Tigers Clough: How To Find This Epic Hidden Waterfall

Tigers Clough is a mesmerising waterfall located in Rivington, Lancashire. The waterfall is a genuine hidden gem only really known to locals around the Bolton area. In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about finding the lesser-known, yet spectacular Tigers Clough Waterfall.

We hope you find this guide helpful. For information about other great nearby walks, read our guides about Rivington Pike, Entwistle Reservoir, Holcombe Hill and Darwen Tower (guides coming soon). Otherwise, read our big West Pennine Moors Walks Guide.

About Tigers Clough in Rivington

When it comes to waterfalls in Lancashire, Tigers Clough remains fairly unknown. Fed by River Douglas and hidden in the small wooded rocky ravine, known as Tigers Clough, you’ll find the majestic Tigers Clough Waterfall, which locals simply refer to as Tigers Clough.

Even lesser known, is another nearby waterfall called the Crooked Edge Waterfall. It’s easy to visit both the Tigers Clough and Crooked Edge waterfalls during a short walk from the Rivington Reservoir Car Park. In this guide, we’ll tell you all about this walk, so that you can find these two hidden waterfalls. But, first, a little history.

So, why is this small waterfall called Tigers Clough? Well, it’s believed the name ‘Tiger‘ derived from an illegal watering hole that occupied a site near the closeby Knoll Bleach Works, which was part of the bleaching textile industry which operated during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Apparently, the drinking establishment had two tigers displayed on a sign outside.

The exact location of this former establishment is unknown. But, the stone rubble remains of the Knoll Bleach Works can be located downstream from Tigers Clough Waterfall. So, it’s thought the drinking establishment was located somewhere in the ravine near where the waterfall is located.

FYI – collectively, the Tigers Clough and Crooked Edge waterfalls are known as the Rivington Waterfalls as well as the Rivington Pike waterfalls.

Tigers Clough Location

The waterfall is located in an area called Knollshaw Estate, which is located in Rivington, Lancashire. The waterfall also falls inside the underrated West Pennine Moors area. To help you get your bearings regarding the location of the waterfall, please click on the image below to access an interactive map on Google Maps.

In the sections below, we’ll go into a bit more detail about the Tigers Clough Walk, which is required to do to reach the waterfall.

Tigers Clough Walk Information

• Type: One-way
• Distance: 3km
• Time: 1 hour
• Accumulated elevation gain: 25m
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trailhead: Rivington Reservoir Car Park
• Map: Wikiloc

FYI – my phone had a little hissy fit because of the cold weather when I was recording GPS directions for this trail. So, the GPS-guided map, that we’ve linked to above, is incomplete for this trail. But, you’ll get the gist of the walk by looking at the map above. Although, we don’t recommend trying to follow these directions in their entirety. The map is meant to give you a rough idea of where to find Tigers Clough. Admittedly, the GPS recording was quite sketchy given the ravine is quite sheltered and, as mentioned, my phone was playing up in the cold weather.

Tigers Clough Walk: Trail Description

First, we recommend parking at the Rivington Reservoir Car Park. From there, you’ll follow Rivington Lane, in a southerly direction, eventually turning left onto Roynton Road. You’ll pass Rivington and Blackroad School, whilst continuing on a path that gently ascends.

Eventually, you’ll reach a gate, where you’ll leave the country lane behind, entering the side of the ravine. From there, there are a few different trail options. But, basically, you’ll continue to follow trails that pass through kissing gates and descend towards the river. Once you’re following along the river, you’ll eventually find that the river splits into two branches, forming a couple of stellar waterfalls.

Tigers Clough Waterfall

Found along one of the streams of River Douglas, Tigers Clough Waterfall is truly a secret cascade. Sure, it’s not the biggest of waterfalls. But, it’s supremely peaceful and quaint. Without anyone else around, Beck and I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out at this waterfall, taking in the gentle and rhythmic sound of the cascading water.

After exploring the base of Tigers Clough, we headed to the nearby Crooked Edge Waterfall.

Crooked Edge Waterfall

Not far from Tigers Clough, you’ll find Crooked Edge Waterfall. It’s an even smaller and even lesser-known waterfall than Tigers Clough. But, whilst you’re down in the ravine, it’s certainly worth checking out.

Once you’ve seen this second waterfall, it’s time to retrace your steps to finish the walk. During winter, the terrain of the trails in the ravine can get quite muddy and slippery. So, getting out of the ravine can be a little thicker than getting down. Once you’ve ascended the ravine, you’ll once again walk along Roynton Road, eventually turning right onto Rivington Lane to reach Rivington Reservoir Car Park.

Well done, you’ve now completed the Tigers Crough Walk and discovered two hidden waterfalls!

How to Get to Tigers Clough (Parking)

The quickest and easiest way to get to Rivington to find Tigers Clough is to drive there yourself. As mentioned, you’ll park at Rivington Reservoir Car Park. Parking is free, whilst its generally open from 9am to 6pm every day.

If you don’t have your own set of wheels, we recommend hiring a car using Rentalcars.com. You’ll find a wide variety of cars on Rental Cars for reasonable prices. The website is user-friendly and booking online is very straightforward.

It’s possible to get to Rivington using public transport. You can get a train to Bolton from Manchester and then a bus (#575) to the bus stop at Shaw Road in Rivington. From there, you’re only a short walk from reaching Roynton Road to begin the walk to Tigers Clough. Feel free to check the train times and prices here. We recommend using Trainline and Google Maps to help plan your journey.

Despite public transport being an option, we recommend driving (if that’s possible) as it’s much less time-consuming. Indeed, depending on where you’re travelling from in the UK, getting to Rivington by public transport will probably be a slow and tedious journey.

Other Rivington Walks

Of course, when it comes to walks in Rivington, the Rivington Pike Walk is without a doubt the most well-known and popular trail. Personally, Beck and I did the Rivington Pike Walk as a sunrise walk before going to Tigers Clough. We highly recommend doing the Rivington Pike Walk, which starts at the historical Rivington Barn Hall and visits the lovely Rivington Terraced Gardens en route.

We only did the short out and back Rivington Pike Walk. But, there are many Rivington Pike route alternatives that explore more of the surrounding area. You’ll find the most popular longer Rivington Pike walks below.

• Rivington Pike and Lower Rivington Reservoir
• Winter Hill and Rivington Pike
• Winter Hill, Two Lads and Rivington Pike
• Rivington Pike and Brere’s Meadow

Hiking Essentials

These are our five hiking gear essentials for finding Tigers Clough Waterfall in Rivington.

• Merrell Moab Mid Gore-Tex Hiking Boots: you’ll want a good pair of hiking boots, especially if you’re taking on this often muddy trail.
• The North Face Venture Jacket: a fantastic windproof/waterproof jacket.
• Osprey Skarab 30L Day Backpack: a great backpack for walking, which has plenty of space to store your gear.
• The North Face TKA Glacier Fleece Jacket: an excellent warmth:weight ratio fleece jacket that’ll help keep you warm.
• Columbia Convertible Trousers: a value for money pair of water-resistant convertible trousers.

For a longer hiking gear list, check out our 66 Travel Items You Must Travel With. For a general list of everything else you’d need for travelling, read our Packing Checklist.

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