UKC

Meeting a friend at Winter Hill for a walk next week, as a convenient half-way point between us.  Can work out a walk, but am looking for a café to meet (and possibly park and start walk etc). Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendation for a walkers' cafe (parking nearby for the day would be a bonus).  Don't really mind where as long as it's on the periphery of the hill as can easily concoct a circular walk on most sides of the hill.

A bit of Googling has found:

• Lottie's of Belmont https://www.lotties.cafe/
• Rivington Pike Snack Shack https://www.facebook.com/thepikesnackshack/
• Rivington Village Green Tea Room https://www.rivingtonvillagegreentearoom.com/

TIA

Wilton Arms? Maybe a bit far out but the BMC won't mind you parking in the crag car park.

Otherwise the rivington barn would be the popular (i.e. normally rammed) choice.

Actually ignore that. I'd suck it up and park at the barn then contrive a route through the terraced gardens. Not to be missed.

Lottie’s isn’t bad. It’s few years since I’ve been, but it’s perfectly located for a walk up Winter Hill. It’s pretty much opposite the entrance to the main path that goes up eastern side of the hill. Have a great day out. 

Spring cottage (https://www.springcottage.org/cafe) was very nice when went couple of years ago. It's right next to the Barn. 

Rivington Lower Barn

Curley's Fisheries Cafe (Horwich end of Georges Lane

Meet up at the lower barn is the traditional approach. There is parking around there. 
Rivi has plenty of cafes - you could see if you can do a tour of all of them. Start at Lower barn, over to the bowling green, then the Village Green Tea Room, then Spring Cottage (fancy!). Head up towards the gardens, and stop in at the old toilet block which now does excellent coffee. Pop up the pike, and then back down to the Snak shack. Get plenty at the shack, as you have a bit of a trek over to the horse box doing coffee and cake at Walker Fold. Head towards Lotties, passing the farm ice-cream shop on the way, and Wilton Arms. Over the top of Winter hill again (maybe stop in the Black Dog), and then back down and across the reservoir to the final stop at Rivington Brew Co tap house, for craft beer and a wood fired pizza. 

The terraced gardens, in case you're not familiar:

https://m.facebook.com/TGRivington/

https://www.instagram.com/tgrivington/

100% the Village Tea Room. Been a while since I was last there, but on a weekend some bloke would be on the piano, the food is Bob on, and there is a second hand book case raising money for the local MRT.  

A favourite haunt of mine when I was a kid. I preferred them when they were overgrown like some forgotten outpost of a lost Inca tribe. If you were thin enough you could squeeze through the slit window at the base of the Dovecote tower. The replica of Liverpool Castle down by the reservoir is worth a detour. We used to abseil off the battlements on old tow rope. How did we survive youth?