On the hills above Rivington on the west Pennine Moors stands Rivington Pike. A stone Beacon about 30 feet high. At 363 meters or 1191 ft above sea level, it`s about as high as you can get in this part of the World. The inset pictures below are part of the ornamental Japanese (some locals know them as Chinese) gardens built for Lord Leverhulme, Soap magnate, Victorian Industrialist, philanthropist by Mr Thomas Mawson between 1905 / 1922. I spent many hours as a child wandering about the varied features, my imagination transporting me to magical worlds of make believe, and I still go there today when the weather permits, or should I say, encourages, the hills adjacent to it are known as Winter Hill, for good reason..!
There are a number of places from which you can begin cycling or walking, and there are a variety of paths to follow, none of which will lead you too far from refuge if the weather turns nasty or the need arise for refreshment. Take a relaxing stroll through the gardens or a more invigorating walk from Rivington Barn through the gardens and up to the Pike, the more energetic of you may want to cycle up, this is possible but not for faint of heart, whatever your choice, you can easily spend all day meandering the area and not see it from all its vantage points.
Wear suitable clothing and footwear although the paths are clear there will be some fairly steep hill walking involved in parts and when the ground is wet can be difficult to negotiate and should not be underestimated, especially were children and the elderly are concerned.
For the less able it is possible to drive up to the foot of the pike and walk to the top via a substantial set of steps, and you may want to take a mat to sit on at the top. On a clear day it`s possible to see to the west coast and Blackpool Tower, I have spent many hours scanning the landscape and taking in the views, and never got bored.I have visited many parts of the British Isles and able to say with a good degree of confidence that it rivals many other better known places that have less to offer. When Viscount William Hesketh leverhulme (to give him his full name) died and left us this fine landscape to relax upon, he did in my humble opinion, `do a great service to the community and general population` Good Man..!