Rivington is one of the prettiest villages in Lancashire. It lies in the Borough of Chorley, around three miles southeast of the town. However, the closest major settlement is Horwich, a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton. The village and surrounding countryside have strong connections to Bolton’s Lord Leverhulme and also lie within the Bolton postcode district.
The area is sparsely populated but is a prominent tourist destination. Walking and outdoor pursuits are popular activities. Rivington Pike lies to the east of the village. It is a spur of Winter Hill, the location of the TV mast that serves North West England.
William Hesketh Lever (Lord Leverhulme), arguably Bolton’s most famous son, made significant contributions to Rivington. In 1855 he founded Lever Brothers (now Unilever) and by the turn of the century the soap-making business was one of the largest companies in the UK.
Lever used his vast wealth to benefit the people of Bolton. In 1900 he purchased the Rivington Hall estate and subsequently turned part of it into Lever Park. Lying between Lower Rivington Reservoir and Rivington Terraced Gardens it is a beautiful country park with miles of footpaths and attractions such as Liverpool Castle, Go Ape (tree top adventure course), Rivington Hall Barn (a wedding and event venue), and the Great House Barn (a cafe).
United Utilities own much of the land around Rivington and operate the Great House Information Centre. It’s a great place to learn more about the history of the village and area. It also stocks a good selection of tourist maps and guides.
Rivington village itself is fairly small with just a handful of houses, a tea room, a church, chapel, and primary school.
Horrobin Lane links the village with settlements to the west; Heath Charnock and Chorley. It passes over an embankment that separates Upper Rivington Reservoir and Lower Rivington Reservoir. Rivington Lane runs south and connects the village with Horwich and Bolton.
Rivington lies east of the M61, the motorway linking Preston to Manchester. The closest access point is Junction 6, near the Macron Stadium and the Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park. Rivington Services (formerly Bolton West) are just north of here.
There are no bus services to Rivington village. The 575 bus runs between Bolton Interchange and Wigan Bus Station. On the way it stops on Lever Park Avenue in Horwich, around one and a half miles from the village green.
The 125 bus service between Preston Bus Station and Bolton Interchange stops outside the Crown pub in Horwich, approximately two miles from the village.
The closest train stations to Rivington are Blackrod and Adlington. Neither is within easy walking distance, although there are bus services from both stations to nearby Horwich.
