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Chapter 8

Ruins in the Forest

Colden Clough

An industrial chimney in woodland on the flank of the Pennines. This narrow valley is a chance to explore the early Industrial Revolution. Now the faint remains of the large mills and their water engineering are like Mayan ruins in forest. When the mills were operating, the river, and rivers downstream, were polluted, often with waste from mills. From around the 1860's, public pressure, combined with legislation, gradually led to rivers such as this, becoming far cleaner. Liverworts and mosses now grow on the boulders. I love this place, especially in the Autumn.