Atherton
Atherton is a Town in the county of Greater Manchester.
Atherton postcode: M46 0DU
There are great places to visit near Atherton including some great towns, hills, ancient sites, round cairns, hiking areas, old mines, ruins, historic sites, 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, canals, cities, museums, disused railway lines, moated sites and airports.
There are a number of towns near Atherton including Bolton, Westhoughton, Horwich, Little Lever, Salford Quays, Rochdale, and Littleborough.
Atherton has some unmissable hills nearby like Winter Hill, Winter Hill Summit, Adam Hill, Crooked Edge Hill, Whimberry Hill, The Great Knoll, and Burnt Edge.
There are a number of ancient sites near Atherton including Winter Hill Tumulus, White Brow Cairn, Noon Hill, Two Lads, Hanging Stone, Rivington Cup Marked Stone, and Rainsough Hill Camp.
There are a several good round cairns in the Atherton area like Winter Hill Tumulus, White Brow Cairn, and Noon Hill.
There are a number of hiking areas near Atherton including Winter Hill Summit, Hole Bottom, Hole Bottom Mining Area, Crooked Edge Hill, Whimberry Hill, Burnt Edge, and Turton Moor.
Winter Hill Mines, Winter Hill Tunnel, Rivington Moor Colliery (ruin), Rivington Moor Brickworks (ruin), Hole Bottom Mining Area, Wildersmoor Pit Kilns (ruin), and Prospect (ruin) are great places to visit near Atherton if you like old mines.
Rivington Moor Brickworks (ruin), Winter Hill Brick and Tile Works, Ouzel Hall (site of), Wildersmoor Pit Kilns (ruin), Prospect (ruin), Rivington Moor Bell Pits (ruin), and Burnt Edge Colliery (ruin) are some of Atherton best ruins to visit near Atherton.
Atherton's best nearby historic sites can be found at Hole Bottom, Winter Hill Brick and Tile Works, and Hole Bottom Mining Area.
There are a several good lakes in the Atherton area like Reservoir Of Dean Mills, The Turton Reservoirs, Turton and Entwistle Reservoir, Jumbles Reservoir, Wayoh Reservoir, Rivington Lakes And Reservoirs, and Yarrow Reservoir.
Two Lads, Holy Well Spring, Bury Castle, Worsley Green Monument, and Hyde War Memorial are great places to visit near Atherton if you like historic monuments.
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.
Atherton's best nearby woodlands can be found at Fox Hill Plantation, Ousel Nest Quarry, Walker Fold Woods, Raveden Clough, Roscow's Tenement Clough, Dean Wood - Rivington, and Rivington Hall Wood.
There are a several good geological features in the Atherton area like Jumbles Fossil Tree, Fairy Battery, The Margery Flags at Rivington Pike, Tigers Clough, and Jepsons Clough.
Atherton has some unmissable nature reserves nearby 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 features a number of interesting villages including Cadshaw, Rivington, Barrow Bridge, Bromley Cross, Chapeltown, Whelley, and Standish.
Historic Buildings to visit near Atherton include Turton Tower, Prospect Tower, Archway at Turton Tower, Medieval Style Railway Bridge at Turton Tower, Smithills Hall, Sheephouse Farm, and Dean Gate.
Atherton has some unmissable country parks nearby like Smithills Country Park, Moses Gate Country Park, Cutacre Country Park, Hollingworth Country Park, Haigh Country Park, Pennington Flash, and Burrs Country Park.
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 are some of Atherton best waterfalls to visit near Atherton.
Don't miss Rivington Pike Easter's events if visiting the area around Atherton.
There are a number of bluebell woods near Atherton including Dean Wood - Rivington, Rivington Hall Wood, Horrocks Wood, Old House Ground Plantation, and Etherow Country Park.
Don't miss Nob End SSSI's sssis if visiting the area around Atherton.
There are a several good parks in the Atherton area like Queens Park, Hall Lee Bank Park, Moss Bank Park, Wythenshawe Park and Gardens, Gorton Park, Debdale Park, and Heaton Park.
Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park, Manchester Christmas Markets, The Trafford Centre, and Manchester Arndale are great places to visit near Atherton if you like shopping centres.
Don't miss The Rock Garden, The Walled Garden at Moss Bank, and RHS Garden Bridgewater's gardens if visiting the area around Atherton.
Atherton's best nearby canals can be found at Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal at Prestolee, 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, and Bridgewater Canal.
Cities to visit near Atherton include Salford, and Manchester.
There are a number of museums near Atherton including Salford Museum and Art Gallery, and The Imperial War Museum Salford.
There are a several good disused railway lines in the Atherton area like The Old Whelley Line, Lancashire Union Joint Line, Ringley Road Station (ruin), Clifton - Accrington and Colne Line (disused), and Linnyshaw Loopline.
The area close to Atherton boasts some of the best moated sites including Wigan Golf Club.
Manchester Airport is a great place to visit close to Atherton if you like airports.
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.
Lakes near Atherton
Canals near Atherton
Rivers near Atherton
Shopping in Atherton
Asda Bolton Road, Atherton
Asda supermarket
Tesco Tyldesley Road, Atherton
Tesco supermarket
