WORK to unearth one of the country's top ten lost gardens has been captured in these fascinating photographs.

Andrew Coward, a member of The Bolton News Camera Club, is charting the transformation making the historical Rivington Terraced Gardens glorious again.

A £4.2 million restoration of the terraced gardens, which have lay buried for decades to become one of the top 10 lost gardens in in the UK, is now under way to preserve the area for future generations.

A team of over 200 volunteers are working with The Rivington Heritage Trust and Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside.

These photos detail the work that has been carried out to reveal the gardens' hidden treasures.

Mr Coward, who lives in Horwich, said: "I like to document aspects of work in progress.

"So much work has gone into this project and so much which has been buried for years uncovered, items and paths which have been seen for 60 years.

"I think there is still so much to see."

Among the photographs taken by Mr Coward include a stunning view of the lagoon, which has had the overgrown bushes cut back to reveal steps, and showcase one of the most picturesque feature of the gardens.

Mr Coward said he would continue to chart the progress of the work being done – and is looking forward to seeing what else will be uncovered or restored as the project continues.

He said: “I used to go there as a child, and I find the place inspiring. I just love it.

“The volunteers who have been doing this work are amazing.”

The project is being part-funded by £3.4m of money from the Heritage Lottery Fund: Parks for People Programme.

In the early 1900s Lord Leverhulme worked with landscape architect Thomas Mawson on the design of the terraced gardens, set in the hillside below the Pike. known locally as the ‘Chinese gardens’ for him to relax in and be entertained.

His vision created a dramatic hillside garden, featuring a heavily-wooded area including a network of footpaths that provide the terraces, giving the gardens their name.

Lord Leverhulme died in 1925 and the gardens almost immediately fell into a state of disrepair. They were opened to the public in 1948.

The work focuses on 'stabilising and consolidating' existing decaying structures within the gardens, and improving access. The idea is to capture the 'spirit of Mawson's original design.