The hall where the first Protestant Bishop of Durham was born

Rivington Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Bolton. In the late 1400s, Robert Pilkington moved in and made immediate improvements to the hall, which was then a wood and plaster structure. During his time, his ownership of lands in Mellor was challenged legally and physically by his uncle William De Aynesworth and his son. They carried out raids on properties on the estate and harassed the tenants; they even abducted Robert and took him prisoner, at which time they tried to poison him.

James Pilkington was born in the old hall in 1518 and became the first Protestant Bishop of Durham. His brother, George, was also a significant figure, appointed in 1566 as one of the first governors of the Free School of Queen Elizabeth in Rivington. The family was involved in many legal battles over land enclosure, with sixteen cases appearing before the courts during George's lifetime and more continuing under his son Robert.

A tale has passed down through generations that James' two sons, Joshua and Isaac, were kidnapped at the hall near the old saw pits in Hall Wood; both died young. The hall changed hands many times after that, eventually being used as a base for the Ministry of Food during World War II.

Today, the hall is a private residence. It was considered for demolition in 1953, but William Salmon reinvested profits from his business to pay for the work of restoring the Barn Tea Rooms and the hall. If you pass by on Rivington Lane, the stone walls still hold centuries of complicated history.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons