terms were
fixed in the land deeds on 2nd June 1905 and are referenced in
land registry documents. The sale had been announced in the
Horwich Chronicle in 1904 which reported Lever had agreed a
price of £138,449 plus £10,000 costs.
The Liverpool Corporation Act 1902 was significant in that it
enabled Lever to create a park for "free and uninterrupted
enjoyment by the public" at his own expense, at lower Rivington,
the agreement specifically excluded land fenced off to protect
the reservoir or within 100 yards of the water, the Corporation
agreed to maintain and manage the Park.
The park was created on land known as The Crosses, Great House Farm a strip of land behind Rivington School extending to the Hall and stopping before Hall Brook. The act did leave some historic buildings vulnerable and the corporation acquired and demolished them.3).
T. H Mawson's plan and notes at the time of the creation of the park were that the seven arch bridge was the access to the public park.
Restoration
At lower Rivington Lever Park was protected by the Liverpool Corporation Act 1902, ensuring "Free and uninterrupted public enjoyment", the water company, United Utilities as successor have been obliged to maintain the park, Erosion has been an issue at Rivington and concerns were raised in 1989 when United Utilities erected fences and stiles across the park, the reason for the enclosures was given as a desire to protect the forests.
The Leverhulme legacy has been mostly preserved to present day, although some aspects have changed, ownership of parts of the park have been transferred to the group set up by United Utilities called Rivington Heritage Trust who in 1997 proposed the Blue Planet scheme, the intention was for the company to gain access to charity funds coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Millennium Fund. This would have changed use of the park to commercial, with plans to charge for admission for such things as Music Festivals. plans were thwarted in 1998 by local opposition, a group formed by Mark Perks now of Chorley Conservatives named the 'Friends of Rivington' led the opposition to the development, the Friends Group should not be confused with one of a similar name launched by Rivington Heritage Trust in 2018. When the original scheme failed to gain public support in 1998 United Utilities tasked their Trust along with Ground Work to gradually move ahead with the plans, a key element was improved public consultation.
The Trust has now obtained a lease of the terraced gardens from 2016 and other land in order to fund renovations and long term maintenance. The initial works have been paid for through a Heritage Lottery Grant of £4 million and volunteer labour. The Trust now owns large area's of Rivington behind the high school and toward the Hall, Pike and Terraced Gardens, Ravine and Japanese Gardens, this has enabled applications for grants. There are private events planned, some requiring tickets which will involve closures to the public, it is best to check in advance if you wish to visit.
Public Access
There are many footpaths at the Terraced Gardens, Leverhulmes former Bungalow Grounds, public access has legal protection for the Japanese Gardens as Open Access Land, a public footpath also passes through the gardens to the Pigeon Tower, those routes are not concessionary and are a legal right.
There are footpaths and Bridleways in Lever Park and to Rivington Pike protected as rights of way that enables free unhindered access.
Lever Park comprises land starting 100m from the edge of the Rivington side of the Lower Reservoir, to Rivington Lane to the extent of the rear of Rivington Village School and from the Lower Reservoir Car Park, excluding land near Middle Derbyshire's, Wards Cottage and The Crosses. Great House and Barn are within the park, excluding a private cottage and field. Open to the public are the Great House Barn and Hall Barn, Terraced Gardens, Pike Summit and Tigers Clough. (Source LCC and Land Registry)
Explanation
The following colours are used for the coloured lines:
solid red line: footpath;
solid fuchsia line: bridleway;
solid green line: restricted byway;
solid blue line: byway open to all traffic.
If you click on a coloured line, some details about that right of way will appear.
References
Copyright Paul lacey 2010.