Historic Gardens get international stamp of approval

Rivington Heritage Trust (RHT) and Groundwork are celebrating after receiving a Green Flag Award for Rivington Heritage Gardens.

The news that the Gardens has achieved the accreditation - the international quality mark for parks and green spaces - is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team of Groundwork staff and volunteers that care for the green space so that everyone can enjoy it.

Rivington Terraced Gardens has also achieved the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management of its historic features.

In their appraisal of the Gardens, judges described the main arrival area at Rivington Lane as an ‘excellent hub for visitors to start and end their exploration of the area’. They noted that ‘the facilities and heritage assets had been invested in, to create a good standard for public access’. There were positive comments about the standards of maintenance and cleanliness, as well as the environmental management at the Gardens. They were also impressed with the level of volunteer engagement and community involvement, as well as the clear signage, additional car parking and toilets.

Richard Galloway of RHT said: “We are extremely proud that the Gardens have received this award and accreditation. They reflect the quality of the hard work done in recent years by our committed staff and volunteers from Groundwork, our partner on this project. We want to continue to improve the Gardens as an amazing place for people to visit and enjoy, with habitats where wildlife and nature can thrive.”

In recent years, extensive work has been carried out to conserve and protect this iconic heritage site. A range of activities, festivals and events have attracted tens of thousands of visitors to the Gardens. In June over 1,500 attended a wellbeing festival which was all about fun, nature and family time. On July 28th the Gardens will host a concert by the world-renowned Halle Orchestra. There are also plans to develop a bio-diversity plan. This will include regular bio-blitzes, creating snapshots of the variety of life found in the Gardens, which will be used to improve future conservation of the parks habitats.

Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at Rivington Terraced Gardens in achieving a Green Flag Award.

“The Gardens are a vital green space for the community in Chorley, bringing people together and providing opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. The staff and volunteers do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award and everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”

The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

More information about the Gardens, future events and how you can get involved in volunteering can be found on the Rivington Terraced Gardens website and social media pages.https://www.groundwork.org.uk/historic-gardens-get-international-stamp-of-approval/