Walk 8

Rivington to Winter Hill

The starting point for this walk is Lower House Car Park which is found by taking the Belmont Road from Rivington village green. Take a right at the first junction and right again at the next also.

Turn left out of the car park and two stony roads are evident. Take the right hand one and begin to climb. This was one of the driveways to Lord Leverhulme's bungalow near the Pike. After quarter of a mile you will pass under a seven arched footbridge which was built by Leverhulme.

Continue along the road and when you reach an intersection take the left track through the large stone gateposts. Immediately to the right are the remains of a gatehouse. Continue and when the track starts to double back on itself take the path straight ahead. This soon brings you out on another very wide driveway. Rivington Pike is directly in front of you. If you wish, you can take a detour and climb to the summit. If not, turn right and continue along this wide driveway. There are excellent views all along here looking out to the west. Bolton Wanderer's Reebok stadium at Horwich is clearly visible.

Continue until you reach Pike Cottage, the first building on the left, and take the stile immediately after it on the left. This is the ascent to Two Lads Hill, so named because it is said that in the long dim past, two boys got lost and died on the moor. Two piles of stone were erected in their memory. The third pile of stones is the cairn marking the Summit. When the summit is reached turn left and follow the path to the tarmac lane which takes you to the Winter Hill Television masts. Look out for the plaque dedicated to the Winter Hill aircrash on the first building you pass and also Scotsman's Stump on the right. (See Places of Interest: Winter Hill)

Stay on the tarmacced lane and follow it as it turns sharp left. Here are a series of radio masts. On the right there are wooden steps that lead to a Trig Point. Continue to the end of the lane and here turn right. As you approach a fence and stile - turn left, do not go over the stile. Follow the path with the fence to the right of you and also ignore the next stile. There are magnificent views across to Spitlers Edge and Great Hill, and on clear days the fells of the Lake District.

The descent gets steeper and you cross three wooden platforms over marshy ground. Shortly you will arrive at another of Leverhulme's driveways. Turn left and follow this all the way to the Pigeon Tower. At the Pigeon Tower turn sharp right and take the driveway  down to the car park.