Rivington's gardens glory is celebrated

13 Jan 2022 04:22
Published by: Scott Callan

THE five-year repair and conservation project to return Rivington Terraced Gardens to former glory has won the approval of The Civic Trust.

The organisation has named the listed landscape gardens as a finalist for a 2022 Civic Trust Award.

The £4milion Heritage Lottery Funded project enabled Rivington Heritage Trust, supported by hundreds of volunteers from the local community, to rescue the hardens from their semi-ruined condition after decades of neglect.

Together with architects Donald Insall Associates the work has restored 11 listed structures, paths, steps, lakes and lawns at the 44-acre site.

The collaborative project has also cleared six miles of footpaths and restored 'lost' originals.

The completed lawn repair and conservation project will also provide a habitat for invertebrates, small mammals, hunting grounds for birds of prey and grazing for local wild roe deer.

Andrew Suter, heritage project manager at Rivington Terraced Gardens, said: "It was a privilege to welcome the judges.

"They seemed incredibly impressed with our conservation work, but even more so with the commitment and dedication of the wider community who have spent so many hours grafting to help us in this amazing achievement.

"Our volunteers have given our 70,000 hours of their time over the last five years, a phenomenal amount."

Regional finalists will now be put forward to a national judging panel and the winners will be revealed and honoured at an awards ceremony in early March next year.

Dorian Proudfoot of architects Donald Insall Associates said: "The key architectural consideration was to maintain the magical feel that the visitor is discovering the structures amongst the landscape and not to over-restore.

"The project used materials and specifications that matched the original construction as closely as possible.

"For sustainability reasons, stone used in the restoration was sourced from a quarry two kilometres from site, which was also a technical match, as the original buildings would have been built from this stone too.

"We're immensely proud to have worked on this project collaboratively and engaged the local community, who have been a driving force in achieving the impressive end result.

"It really is a hidden gem; a true piece of history and to reach the finals for a Civic Trust Award is a huge accolade in itself."

You may be interested in