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Once named as “The hardest worked stream in the world” the River Irwell takes it’s rise just above Bacup on the Deerplay moorland to the right of Deerplay hill. In ancient times a packhorse road wound alongside the Cliviger ridge and from there onto the hills over Yorkshire. It is in this vicinity now overgrown and covered in heath it can scarcely be distinguished from its surroundings, but this is the source of the Irwell. The Irwell is in fact two springs separated by a few hundred yards. Uniting near to the boundary of Bacup.
The River Irwell at Dogpits
The covering of the Irwell in Burnley Road circa 1911.
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Rivers in the dark. Under the streets of Bacup run an extensive network of underground rivers. The tunnels, or culverts, run from the Mechanics, up Burnley Road, and Rochdale Road, over the Irwell and up Todmorden Road, over the river Tong. In 1974 a report in the Bacup Echo by John Hargreaves, describes a walk through the tunnels.
" We entered the system by the junior library. Four years ago this tunnel received the " Fairy Grotto" treatment by shooting cement over the walls and the roof. As we walked along the sometimes slippery stones our torches picked out where drains and springs entered the river and the different material used on the roof and walls. It ranged from brick, sandstone, and gritstone, to steel and wood. The long tunnel that extends from the town centre to St John's school on Burnley Road, is particularly low. The river has been channelled into a narrow strip in the middle and we had to walk along the edge bent double. Lime stalactites hang from the roof and crumbled on our face and hair as we passed. It was a relief to get back into the fresh hair. Mr Fred Whittaker, who spent the 20 years before his retirement at Bacup's highways superintendant, knows more about underground Bacup than anyone else. He remembers the time in 1965 when the Mechanics started to sink into the river. He checked and found that the building had moved 5inches. Over 100 tons of concrete was poured in to make it safe. Mr Whittaker also remembers the mid 30's when there was a open river in front of the Conservative club. During his days as a council worker 100 tons of rubbish was removed from the tunnels every year.
The River Irwell being covered over in St James Street circa 1911.
The Irwell flowing by Irwell Mill. |
