Rossendale Valley

For surely the Vale of Cliviger, seen in its spring garment, when the fresh green of the buds that have burst is thrown up by the rich purple of those that are bursting, is one of the glories of Lancashire.

Bacup and Rawtenstall flank the highlands of the Forest of Rossendale and Deerplay Moor, where the Irwell takes its rise.

Blackburn, which is only separated from the beautiful Ribble Valley by a low range of hills, has the heights of Darwen to the south, while on the west it shares with Preston the country round Haughton Towers.

Preston itself occupies its own commanding position at the head of the Ribble Estuary, with the green country of Haughton Bottoms and Samlesbury Bottoms to the east, and the picturesque villages of the Fylde to the north.

On Deerplay Moor some two miles north of Bacup, the occupants of a small house will show you in their cellar a spring which they assert is one of the sources of the river.

Another spring deep down in an adjoining field comes to the surface at a drinking trough, a photograph of which was given to me as marking the other source of the Irwell.

From this point the stream runs merrily down the channel it has cut for itself through the moors of the Forest of Rossendale.

But almost from its source it has been utilized in years past for driving mills, which are threaded all along its banks, as they are also along the banks of its tributaries, the Irk, the Roch, and the Medlock.

A field with the geologists.

in response to invitation the members of the manchester geological society resolved upon an excursion on november twenty first eighteen over the wide and interesting district commencing at stubbins and terminating at the head of the rossendale valley During the whole of the day previous, a cold breeze had blown from the north-west, and up to midnight the frost was intensely keen.

The only drawback to the promise of a fine day was a suspicious halo that encircled the moon, betokening a change in the weather.

About two o'clock in the morning, the writer got up and prospected appearances from the window.

These ridges have the bleakest character, and stretch gloomily along each side of the glen.

This latter possesses a good deal of picturesque and quiet beauty, and is a favourite resort of some of our Lancashire authors and artists.

on the morning in question the valley was seen to advantage the mountain streams were fringed with myriads of icicles pendent from the overhanging vegetation and viewed from a distance appeared like streaks of silver threading the brown heath along the margin of the main stream the spray which had fallen upon the rushes in trickling down had been arrested in its course by john frost and made to assume the most fantastic and beautiful forms but the excursionists had now reached the farmhouse at fore edge to which there is a passing allusion in edwin waugh's tale of the barrel-organ here by the thoughtful hospitality of mr brookes a repast in the shape of luncheon at once rich and substantial awaited the company the president with his usual wisdom remarked by way of advice that a geologist above all mortals should be studiously careful to fortify well the inner man in order to enable him successfully to pursue his arduous labours by field and fell whatever differences of opinion may exist amongst the fraternity on certain points they appear at least to be thoroughly agreed on this the sentiment of the president was received with universal acclaim here in the bleakest and barest of situations yet in the midst of unexpected plenty the excursionists spent a pleasant half-hour till they were vino ciboche gravati on leaving the hospitable cot of oud bill the party proceeded to complete the ascent to the summit of the hill and thence followed the ridge in the direction of brandwood moor the view from the crest at this point is very fine embracing as it does the rossendale valley and its several offshoots and the whole of the surrounding hills the characteristic features of these are a rounded equality of surface smooth and almost unbroken they do not as a rule present those rugged craggy precipitous outlines which distinguish the limestone formations and for that reason they are not as picturesque in appearance as the hills in some other parts of the country nevertheless they are noble in their proportions and in their garb of russet brown and whilst they are less attractive to the spirit of the adventurous climber they are safer to the ways of the more contemplative pedestrian from a geological point of view their quarries and the causes that have contributed to the formation of the whole strata of which the hills are composed are full of interest If the Rossendale Hills are not greatly distinguished for their height, at least they are remarkable for their number.

Enumerating the highest of them, and beginning with the Cliviger Range on the eastern confines of the district, we have Thieveley Pike, 1,474 feet above sea level, Durplay or Deerplay Hill, 1,429 feet, noted as being the place where the River Irwell takes its rise.