Oakenclough
Encyclopedia
Oakenclough is an English village located on the edge of the Forest of Bowland
in Lancashire
.
Oakenclough is a small and scattered community, which appears to have developed largely as a result of a paper mill
being sited here to make use of the water power available from the swiftly flowing River Calder
. In 1827, Quaker John Jackson bought the mill from Richard Curtis, a paper manufacturer and farmer who had gone bankrupt. Jackson built and lived in the adjacent house, known as Calder Bank, where his descendants continued to live for well over a hundred years. Jackson's brothers, Jonathan and Richard, founded nearby Calder Vale
in 1835, when they built a mill on the river. It was used to weave cotton and is still in use today, even though the river no longer provides the power.
Built by public subscription, St. John's Church, and the small church school next to it, stands at the top of Church Wood between Calder Vale and Oakenclough.
Forest of Bowland
The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...
in 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...
.
Oakenclough is a small and scattered community, which appears to have developed largely as a result of a paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
being sited here to make use of the water power available from the swiftly flowing River Calder
River Calder, Wyre
The River Calder is the main tributary of the River Wyre in Lancashire, England. It rises near Fiendsdale Head in the Forest of Bowland and flows through the villages of Oakenclough and Calder Vale before passing under the M6 motorway, West Coast Main Line and Lancaster Canal...
. In 1827, Quaker John Jackson bought the mill from Richard Curtis, a paper manufacturer and farmer who had gone bankrupt. Jackson built and lived in the adjacent house, known as Calder Bank, where his descendants continued to live for well over a hundred years. Jackson's brothers, Jonathan and Richard, founded nearby Calder Vale
Calder Vale
Calder Vale is an English village, located on the edge of the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. It lies on the River Calder in a deep valley with only a single road providing access to it....
in 1835, when they built a mill on the river. It was used to weave cotton and is still in use today, even though the river no longer provides the power.
Built by public subscription, St. John's Church, and the small church school next to it, stands at the top of Church Wood between Calder Vale and Oakenclough.