Forest of Rossendale. 301 



excellent quality, being very durable, and of a good colour. Prior 

 to 1848, the trade in this article was of very limited extent, being 

 confined chiefly to the immediate district. Since that year, 

 however, it has been gradually increasing, and at the present time 

 gives employment to a large number of workmen, skilled and 

 otherwise, and absorbs a considerable amount of capital. The 

 stone, which is suitable for all ordinary Building and Engineering 

 purposes, is obtained from the various Quarries in the district, 

 from blocks of many tons' weight each, and of almost unlimited 

 length, width, and depth, down to gray slates of half-an-inch in 

 thickness. Some of the varieties for appearance and durability are 

 not to be surpassed. 



The export trade is very large, extending to Manchester, Preston, 

 Liverpool, some parts of Yorkshire, Birmingham, London, and 

 other places. Some idea of its magnitude may be gathered from a 

 knowledge of the fact, that ^2,'joo and upwards is paid per month 

 for carriage by Railway to the various places above enumerated. 

 From Liverpool and London, considerable quantities of the 

 Rossendale Stone are also trans-shipped to the East Indies, South 

 American, and other foreign ports, and this export trafiS is rapidly 

 increasing. The rent paid as Delphage for some of the Quarries 

 amounts to many times what would otherwise be considered the 

 value of the Fee-simple of the land, and the latter still remains 

 available, to some extent, for farming and building purposes. 

 Several Mills for the polishing of flags have been erected in the 

 district by which the value of the stone is much enhanced. Large 

 quantities of the Rossendale flags, however, have a natural face 

 almost as smooth as those which have undergone the polishing 

 process, and by many persons are considered better than the latter, 

 inasmuch as they are exceedingly hard, and are often found to 

 possess a beautiful grain. As regards the extent of the Stone 

 Trade of Rossendale, the following statement may be taken as 

 being a close approximation to the facts. Number of persons 

 employed, 1,200. Amount paid in wages weekly, ;^i,2oo. Weight 

 of Stone of all kinds obtained from the several Quarries weekly, 



