The Watermills of the River Lostock
The river Lostock is a small river, barely more than a stream, that winds for eight miles from its source in the hills near Wheelton to a junction with the river Yarrow near Croston. It is an unprepossessing feature in the landscape, sometimes hemmed in by urban development and flood prevention walls. In the 18 th and early 19 th centuries, by contrast, it was the catalyst for the growth of the cotton textile industry in the South Ribble area. In this article I will consider the role of waterpower in the development of the cotton industry in this part of Lancashire. I will also look at the ways that mill builders harnessed the river Lostock to power the corn and cotton mills that developed along its banks. Well, some of them anyway. The first edition Ordnance Survey map of the 1840s shows no fewer than ten water-powered mills (eight cotton factories and two corn mills ) along the Lostock’s eight mile course. I won’t try to discuss them all in depth, but will concentrate on t