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LANCASHIRE. 



LANCASHIRE. 



from that city. About 3 miles from Manchester a branch runs west to 

 Worsley, where there are extensive tunnels and underground works 

 connected with the Earl of Ellesmere's collieries, and thence 

 to the town of Leigh. The Leeda and Liverpool Canal, the 

 most extenjsive in the kingdom, enters this county from York- 

 shire at Foulridge, near Colne, and passes by or near Burnley, 

 Blackburn, Chorley, Wigan, and Ormskirk to Liverpool. Cuts 

 connect this canal with the Ribble and with the Duke of Bridge- 

 water's Canal at Leigh. The length of this canal, without 

 reckoning the branches, is about 127 miles, including the 11 

 miles of the Lancaster Canal incorporated with it. The Lancaster 

 Canal begins near Kendal in Westmorland aud runs southward in a 

 tolerably direct line to Lancaster, where it crosses the Lune by an 

 aqueduct of five arches, each of 70 feet span, and risiug nearly 40 feet 

 above the surface of the river : from Lancaster it proceeds by Garstang, 

 where it crosses the Wire by an aqueduct, to Preston. Here the canal 

 is for a few miles replaced by a railroad, which crosses the Ribble on 

 a viaduct bridge. Tbe canal recommences on the sonth side of the 

 Ribble valley, and joins soon after the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. 

 The whole length of the Lancaster Canal is above 70 miles. The 

 Ashton-undtr-Line Canal, or, as it is sometimes called, the Manchester, 

 Ashton-under-Line, and Oldham Canal, commences on the eastern 

 aide of the town of Manchester, and runs in a tolerably direct line to 

 Fairfield, about four miles from Manchester on the road to Ashton. 

 It has branches to Stockport ; to the Huddersfield Canal, at Dukin- 

 field, near Ashton ; and to the collieries at HoUiuwood, near Oldham. 

 Several cuts have been made in Manchester from this canal to wharfs 

 and quays in the town. It communicates with the Rochdale CanaL 

 The length of the -canal and its branches (exclusive of the branch to 

 Stockport) is nearly 12 miles. Of the Huddersfield Canal and the 

 Peak Forest Canal only a very small portion is in Lancashire. They 

 both cross the Thame near Dukinfield to unite with the Ashton-under- 

 Line Canal. The Rochdale Canal commences in tbe Calder Navigation 

 in Yorkshire, and proceeds by Todmorden into Lancashire. It follows 

 the valley of the Roch to Rochdale, and thence proceeds to Manchester, 

 where it locks into the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal, receiving a branch 

 from the Ashton-under-Line Canal by the way. The Manchester, 

 Bolton, and Bury Canal commences in tbe Mersey and Irwell Navi- 

 gation at Manchester, and nms to Bolton, with a branch to Bury. 

 The canals of Lancashire form part of that immense system of inland 

 navigation which connects the Irish Sea with the German Ocean. 

 The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, with the Aire and Calder Navigation, 

 forms one line of communication ; and the Duke of Bridge water's 

 Canal, with the Rochdale Canal, the Calder and Hebble Navigation, 

 and the Aire and Calder Navigation, forms a second. The Ashton- 

 under-Line, Huddersfield, .ind Sir John Rams<lcn's Canals may be 

 substituted for the Rochdale Canal in this last line. 



The railway system is more completely carried out perhaps in 

 Lancashire than in any other county. The entire southern division 

 of the county is covered with a network of lines, and every part of it 

 has easy communication by railway with all the important towns. 

 The main northern lino to Scotland, in connection with the London 

 and North-Westem railway company, by way of Carlisle, enters Lan- 

 cashire at Warrington, passes through it in a northern direction about 

 68 miles, passing by or through Wigan, Preston, and Lancaster, and 

 quitting the county near Burton. From Manchester lines run in all 

 directions. The Manchester and Liverpool line runs westward to 

 Liverpool, 31 miles : from it are short branches south to the Mersey 

 opposite Runcorn, and north-west to St. Helen's. A direct north-west 

 line unites Manchester with Preston. From it lines diverge right and 

 left, connecting it with other lines. The Manchester and Huddersfield 

 and the Manchester and Yorkshire lines connect Manchester with the 

 various towns in Yorkshire. The North-Westem railway gives it 

 direct communication with London, though only a few miles of this 

 lino are in Lancashire. A short line of 8 miles runs south-west from 

 Manchester to Altringham. Other short lines run east to Oldham 

 and to Staleybridge. From the Clifton station on the Liverpool line, 

 near Manchester, a line runs nearly north by Bury, Haalingdeu, 

 Buml«y, and Colne, where it quits the county. A line quits the 

 Liverpool line at Kenyon, and proceeds nearly north by Leigh, Bolton, 

 and Blackburn to Accrington, where it quits the county. From 

 Liverpool a line runs at a short distance from the coast to Southport. 

 A line runs nearly north-east from Liverpool to Preston ; and another 

 line runs more east past Wigan, and joins the Manchester and Preston 

 line a few miles west of Bolton. From Preston a line runs north-west 

 ■t some little distance from the coast past Kirkham to Fleetwood, 

 having short branches to Lytham and to Blackpool. A cross-line 

 connects Preston with Blackburn and Accrington, and another connects 

 it with Clitheroe. The Whitehaven and Fumess Junction railway 

 runs along the southern extremity of Fumess, from Peel northward 

 past iMlton to Broughton, where it crosses the Duddon into Cumber- 

 land. The Fumess line connects Dalton with Ulverstone. 



Of coach-roads the following are the principal : — The Port Patrick, 

 Carlisle, and Manchester road enters tbe county at Stockport, aud 

 nms by Manchester, Chorley, Preston, Garstang, and Lancaster into 

 Westmorland. The Liverpool road enters the county at Warrington, 

 and runs by Prescot to Liverpool, from which place a road runs to 

 Preston, where it joins the high road to Carlisle. The coach-road 



0100. DIV. TOT,, ni. 



from Manchester to Liverpool joins the London and Liverpool road 

 at Warrington. A road from Manchester runs by Middleton and 

 Rochdale to Halifa:;^ and Leeds in Yorkshire ; another by 01dh<ara to 

 Huddersfield, and so to Leeds ; and another northward by I'ury and 

 Clitheroe into the mountain district of Yorkshire. The other roads 

 arc too numerous to be particularised. 



Climate, Soil, A'jriculturc. — The climate of Lancashire is mild and 

 moist. The high hills which run along its eastern boundary shelter it 

 from the cold easterly winds, but at the same time arrest the clouds 

 which come from the Atlantic, and produce more abundant rains than 

 in those parts of England which lie to the eastward. 



The surface of the county is very uneven in the northern and 

 eastern parts. Near the coasts the laud is level, and the soil consists 

 of a good sand over a rocky subsoil, or a clay marl, which when 

 mixed with the upper soil renders it extremely productive, especially 

 in garden vegetables. There are extensive tracts of peat-moss. 



From the moist nature of the climate Lancashire is more productive 

 in grass than in corn. The arable land is generally well cultivated. 

 Many of tbe farms are of considerable size, and were formerly 

 occupied as domains by the larger proprietors. Several still retain 

 the name of Hall or Manor Farm, but the subdivision of property 

 has given rise to very small occupations, which are cultivated like 

 large gardens, and are very productive, especially the sandy loams, 

 where excellent crops of potatoes are raised. Oats have always been a 

 favourite crop, partly from their suiting a moist climate, and partly 

 from their forming a considerable part of the food of the inhabitants 

 in the central and northern psrts of the county. Wheat is sown 

 where the land is favourable to it, as along the shore north of 

 Lancaster, in the Fylde, and in the southwest part of the county. 

 Potatoes were early cultivated iu the fields in Lancashire, and they 

 retain their celebrity when raised in the lighter soils, and when not 

 over-manured. A considerable extent of land in the vicinity of manu- 

 facturing towns is kept in grass for the purpose of bleaching linen. 



Sheep are not abundant in proportion to cows ; the breeds commonly 

 met with are the black -faced, the Cheviot, and the improved Leicester. 

 The original breed of oxen in Lancashire was one of the best in 

 England until it was surpassed by the Leicestershire, which is only 

 the same blood improved by careful selection. Milk is a very 

 important article of food in a populous district ; butter and cheese 

 are however made in great quantities and of a very good quality. 

 Many useful horses are bred in Lancashire, for which there is a great 

 demand in the manufacturing towns. They are chiefly carthorses of 

 a hardy active sort. The breed of swine does not present any 

 peculiar feature. A great deal of pork and bacon is imported from 

 Ireland. 



Divitictu, Toiciu, <i-c. — The county of Lancashire is divided into six 

 hundreds, as follows : — Amoundemeas, west ; Blackburn, east ; Ley- 

 land, central ; Lonsdale (including the borough of Lancaster), north ; 

 Salford (including the city of Manchester), south-east; and West 

 Derby (including the boroughs of Liverpool and Wigan), south-west. 

 The county contains the borough, market, and sea-port towns of 

 Lancaster and Liverpool ; the ancient borough and market-towns 

 of Clitheroe, Preston, and Wiuan ; the recently-constituted city of 

 Manchester ; the decayed and now disfranchised borough of Newton ; 

 the market-towns of Ashton-under-Line, Blackburn, Bolton-lb- 

 MooBs, Bdrnlev, Burt, Caktmel, Chorley, Colne, Dalton, 

 Oabstaso, Hawkshead, Haslinoden, Hornby, Kirkham, Leigh, 

 Middleton, Oldham, Ormskirk, Poulton, Prescot, Rochdale, 

 Todmorden, Ulverstone, and Warrinoton ; with the small towns 

 of Accrington, Atherton, Barton-upon-Irwell, Over Darweii, Eccles, 

 Fleetwood, Heywood, Hindley, Horwich, Lytham, Radcliffe, Saint 

 Helen's, Southiiort, and Tyldeeley. Ashton-imder-Lino, Blackburn, 

 Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford (a suburb of Manchester), 

 and Warrington, were by the Reform Act erected into parliamentary 

 boroughs. The places printed in small capitals are described under 

 their respective headings. Of the others an account is subjoined. The 

 populations given are those of 1851. 



Atherton, population 4655, about 12 miles W. by N. from ILanchester, 

 has numerous cotton-works in its vicinity. A fine old mansion called 

 Atherton Hall stood here, but was pulled down a few years since. 



Barton-upon- Irwell, 6 miles W. from Mauchester, population of the 

 township 12,687, is on the right bank of the IrwelL It has gi-eatly 

 improved of late years in consequence of the increase of the cotton 

 manufacture. The town possesses a district church, chapels for 

 Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists and Roman Catholics, and a 

 National school. There is here a stone aqueduct of three arches over 

 which the Duke of Bridgewater's Canal is carried across the river 

 Irwell. 



Dallon-in- Fumess, 25 miles W.N.W. from Lancaster across the Sands : 

 population of the parish, 4683. This town flourished at an early period 

 in consequence of the favour of the neighbouring abbey of Furncss. 

 Dalton consists of a principal street of poor houses, tcrminatin;,' on 

 the west in a spacious market-place. The church is a small neat 

 building of considerable antiquity. Ou a rocky eminence west of the 

 town there is a square tower, the remains of a castle. The market is 

 on Saturday. Malting and brewing are carried on, and there are some 

 iron-works and tanyards near the town. A station of the Whitehaven 

 and Fumess railway is at Dalton. In the market-place is a stone cross. 



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