Multi-million pound Pigeon Tower project

15 Jan 2019 11:17

A multi-million pound restoration project on Rivington Gardens iconic Pigeon Tower is nearing completion.

Scaffolding has been removed from the stunning French-gothic style Pigeon Tower and now the Grade II listed building is set to open once more to the public in March, along with other areas which have closed to the public while conservation work has been taking place.

Andrew Suter, heritage projects manager, said: “The Tower has not been open to the public in my lifetime, it’s been shut pretty much permanently. It has been closed since the early 70s, if not earlier.

“The Pigeon Tower is kind of the centrepiece of the whole gardens. Every time you go to a show in Bolton, such as the Bolton Food and Drink Festival, there is an art tent which always has an image of the tower on display. Pretty much every artist locally draws, paints or sculpts it.

“I can be driving back from seeing friends and half-way through Cheshire, I can see it. On a good day you can see the Lake District and Snowdonia from the top of it.”

The tower, built in 1910, has a spiral staircase to leading to three floors and which, if work goes to plan, will become a place for people to stay. Work on the tower has included restoring the roof, pointing, installing new polycarbonate windows, all using original techniques and materials of the day.

He added: “All the techniques we are using are exactly the same as were used originally. A few people, when we started, said the cement looks really white, but actually it is not cement it is mortar and it’s an exact match for the lime mortar that was used when it was first built.

“We had to take samples and test them to get the mix perfect and we are overseen by mentors and Historic England and all sort of people because it is a listed building so the level of detail is incredible.

“Original techniques are used through the whole gardens and even the way we are relaying the footpaths is the same and hopefully to date the vast majority of people are happy with what they are seeing. People love the place.”

The Pigeon Tower has been refurbished as part of a £4 million project, the majority of which has been funded by the Heritage Lottery, to restore the gardens, which were in danger of being lost forever, with structures close to crumbling and disappearing.

Next March, as well as going in the Pigeon Tower, the public will be able to walk around the newly restored summer houses and loggia. Work on the Italian Lake will have been completed and people will be able to see the new restored Neptune’s Pond.

And on show will be the amazing discovery of the lost path to the Pigeon Tower, found because of the fantastic efforts of the team of volunteers, aged from six to those in their 80s.

The opening of the Pigeon Tower and the Italian Lake will take place during an atmospheric light festival.

It will be one on many events planned for the beautiful gardens, which will include music on the orchestral lawn, where the steps have recently been uncovered.

A new website has been created as part of the project which will explore the history of the site and people’s memories  of the beautiful lost gardens rivingtonterrracedgardens.org.uk

Updates are regularly posted on social media.

 

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