Smithills Waterfall
Having some wet weather recently so just walking around our home area to stretch the legs and those of the dog.
This is the ornamental waterfall in Smithills Hall, which was built by the famous design firm of James Pulhan & Sons between 1873 and 1875. The Ainsworth family lived in the hall then, they were remodelling the estate with the wealth they made from their Bleaching works -just acroos the road and now houses where I live.
Pulham constructed “the waterfall and rock stream and bridge across the tributary of the River Tonge that runs through the glen along the bottom of the steep cliff that forms the southern boundary of Smithills Park”. The small cliffs are now covered in moss, litchen and ferns, looking more like some of the natural areas further up Dean Brook.
The same firm built the larger rock gardens in Rivington Gardens for Lord Leverhume.
It was difficult to get access to the bottom of the waterfall fall due to the extent of the mud from the heavy rain and the brashings from fallen trees and branches. But there is still some autumn colours here, just before the spring starts to bring green back into the park.
Antondotreks 