The very popular walking area of Lever Park was laid out by the 1st Lord Leverhulme. The southern loop of this walk, of about 3 miles (5 km), offers easy walking along wooded tracks and paths in the park. The northern loop, meanwhile, about 3.5 /5.5 km miles in length, takes you over rougher country on the fringe of moorland outside the park, with views as far as the Clwydian Hills in North Wales if you are lucky.
To combine the two loops into a figure-of-eight would produce a walk of 6.5 miles (10.5 km) or, if you start and finish in Horwich, that would add an extra mile (1.6 km). And, if you went to look at the gardens which surrounded Lord Leverhulme’s bungalow, that would add more to the distance.
Along the way, look out for Great House Barn. This is a cruck barn with magnificent original oak beams set in the heart of the Lancashire countryside. Over the centuries, it has been used as an agricultural building, tea room by Lord Leverhulme and then storage for the army during World War II. Having been left derelict since the end of the war, Bill and Rhoda Salmon restored the building as a tea room in 1953 and it is still run by the Salmon family today.
Accessibility and facilities
As the route includes stiles, steps and other obstacles, we have not classed it as suitable for wheelchair-user and those with pushchairs. There are café and toilet facilities at Great House Barn.
How to get there
To access the route by public transport, the easiest option is to take a bus from Bolton Interchange, adjoining the train station with its frequent services.
To work out how to get to and from the walk start point, simply click the Google Maps link on this page. Then click ‘Directions’ and enter your postcode or location in the relevant field. For public transport options, click on the train icon.
