Rivington Pike

Rivington Pike

Rivington Pike stands on Rivington Moor, near to Winter Hill, 363 metres (1,191 ft) above sea level in Lancashire, England. Part of the Borough of Chorley, it overlooks the town of Horwich, in Greater Manchester.

In times gone by, Rivington Pike was known as Rounpik (c. 1280) and Riuinpik (c. 1380), names thought to have originated from the Norse language.

The tower

Rivington Pike Tower

On the Pike is a tower, which was built in 1733 by John Andrews after he inherited one half and bought the other half of the Rivington Hall estate in 1729. Some writers have suggested the building was in celebration of gaining the full manor, this was never fact. The Shaw family had always retained a 1/8 share(DP 458/1/2) The stone used was taken from the original fire platform and from the bed of the River Douglas. It is a square tower, with sides of 5 metres (16 ft), and is 6 metres (20 ft) high.

At one time it had a wooden roof and windows in all four sides. The single internal room was 4 metres (13 ft) square with a stone flagged floor, a fireplace and a cellar. It was used for shelter when grouse shooting parties visited the moors, but this stopped in 1900 when W. H. Lever bought the Estate. The tower is now bricked up and is a Grade II* listed building.

The beacon

Since before the tower was built, Rivington Pike was the site of a beacon, a bonfire built and lit at night and used to send warning messages in times of danger. It was part of a chain of signals that was put in place by the Earl of Chester, Ranulph de Blondeville, around 1139. A recorded lighting of the beacon is on the 19 July 1588 when the Spanish Armada was first engaged in the English Channel. However, Whellan & Co.’s Directory of 1853 states;

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when England was threatened with invasion by the “Invincible Armada” of Spain, the beacon upon Rivington Pike, standing at an elevation of 1,543 feet (470 m) from the level of the sea, was kept for several months in a state of readiness, to apprise the inhabitants of the approach of the invaders(!) During the Napoleon dynasty, on the alarm of invasion by the French, the beacon was replaced, - but in the nineteenth as in the sixteenth century, it has never yet been required to spread alarm within the breasts of England’s matrons, or its illumination over a peaceful country.

More recently, the beacon has been used in times of national celebration, the Coronation of King George V in 1910, and to mark the end of the First World War in 1918.

Routes to the Tower

The routes to the Tower from the different car parks follow the lines of carefully engineered carriage drives. However they are now fairly rough and best approached using walking boots. The tracks are wide but eroded, now being rather more like river beds than footpaths, littered with stones and slabs alternating with cobbled sections. There is evidence of former drainage arrangements but they are substantially decayed.

Events

Easter Pike Fair

Rivington Pike Fair was originally held every year on Whit Saturday, and in 1900 was moved to Good Friday. Many Horwich and Chorley locals and tourists choose this day to hike to the top of the Pike to engage in the festivities.

During the 1830s there was an increase in drunken and riotous behaviour following the fair, which brought prompt and stern measures from the local authorities. Two Bolton men were charged with "Neglect of Divine Service", by selling on Rivington Pike on a Sunday.

The arrival of Blackrod Railway in 1840 brought more folks, and this was sustained until the introduction of the Seaside Discount Train tickets, at around 1860, which caused a decline in attendance.

Pike race

On Easter Saturday since 1892 a Pike Race has been held. Originally starting from the Horwich railway works, but since 1930 from the entrance of Lever Park Avenue. It now attracts around 400 runners.

Motor racing up the pike

In the early 20th century, car and motorcycle races were held up Rivington Pike. From 1906 to 1912, Bolton motorists had the opportunity to witness the performance of a variety of cars and motor-cycles in the hands of some notable drivers of the day, on the private roads of the Rivington estate.

Under the auspices of the North-East Lancs Automobile Club and the Lancashire Motor-Cycle Club, the first of these hill-climb races took place on 25 July 1906. Competitors were limited to members of the former club, and the race was divided into 10 classes according to the list price of the car. More information can be found on this external link.

External links

• Horwich Guide's Rivington Pike page
• Winter Hill Scrapbook
• Motor Racing up Rivington Pike