River Darwen
Back in the late 19th century the River Darwen was notorious for its vile smell and colour. Walkers knew to give it a wide berth. By a local Act of Parliament in 1879 the Corporation borrowed £15,000 to effect improvements, but were slow to start work. The river flows a distance of two miles through the town and floods were frequent. It was estimated that the cost of damage caused by floods in the ten years up to 1880 was more than it would have been to construct a new channel for the river. The River Darwen falls a considerable distance - 155 feet from one end of the town to the other. In addition many small streams flow down from the moors. Back in the 1890s ashes and refuse were tipped in from mills and houses all along its length, consequently obstructions arose at culverts and archways. In the flood of 1880 almost 100 square feet of water was rushing towards culverts that could only cope with 30 or 40 square feet, resulting in floods and damage to property. Care had been taken when constructing the new Market House to build a culvert 13 feet by 17 feet, big enough to cope with three times the water ever likely to come down the course. The river continues past Lower Darwen and skirts Blackburn on its way to join the River Ribble.
|
