Rivington

The area around Rivington has very old roots. There is evidence of pre-historic activity, including flint tools and burial sites on nearby hilltops such as Winter Hill. The name “Rivington” appears in older forms such as Ruhwinton, possibly meaning a “rough farmstead” or “settlement of the mountain ash.” In medieval times, Rivington was part of a manor. The Pilkington family owned the Manor of Rivington from at least the early 13th century (1212) until the early 1600s. Life in Rivington remained fairly rural for centuries: the local economy was based on agriculture, hand-loom weaving, quarrying, and small-scale mining. There was a chapel in Rivington before 1541, and later a new church was built in 1666. Nonconformism also became important: by 1703 a Presbyterian congregation was established, and eventually a Unitarian Chapel would stand in Rivington.