﻿«I7 



L1NCASH[KK. 



LANCASHIRE. 



without lUn^r, when Um tld« ia out, from the neighbourhood of 

 Lancaiter into Funioih 



Wdne/ Island, off the aoatheni extremity of Fumeo, extends from 

 oorth-weet to louth-eest about eij;ht miles, in width nowhero mora 

 than one mils. It bonds in at each extremity towards the mainland, 

 from which it is separated by a narrow ohanneL It ia io low as to 

 have been at times nearly inundated by the tide. At the southern 

 extremity of the island U a lighthouse. The other islands of the 

 group — Foulney, Pile of Fouldrey (on whioh are the mouldoriug 

 remains of an old oaatle, onoe extensive and strong), Sheep Island, 

 Roo Island, Dora How, and Old Barrow Ramsey, are all small : tboy 

 are in the channel between Woluey and the mainland. 



Gtohgj/, MineriMlogy, <tc — The new red-eaudstone, or red marl, ia 

 whieh ooours the great deposit of rock-salt, occupies the volley of the 

 Mersey, extending inland soTeral miles, especially m the neighbourhood 

 of Manchester. It occupies also a considerable portion of the western 

 side of the county as fiu: north as the valley of the Lune at Lancaster, 

 It is covered near the coast by the moss or peat which extends to the 

 westward of a lino drawn from Liverpool by Ormskirk to Preston ; 

 and firom Preston by Qarstang to Lancaster it is covered by the days, 

 marls, and peat-mossee of the Fylde district. The peat-mosses contain 

 great quantitieti of largo timber trees, the remains of ancient forests. 

 A great portion of the tract in which the peat occurs is in a state of 

 cultivation. The coal-measures crop out from under the red mart 

 The coal-field of South Lancashire, to which the county owes its 

 manufacturing preeminence, occupies a large irregular tract between 

 the Ribblo and the Mersey. The line which bouuds it extends from 

 Colne south-west by Buruley, Blackburn, and Chorley, to UphoUund, 

 near Wigon ; thence north-west to near Ormskirk ; aud thence south 

 and east by Prescot to between Newton and Warrington. From tbia 

 point the boundary runs in an irregular line by Newton and Leigh to 

 Worsley ; and thence makes a sweep round Manchester at an average 

 distance of five miles from that town till it meeti the river Thame on 

 the border of the county. The eastern limit of the coal-field is, 

 generally speaking, just within that of the county ; for the high laud 

 which divides Lancashire from Yorkshire is formed of the millstone- 

 grit, which here crops out from beneath the coal-measures. The 

 coal-measures probably extend westwai'd under the sea. The coul 

 re-appears in the peninsula of the Wirral in Cheshire, aud yet farther 

 west in the oool-field of FUutshire and Denbighshire. A small coal- 

 field, east of Lancaster, occupies a portion of this county, and extends 

 into Yorkshire. 



The millstone-grit forms, as already noticed, the heights which sku-t 

 the eastern side of the county, as well as those which separate the 

 basins of the Mersey aud the Kibble, the valleys of the Irwell and the 

 Rooh, and the valleys of the Kibble and the Lune. In the intervening 

 space between the two coal-fields the red marl rests upon the mill- 

 stone-grit. 



That part of the county which is north of the Lune is chiefly 

 occupied by the carboniferous or mountain limestone. Between 

 Hornby and Lancaster thi-i formation extends over a small district 

 south of the Lune. The old red sandstone, which underlies the 

 mountain limestone, appears just on the border of the county near 

 Kirkby Lonsdale. Fumees is occupied partly by the Lower Silurian 

 slate rocks which form the mass of the Cumbrian Mouutoins. In the 

 central part of Fiimcss occurs carboniferous limestone. Lower Furness 

 is occupied partly by the new red-sandstone, which forms its southern 

 extremity. 



The principal mineral production of Lancashire is coah The coal 

 is of various kinds, including canuel coal. Lead is obtained from the 

 millstone-grit and mountain-limestone districts. The lead-mine of 

 Anglezark, between Chorley and Bolton, yields also carbonate of 

 barytes. Some copiier is obtained in the high mountains of Fumees ; 

 and ironstone is found in the lower part of the same district, between 

 Ulvcratone and Dolton. The mountains of Fumois yield blue slate ; 

 conrse slate of lighter colour, and flag-stones, are obtained near Wigan. 

 ISxcelleut freestone is quarried near Lancaster, and scythe-atones and 

 brick and pipeclay are found in various parts. 



J/j/drot/rajiky and Cammunicatimu. — The rivers that water this 

 county have their general conrse from north-cast to soutli-weat ; those 

 of Fumeas excepted, which flow from north to south. The principal 

 rivers an the Lune in the north, the Wire aud the Ribble in the 

 centre, and the Mersey in the south. 



The Lunt, or Logiu, risee in Westmorland, on the northern slope 

 of the Longilole Fells. It eaters Lancashire near Kirkby Lonsdale, aud 

 Hows first south and then sonth-weet past Lancaster, where it opens 

 into a wide nstuary in Lancaster Bay. The Lune receives in the 

 bwer pnrt of its course the Qreta, which rises on the southern slope 

 of Whemside, and the Wenning, which also rises in the mouutains of 

 Yorkshire and flows past the town of Hornby ; both these tributaries 

 join the Lune on the left bnuk. The length of the Lune may be 

 about 48 miles, of which 20 miles are iu Lancashire. Lonsdale, or 

 the Valley of the Luno, ia surpassed by few vales in England in 

 picturesque beauty. The navigation of the river commences at Lou- 

 cuter, up to which towu it is navigable fur ships of small burden. 



The IFire rises in the moorlands on the Yorluhiro border east of 

 Lancaster, and flows first west and then south by Qontang, below 

 wbiob it turns west and then north-west until it enters the Bay of 



Lancaster near Roaaall Pofait, by a deep and wide entmuy. Its whole 

 oourse is about 28 miles. At the mouth of the Wire a har^ur has 

 been formed, and the town of Fleetwood built. 



The Jiibble riaes iu the Yorkshire Mountains, a little oast of Whem- 

 side. It touches the border of Lancashire about 3 miles above 

 Clitheroe. After dividing the counties of York and Lancaster for 

 some miles it enters Lancashire, through which it flows in a somewhat 

 sinuous coums to the town of Preston, below which it opens into a 

 wide shallow tostuary and enters the Irish Sea. It is joined on the 

 right bank by the Uodder, which rises very near the source of the 

 Wire, and has the upper part of its course in Yorkshire, and tho 

 lower part on the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire. On its U'ft 

 b.uik it receives the Calder, which rises just within the boundary of 

 Yorkshire, but has the greater part of its course in Lancashire. In 

 the neighbourhood of Preston it receives on the left bank the Darwen, 

 or Derwent, which rises in the moors near Over Darwen, between 

 Blackburn and Bolton. The Ribble'a Dale, or Valley of the Kibble, 

 is very beautiful. The aistuory ia forded at low water at Hesketh 

 Bank below Preston, where it is 4 miles wide ; but with the tide small 

 vessels can get up to near Preston. 



The Mcrtey rises in Yorkshire from different sources in Clough Moss 

 and Holme Moss, south-west of Hudd>:rsrield. The streams from these 

 sources form the Thame, or Tame, which flows south-west first through 

 Yorkshire and then along the border of Lancashire and Cheshire, by 

 Staleybridge and Ashton-under-Lino to Stockport, where it is joined 

 by the Goyt [OekbtsuiheJ and assumes the name of Mersey. The 

 lower part of its course is described elsewhere. rOiiEsiiiitE.] The 

 navigation of the Mersey begins at Stockport Its pnncii>al Lancashire 

 tributary is the Irwell, which has its source in Durpley Hill, iu the 

 moors between I^lchdale aud Burnley, and flows iu a very windiug 

 course by Heywoodbridge near HasUngden, Bui-y, and Manchester. 

 At Manchester it receives tho Irk from between Oldham and Roch- 

 dale, and the Medlook from the Yorkshire border near Olilhnm. The 

 Irwell is navigable as far as Manchester. The whole length of the 

 Irwell may be about 40 miles ; that of the Tame, or Mersey, including 

 its Eestuiu'y, nearly 70 miles. 



There are several small streams in the county. The Winster and 

 the Duddon form respectively the eastern aud western boundaries of 

 Furness : and the Leven from the Lake of Windermere, and a stream 

 from Conistou Water, flow through the middle of Furness and unite 

 their waters in the wide oostuary of tho Leven. The Duddon is a 

 beautiful stream ; its valley is called Donnerdale. It rises north of 

 Coniston Fells, and sweeps round and under them. The Douglas 

 rises near Wigan, and flows north-west iuto the lestuary of the Kibble. 

 The Alt, or All, rise^ near Prescot and flows north-west into the Irish 

 Sea near Formby Point The Douglas is 20 milos long; the Alt 

 14 miles; the Douglas was made navigable nearly throughout as far 

 bock as the year 1727; but many years since an artificial cut was 

 substituted for tho natural channel, except for a short distance near 

 the mouth. 



Two considerable lakes are in Furness, Winandermere or Winder- 

 mere aud Conistou Water. Windermere is on tho border of West- 

 morland and Lancashire, but by its position rather belongs to 

 Lancashire, withiu which its southern part is included. It is about 

 11 miles long from north to south, and varies from half a mile to a 

 mile in breadth ; but iu one i>art (where there is a ferry) it is not 

 above 500 yards over. It is the largest lake in Knglond, and its 

 greatest depth is rather more than 200 feet At its northern extre- 

 mity it receives two mountain streams from Langdale Pikes, which 

 unite just before they enter the lake : several other mountain streams 

 flow into it on the east and west Its waters are discharged by the 

 Leven, which flows from its southern extremity into Morecambe Bay. 

 A small lake (Esthwaite Water) in Lancashire discharges its waters 

 into Windermere, to the west of whioh it lies. The waters of aome 

 of the smaller Westmorland lokea also flow iuto this great receptacle. 

 The waters of Windermere ore very clear, and the scenery along its 

 banks remarkably beautiful. In it are several small islands. 



Coniston or Ihuraton Water is nearly 6 miles long from north to 

 south, with a variable breadth, never perhaps exceeding three-quarters 

 of a mile. Its greatest depth ia about 240 feet It is fed by a num. 

 bcr of mountain atreama, and diaoharges its waters iuto the lostunry 

 of the Leven. Coniston Fella are near the northern extremity of tlie 

 lake. Some ahallow lakes or moraaaea lie aloug the western coast of 

 Lancashire, as Marton Mere, between the Kibble and the Wire, which 

 ia now considerably reduced by the channel called tho Main Dyke ; 

 and White Otter and Barton Here, not far from Ormskirk. Martin 

 Mere, near the mouth of the Douglas, has been drained and brought 

 into cultivation. 



The Sankey Canal, for the construction of which an Act of 

 Parliameut was obtained in 175.5, was the first canal executed in 

 England. It extends by a very circuitous course of about 12 miles 

 from St Helen's, near Prescot, along the valley of the Sankey Brook, 

 into the Mersey at 'Fidler's Ferry, near Warrington, aud has three 

 branches. The Duke of Bridgewater's Caual was commeuce<l soon 

 after the Sankey Canal. The execution of this groat work was elfcctud 

 by Francis duke of Bridgcwatcr, assisted by Brindlcy tho engineer. 

 The greater part of this canal however belongs to CuKsiiiiti:. It 

 commenoea at Manoheater, and enters Cheshire about 6 miles south 



