About the Project

• Background to the Project
• Initial Workshops
• Launching the Project
• Leeds & Liverpool History
• The Workings of a Lock

Johnson's Hillock

• Introduction to the Walk
• Walk Guide - Section 01
• Walk Guide - Section 02
• Walk Guide - Section 03
• Walk Guide - Section 04
• Walk Guide - Section 05
• Walk Guide - Section 06
• Walk Guide - Section 07

Salterforth to
Greenberfield

• Introduction to the Walk
• Walk Guide - Section 01
• Walk Guide - Section 02
• Walk Guide - Section 03
• Walk Guide - Section 04
• Walk Guide - Section 05
• Walk Guide - Section 06
• Walk Guide - Section 07

Salterforth to Greenberfield - Walk Guide - Section 04

• Listen to this page

To the east of Long Ing Bridge, no 153, on the off side, was a small coal yard, whilst on the towpath side was Long Ing Shed, a ‘Room and Power’ cotton weaving shed. Typical of the Pendle area, the building and steam engine was owned by one company, who then leased room and power to smaller weaving businesses. It opened in 1887, with space for almost 2,000 looms, but has now been converted to small industrial units.

On the other side of the bridge, Moss Shed, was opened in 1903 for 2,160 looms. It ceased textile production in 1960 and is now used by Silentnight, the bedroom furniture firm. On the opposite side of the canal, next to the towpath, was Barnsey Shed, built in 1911, with space for 2,100 looms. It has recently been demolished. All the mills here had their boiler houses next to the canal for coal delivery, and to use the canal to condense the exhaust steam from their mill engines. This created a vacuum, which made the engines much more efficient.

Just beyond Barnsey Shed was the ‘Little Cut’ which served Rain Hall Rock, one of the canal company’s limestone quarries. There was a bridge carrying the towpath over the entrance to the cut, and a few stones from the parapet survive within the towpath wall. This section of the cut has now been infilled. A tunnel, complete with towpath, gave boats access to the quarry, which was extended over time through a second tunnel to the best limestone. It closed in 1893, the end part being used as a landfill site around 1980, though the excavations and tunnel mouth nearer the canal survive, surrounded by trees visible from the towpath.

Near to where the Rain Hall Rock branch left the canal, there is a mile post close to the towpath wall. It has two plates, one on either side of the post, showing the distances to Leeds and Liverpool. Triangular in section and painted white, the mileposts were installed in 1893 to provide an exact measurement for charging tolls. Boats had to pay a specific amount per ton per mile, dependent upon the cargo being carried. Half mile and quarter mile posts were also installed, the former with 1/2 on the flat upper surface.

Next stop towards Salterforth is Cockshott Bridge, no 152, just past the marina, or Skipton Road Bridge, no 154A, in the Greenberfield direction.