Two gate piers associated with the former Bolton Lodge in Rivington Gardens at SD 6405 1394
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1410816
- Date first listed:
- 06-Feb-2013
- List Entry Name:
- Two gate piers associated with the former Bolton Lodge in Rivington Gardens at SD 6405 1394
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1410816
- Date first listed:
- 06-Feb-2013
- List Entry Name:
- Two gate piers associated with the former Bolton Lodge in Rivington Gardens at SD 6405 1394
- Location Description:
- Rivington Gardens, Chorley, Lancashire.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Lancashire
- District:
- Chorley (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Rivington
- National Grid Reference:
- SD6404213948
Summary
Two gate piers associated with the former Bolton Lodge in Rivington Gardens.
Reasons for Designation
The gate piers associated with the former Bolton Lodge are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architect: these features are good examples of the landscape design work of Thomas Mawson
* Group value: they not only complement the other surrounding listed structures, but are integral components of the designated garden.
History
Rivington Gardens was one of a series of three major private gardens produced by Thomas Hayton Mawson (1861-1933) in collaboration with the industrialist and philanthropist William Hesketh Lever, Lord Leverhulme (1851-1925). The Rivington site was purchased by Lever in 1899 as a parcel of land which included the area now occupied by Lever Park to the west. Lever had already formulated ideas on how the grounds might be developed and in 1901 a single-storey wooden bungalow called 'Roynton Cottage' and intended for weekend visits and shooting parties was designed by Lever's school friend Jonathan Simpson. In 1905 Lever met Mawson who collaborated with him in the design of the gardens over the period 1906-22. However, others were also involved in the design including Thomas's son, Edward Prentice Mawson (1885-1954), who undertook the overall design and in the latter years was as much responsible for the project as his father, Robert Atkinson (1883-1952) who drew illustrations in the journal 'Civic Art' in 1911, and the landscape and architectural firm of James Pulham & Son who, in 1921, were responsible for a Japanese style garden and a steep and rugged ravine with waterfalls. Lever himself also influenced the gardens' layout, designing a seven-arched bridge across Roynton Lane.
In 1913 the bungalow was destroyed by fire then rebuilt on a grander scale. Following Lever's death in 1925 the house and gardens were purchased by John Magee. After Magee's death in 1939 the site was acquired by Liverpool Corporation and in 1948 the bungalow and three entrance lodges were demolished and the gardens became open to the public. In 1974 the site passed to the North West Water Authority following local government reorganisation.
The gate piers associated with the former Bolton Lodge were built in about 1902 to a design by Thomas Mawson. The gate piers have remained in situ after demolition of Bolton Lodge.
Details
Two gate piers formerly associated with Bolton Lodge built in about 1902 to a design by Thomas Mawson for Lord Leverhulme.
They are situated either side of the Upper Drive close to the point where it branches off from Belmont Road. They are constructed of gritstone in a rustic style, are circular in plan , and stand approximately 2m tall. They are topped by a dome which sits on an overhanging course.
Sources
Books and journals
Smith, M D, Leverhulme's Rivington, (1984)
Waymark, J, Thomas Mawson: Life, Gardens and Landscapes, (2009)
Other
Guide to Rivington Terraced Gardens Trail, Rivington Terraced Gardens Trail: a walk around the grounds of the former residence of Lord Leverhulme.,
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 27-Jun-2026 at 12:27:41.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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