Atherton

Atherton is a Town in the county of Greater Manchester.

Atherton postcode: M46 0DU

Retail in Atherton

There are great places to visit near Atherton including some great towns, hills, ancient sites, round cairns, hiking areas, old mines, ruins, lakes, historic monuments, rivers and streams, woodlands, geological features, nature reserves, villages, historic buildings, country parks, waterfalls, events, bluebell woods, sssis, parks, shopping centres, gardens, cities, museums, canals, disused railway lines, moated sites and airports.

Towns to visit near Atherton include Bolton, Westhoughton, Horwich, Little Lever, Salford Quays, Rochdale, and Littleborough.

The area around Atherton features a number of interesting hills including Winter Hill, Winter Hill Summit, Adam Hill, Crooked Edge Hill, Whimberry Hill, The Great Knoll, and The Naze.

The area around Atherton boasts some of the best ancient sites including Winter Hill Tumulus, White Brow Cairn, Noon Hill, Two Lads, Hanging Stone, Rivington Cup Marked Stone, and Rainsough Hill Camp.

Don't miss Winter Hill Tumulus, White Brow Cairn, and Noon Hill's round cairns if visiting the area around Atherton.

There are a number of hiking areas near Atherton including Winter Hill Summit, Crooked Edge Hill, Whimberry Hill, Turton Moor, Owshaw Clough, Aushaw Moss, and The Turton Reservoirs.

Winter Hill Mines, Winter Hill Tunnel, Rivington Moor Colliery (ruin), Rivington Moor Brickworks (ruin), Wildersmoor Pit Kilns (ruin), Prospect (ruin), and Rivington Moor Bell Pits (ruin) are some of Atherton best old mines to visit near Atherton.

There are a number of ruins near Atherton including Rivington Moor Brickworks (ruin), Wildersmoor Pit Kilns (ruin), Prospect (ruin), Rivington Moor Bell Pits (ruin), Owshaw Clough Mine Filtration Ruins, Deborah's (site of), and Lower Tarkingtons (ruin).

The area around Atherton boasts some of the best lakes including Reservoir Of Dean Mills, The Turton Reservoirs, Turton and Entwistle Reservoir, Jumbles Reservoir, Wayoh Reservoir, Rivington Lakes And Reservoirs, and Yarrow Reservoir.

There are a number of historic monuments near Atherton including Two Lads, Holy Well Spring, Bury Castle, Worsley Green Monument, and Hyde War Memorial.

There are a number of rivers and streams near Atherton including Rushtons Brook, Holden's Brook, Stones Bank Brook, Cadshaw Brook, Roscow Clough, Dean Brook, and Raveden Brook.

Woodlands to visit near Atherton include Fox Hill Plantation, Ousel Nest Quarry, Walker Fold Woods, Raveden Clough, Roscow's Tenement Clough, Dean Wood - Rivington, and Rivington Hall Wood.

The area around Atherton boasts some of the best geological features including Jumbles Fossil Tree, Fairy Battery, The Margery Flags at Rivington Pike, Tigers Clough, and Jepsons Clough.

There are a several good nature reserves in the Atherton area like Ousel Nest Quarry, Doffcocker Lodge, Nob End SSSI, Leverhulme Park, Aspull Sough, Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve, and Pennington Flash.

The area around Atherton boasts some of the best villages including Cadshaw, Rivington, Barrow Bridge, Bromley Cross, Chapeltown, Whelley, and Standish.

There are a several good historic buildings in the Atherton area like Turton Tower, Prospect Tower, Archway at Turton Tower, Medieval Style Railway Bridge at Turton Tower, Smithills Hall, Sheephouse Farm, and Dean Gate.

Smithills Country Park, Moses Gate Country Park, Cutacre Country Park, Hollingworth Country Park, Haigh Country Park, Pennington Flash, and Burrs Country Park are great places to visit near Atherton if you like country parks.

The area around Atherton boasts some of the best waterfalls including Roscow Clough Waterfall, Smithills Hall Park Waterfall, Langshaw Ford Weir, Raveden Clough Waterfall, Raveden Plantation Waterfall, Yarrow Reservoir Overflow Cascade, and Upper Rivington Reservoir Yarrow Outflow.

Events to visit near Atherton include Rivington Pike Easter.

Don't miss Dean Wood - Rivington, Rivington Hall Wood, Horrocks Wood, Old House Ground Plantation, and Etherow Country Park's bluebell woods if visiting the area around Atherton.

Don't miss Nob End SSSI's sssis if visiting the area around Atherton.

Atherton has some unmissable parks nearby like Queens Park, Hall Lee Bank Park, Moss Bank Park, Wythenshawe Park and Gardens, Gorton Park, Debdale Park, and Heaton Park.

Atherton's best nearby shopping centres can be found at Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park, Manchester Christmas Markets, The Trafford Centre, and Manchester Arndale.

Atherton's best nearby gardens can be found at The Rock Garden, The Walled Garden at Moss Bank, and RHS Garden Bridgewater.

Atherton's best nearby cities can be found at Salford, and Manchester.

There are a number of museums near Atherton including Salford Museum and Art Gallery, and The Imperial War Museum Salford.

Canals to visit near Atherton include The Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Haigh, Top Lock at Wigan, Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Crooke, The Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Shevington, Rochdale Canal Western Section, Bridgewater Canal, and Worsley Delph.

Don't miss The Old Whelley Line, Lancashire Union Joint Line, Ringley Road Station (ruin), Clifton - Accrington and Colne Line (disused), and Linnyshaw Loopline's disused railway lines if visiting the area around Atherton.

There are a number of moated sites near to Atherton including Wigan Golf Club.

There are a number of airports near to Atherton including Manchester Airport.

Atherton History

There are some historic monuments around Atherton:

Areas of Atherton

Like most towns and cities Atherton is comprised of a number of areas, once separate villages or small towns and parishes now part of Atherton.

Many of the areas of Atherton have their own character and places of interest.



Places to see near Atherton

History of Atherton

Evidence of a Roman road and Bronze Age settlement have been found in the area. The Roman road between Manchester and Wigan is shown on the 1849 6” OS map crossing Miller’s Lane at 90 degrees about halfway down. The site of Gadbury Brickworks at Gibfield Colliery has been excavated, and evidence of Roman and possibly earlier settlements found. The manor was held by the Atherton family from the de Botelers, whose chief manor was at Warrington. William and Nicholas Atherton fought at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The manor house was situated towards the south of the ancient township. Christopher Saxton’s map shows a medieval deer park in the time of Elizabeth I. “Mad” Richard Atherton, the last direct male descendant of the Athertons is remembered for two events; his expulsion of the congregation from the first Atherton Chapel in 1721, and building Atherton Hall on a grand scale, to designs by architect William Wakefield. Work on the hall started in 1723 and was not finished until 1743. The carriage drive from the hall led over Lion’s Bridge down an avenue to gates which faced the parish church in Leigh where the Athertons had a chapel. Richard Vernon Atherton was the last of the Atherton male line. He married Elizabeth Farington and had a daughter named Elizabeth. The Atherton family’s association with the township ended with Richard Atherton’s death in 1726. His daughter, Elizabeth, married Robert Gwillym and their son, Robert Vernon Atherton, married Henrietta Maria Legh. They had five children; the sons died young, and their eldest daughter Henrietta Maria Atherton married Thomas Powys, 2nd Baron Lilford whose father was ennobled by Pitt the Younger in 1797, taking the title of Baron Lilford. He left his estates to his son, Thomas Atherton Powys. The Atherton estate was inherited by Lord Lilford, who preferred to live at his family seat, Lilford Hall in Northamptonshire. Lord Lilford could not afford the upkeep of another house and Atherton Hall was put up for sale but, after failing to sell, it was demolished in 1824. Some outbuildings were left standing and are private property still known as Atherton Hall. This portion of Atherton was incorporated into Leigh in 1894 and the area became a public park.

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