History of Rivington

His subject was the six-year fight between Lord Leverhulme and Liverpool Corporation over control of much of the land in Lever Park, Rivington, which feeds the reservoirs supplying water to Liverpool.

I thought that if members of such a local society did not know the story, then presumably the vast majority of the readers of this column would not know it either; so here it is, taken not from Mr Hope's lecture, because of the amount of detail included which would make it far too long for this column, but from the files of the Evening News.

THE Act of Parliament sanctioning Liverpool's scheme for the construction of reservoirs at Rivington was passed in 1847, allowing them to impound the waters of the rivers Douglas, Yarrow and Hoddlesworth.

However, the work was delayed because of opposition in Liverpool, who urged that wells sunk in the sandstone rock in the neighbourhood of Liverpool itself would provide access to an adequate and more economical water supply.

The opposition was overcome, though, work began in 1852, and the first water was supplied to Liverpool from Rivington in 1857 (incidentally, no village lies under the waters of the reservoirs, but several farms, a public house, and a few private residences were submerged).

However, in 1899, when Lever was approached by the owners of the Rivington estate, he was at once interested in buying the property - after all, some of his happiest times had been spent wandering the fields and moorland around Rivington. He thought that he might make some of the estate available for recreation of the public.

Because the land in the area drained into the reservoirs supplying water to Liverpool, before completing the purchase Lever asked that the Liverpool Corporation be first offered the property at the price he intended to pay.

The Corporation was not interested, so Lever went ahead, bought the estate, and built the large wooden bungalow below the summit of the Pike (which was only a few years later burned down by the suffragettes, and had to be re-built). He decided to keep a number of acres near the house for his own use, and offered much of the rest as a country park to Bolton Corporation, who were grateful.

T hen Liverpool Corporation changed its mind, and promoted a Bill in Parliament to grasp statutory powers over much of the land feeding their reservoirs - it actually included Lever's house and grounds, and the park he had given to Bolton.

Naturally, Lever and others objected, and the matter went to a Select Committee of the House of Commons. In May, 1905, it was ruled that Lever might keep his house and 45 acres of grounds, and that the proposed park should be taken over by Liverpool, although still open to the public.

Lever was given the "right" to provide at his own expense a number of amenities he had planned for the park. Over the years he built roads, restored the 14th century barn to make a refreshment room, stocked paddocks with exotic cattle and other animals, and built the replica of the ruins of Liverpool Castle which stands on the banks of the Lower Rivington Reservoir.

However, the price to be paid by Liverpool Corporation for Lever's land brought litigation to the two parties.

The Government appointed an umpire, with both sides represented by counsel; the result staggered Liverpool Corporation - Lever was to receive almost twice the price he had originally given for the whole estate.

He had asked for £457,000 for four-fifths of the estate he had bought for £60,000 only a reasonably short time before(could this be the same man who was such a great benefactor to Bolton?) He actually received £138,000, causing bitter feelings in Liverpool. After all, it was the townspeople who were going to have to pay this money through their rates - and if he had been awarded the full amount, the effect on the city would no doubt have been even more disastrous.

On the other hand, had Liverpool not turned down the offer in the first place, and then tried to change their decision, it would not have found itself in such a position.

But they lodged an appeal, claiming that the umpire had been ill at the hearing and not in a fit state of mind to pronounce judgment.

This was dismissed in April, 1905, by Mr Justice Warrington, who commented: "I am surprised that such a body as the Liverpool Corporation should have put such a plea on record. I can only say that there is not a particle of evidence to support it."

The Liverpool Courier recorded: "Mr Lever's actual profit on the transaction may therefore be calculated at £78,000, a bungalow with 48 acres of land surrounding it, and the more tangible avdantage of considerable popularity in Bolton gained by reason of his gift of a public park to that borough - a gift for which the ratepayers of Liverpool not only have to pay in the first instance, but the mainenance of which will be a perpetual charge upon the city."

At last the matter was settled. Ironically, it was decreed that the land be named Lever Park. Bolton had in 1902 made Lever a Freeman, but his stock did not stand so high in Liverpool!

Lever (by this time he had become the first Lord Leverhulme) died in 1925, and the re-built bungalow was bought by Mr John Magee, who also threw the beautiful grounds open to the public. But by 1931, the condition of Lever Park itself had begun to attract criticism. Roads were falling into disrepair, grass growing rank and rough, seats were broken. In 1939 Mr Magee died and the executors of his will said they would like the bungalow and grounds to go to the local authorities in the area; the asking price was £7,000.

Horwich, Blackrod, Wigan and Bolton all met to discuss the offer, but the scheme fell through when Bolton declined to participate in the purchase.

Liverpool Corporation later bought the lot for about £3,000; nowadays, of course, the whole area is under the management of North-West Water.