Alden Valley
Encyclopedia
The Alden Valley is a small valley in the east Pennines
, west of Helmshore
in Rossendale
, Lancashire
. In 1840 it was home to about 20 farms; largely cattle rearing, although most inhabitants were also involved with the production of textiles. Now it is dominated by sheep grazing, with 3 working farms and a number of smallholdings.
At the end of the eighteenth century small water-powered mills appeared in the valley. Midge Hole Mill dated from 1794, and the original Sunnybank Mill from 1798. By the 1830s there was a small bleach works at the head of the valley (Alden Old Mill), Clough Mill near Sunnybank, and Higher and Lower Alden Mill. The Higher Alden Mill was the first dedicated cotton mill, immediately below the present-day Alden Farm. These small mills were to disappear by the second half of the nineteenth century, as the large mills of Turner and Porritt and others and associated housing grew up in Helmshore around the turnpikes and railway. The outlying mills in Alden were no longer practical, and the valley reverted to farming. The relative tranquility of Alden Valley provided a suitable place for William John Porritt to build a house for himself, sufficiently distant from his own mills and the associated poverty. Porritt bought up most of the farmhouses in the valley, making his family the largest landowner. The Porritts were great tree-planters and planted most of the wooded areas we see today in the lower valley.
To the north and north-west is Musbury Tor
, to the south-west is Wet Moss, to the west is Musden Head Moor and Burnt hill, to the south is Bull Hill and the Holcombe rifle ranges, to the south-east is Beetle hill. The Valley is picturesque, with associated sites of interest:
at a special performance in 1978. The story was also commemorated by a Victorian
ballad
written by John Fawcett Skelton. The memorial is not in the valley itself but on a neighbouring hill.
nominated a large area of land - 1713 acres (6.9 km²) - from Grane to Alden Valley a hunting park. £22 10s was paid to carpenters...for felling timber and making a paling in part of the park. This was a hunting area which fell into disuse over the next few hundred years, although the boundary earthworks can still be clearly seen between Alden Reservoir and Fall Bank. By 1480 no park-keepers were employed, and in 1507 parcels of the land that made up the Park were rented out. The site of the original manor house was believed by the historian Thomas Hayhurst to be where Great House Farm cottages are backing onto Musbury Tor, although this is disputed.
in the world and was one of the worlds largest producers of industrial felt
(mainly for papermaking). His quarries in the Alden Valley provided stone for his buildings in St Annes on Sea. In the 1970s the mill was sold to developers and was eventually demolished in 1977, including the chimney which had been one of Helmshore's dominant landmarks. There is still the base of a wall of one of the mill buildings in the woods close by, and a large cutting into the hillside. These are some of the only remnants of the mill to survive.
. Legend has it, a depression in a stone above a spring there was where Robin Hood put his foot while stopping for a drink. The road is believed to be a Pilgrims Route to Whalley Abbey
, and it could be that the well was a resting place on that route. There was an annual Robin Hood festival celebrated in Bury
until 1810. The route today is a popular recreation site for walkers and cyclists alike.
and would not pay his rates
and was therefore refused poor relief
during the depression in the 1820s.
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
, west of Helmshore
Helmshore
Helmshore is a village in the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire, England. It is situated south of Haslingden, broadly between the A56 and the B6235, approximately 16 miles north of Manchester.- Early history :...
in Rossendale
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. In 1840 it was home to about 20 farms; largely cattle rearing, although most inhabitants were also involved with the production of textiles. Now it is dominated by sheep grazing, with 3 working farms and a number of smallholdings.
To the north and north-west is Musbury Tor
Musbury Tor
Musbury Tor is a flat topped hill in Helmshore, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It separates Alden Valley to its south and Musbury Valley to the north. It is a very popular walking spot and the views from the top are magnificent. It is on farmland and is mainly sheep pasture. It is one of the...
, to the south-west is Wet Moss, to the west is Musden Head Moor and Burnt hill, to the south is Bull Hill and the Holcombe rifle ranges, to the south-east is Beetle hill. The Valley is picturesque, with associated sites of interest:
Ellen Strange Memorial
A story is told of the murder of a young woman by her lover on the footpath to Edgeworth above and to the south side of Alden Valley. Above Robin Hoods well, the site is marked by an old cairn, and a carved stone erected by Horse and Bamboo TheatreHorse and Bamboo Theatre
Horse and Bamboo Theatre or Horse + Bamboo Theatre is a British theatre company founded in 1978 by Bob Frith. The company works with a commitment to strong narratives but using visual, physical, and music-based forms rather than text. In particular it uses distinctive full-head masks...
at a special performance in 1978. The story was also commemorated by a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
written by John Fawcett Skelton. The memorial is not in the valley itself but on a neighbouring hill.
Deer Park
In 1304-5 the Earl of LincolnLincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
nominated a large area of land - 1713 acres (6.9 km²) - from Grane to Alden Valley a hunting park. £22 10s was paid to carpenters...for felling timber and making a paling in part of the park. This was a hunting area which fell into disuse over the next few hundred years, although the boundary earthworks can still be clearly seen between Alden Reservoir and Fall Bank. By 1480 no park-keepers were employed, and in 1507 parcels of the land that made up the Park were rented out. The site of the original manor house was believed by the historian Thomas Hayhurst to be where Great House Farm cottages are backing onto Musbury Tor, although this is disputed.
Tor Side House
Surrounded by trees south of Musbury Tor. This was built by Joseph Porritt for his own occupation. From 1949 until 1982 it housed the offices of Great House Experimental Farm.Sunnybank Mill (site of)
The estate built in the late 1990s above Wood Bank in Helmshore is the site of Sunny Bank Mill, built by Joseph Porritt at the end of the nineteenth century on the site of his smaller and older mills. For a time it had the longest loomLoom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
in the world and was one of the worlds largest producers of industrial felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
(mainly for papermaking). His quarries in the Alden Valley provided stone for his buildings in St Annes on Sea. In the 1970s the mill was sold to developers and was eventually demolished in 1977, including the chimney which had been one of Helmshore's dominant landmarks. There is still the base of a wall of one of the mill buildings in the woods close by, and a large cutting into the hillside. These are some of the only remnants of the mill to survive.
Robin Hoods Well
On Stake Lane, the moor road south from Dowry Head, is a well associated with the legend of Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
. Legend has it, a depression in a stone above a spring there was where Robin Hood put his foot while stopping for a drink. The road is believed to be a Pilgrims Route to Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in Whalley, Lancashire, England. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a country house was built on the site. In the 20th century the house was modified and it is now the Retreat and Conference House of the...
, and it could be that the well was a resting place on that route. There was an annual Robin Hood festival celebrated in Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
until 1810. The route today is a popular recreation site for walkers and cyclists alike.
Township of Pilkington
Deep into Alden Valley, on the north side of the brook, can be found the ruins of 'Alden Old Mill' - an old bleach works built by Robert 'Rough Robin' Pilkington. Still known as the Township of Pilkington the ruins of his farm can be found above the ruined mill. He enclosed common landCommon land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
and would not pay his rates
Rates
Rates is a Portuguese parish and town located in the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim. In the census of 2001, it had a population of 2,539 inhabitants and a total area of 13.88 square kilometres.-History:...
and was therefore refused poor relief
Poor relief
Poor Relief refers to any actions taken by either governmental or ecclesiastical bodies to relieve poverty experienced by a population. More specifically, the term poor relief is often used to discuss how European countries dealt with poverty from the time just around the end of the medieval era to...
during the depression in the 1820s.