Restoring lost features

Rivington Terraced Gardens were created by Lord Leverhulme and landscape designer Thomas Mawson between 1905-1922. The Gardens, originally designed around a weekend house, are set on a steep hillside below Rivington Pike on the edge of the West Pennine Moors. Connected across the landscape by winding stone flag paths and steps are a man-made cascade, a Japanese lake, Italian Lake and formal lawns.

Five stone summerhouses create terraced vantage points dotted around the hillside with other buildings including a three storey pigeon tower, seven-arched bridge and two loggias, all Grade II listed.

The now ‘wild’ landscape was considered a part of the evolved character of the site. The design team only cut through the vegetation where it was considered essential to mantaining key views, instead of attempting to restore the more open character of the original garden, which would have led to the loss of biodiversity.