The area surrounding Winter Hill in the West Pennine Moors has many rivers and streams featuring waterfalls that can be visited. None of the local waterfalls are very large or as impressive as the well known UK waterfalls but they are beautiful and interesting to find.
The local OS maps often show almost any drop in a stream bed as little as 50cm a waterfall and often still omit some of the best falls that are not a well known tourist attraction. It should also be noted that there is a large variation in water volume in many of the local streams and some waterfalls can remain dry except after heavy rain.
In this section we will describe and illustrate waterfalls of the Rivington and Winter Hill areas, many of which remain unknown except by locals, some may have been almost forgotten. You will also find these waterfalls shown in the pages describing their location or surrounding area, elsewhere in the web site.
Tigers Clough Waterfall image by munki-boy
A nice little waterfall in Jepson’s Clough formed over an old geological fault line.
An often overlooked little waterfall on the Dean Brook as it passes through Barrow Bridge village, with interesting rock strata exposed below.
A very small waterfall on River Roddlesworth, good to visit on the way to the bigger one
An interesting waterfall below the footpath on River Roddlesworth
A great little ornamental waterfall at the top of Smithills nature trail that is often marred by litter
When the Rhododendron are in bloom this is one of the nicest waterfalls, a raging torrent after heavy rain.
A narrow waterfall where the Crooked Edge Brook meets the River Douglas, good after rain.
The main waterfall in Tigers Clough formed where water falls over the edge of an old geological fault.
A tall but often rather dry waterfall entering the River Roddlesworth over the lip of an old fault line
A really interesting reservoir overflow waterfall, seemingly man-made waterfall but close to a geological fault.
A man-made reservoir overflow cascade that is often dry as the water of Yarrow Reservoir is low.
Not really a waterfall but almost and a really interesting rock channel.
A great but very small waterfall on the way into Lead Mines Clough with an interesting outcrop of Marine Band shale.
A nice waterfall on sunny days, just below the small bridge at the top of Lead Mines Clough.
Larger than you remember but always blocked by fallen trees and branches this waterfall is an impressive disappointment to many photographers.
A ton of little waterfalls over a mineral bearing fault line in a river channel that has been adapted for industry, good after rain.
It’s constructed and not natural, it’s not technically a waterfall but it’s nice and ruinous all the same.
An often difficult waterfall on Hatch Brook above Brinscall.
An ornamental waterfall in Bold Venture Park that can look great on the right day.
