The River Irwell is a river in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in England. It is one of several rivers that helped facilitate the Industrial Revolution in North West England. [[ == Headline text == This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Cliviger is a small village and civil parish in Lancashire, England. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005 The River Mersey is a river in north-western England. ... Salford is a city in Greater Manchester in the north-west of England. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2006 estimate... [[ == Headline text == This article does not cite its references or sources. ... In hydrology, the discharge of a river is the volume of water transported by it in a certain amount of time. ... This bridge across the Danube River links Hungary with Slovakia. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2006 estimate... A Watt steam engine. ... North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ...

With its source at Cliviger, Lancashire, the River Irwell flows through (and divides) the city centres of Manchester and Salford, before joining the River Mersey. [[ == Headline text == This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Cliviger is a small village and civil parish in Lancashire, England. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Salford is a city in Greater Manchester in the north-west of England. ... Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005 The River Mersey is a river in north-western England. ...

Course

Rising on the moors at Cliviger it flows south through Bacup, Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom and Bury before merging with the River Roch near Radcliffe. Turning west it is joined by the River Croal near Farnworth and runs south east where it meanders around the centre of Manchester, joining the rivers Irk and Medlock. Again turning west, from Salford until it meets the Mersey south of Irlam, its route was altered in the late 19th century to form part of the course of the Manchester Ship Canal. Cliviger is a small village and civil parish in Lancashire, England. ... Bacup is a town of the Rossendale Borough, in Lancashire, England. ... Rawtenstall is a town of industrial origin located at the centre of the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bury is a town in the north of Greater Manchester in the North West of England. ... The River Roch (pronounced roach) is a river in Greater Manchester in north-west England, a tributary of the River Irwell that gives Rochdale its name. ... Radcliffe may be refer to: People: Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown Ann Radcliffe, author Charles Radcliffe, magazine editor Daniel Radcliffe, child actor J. A. Radcliffe, British ionospheric physicist and academic Jack Radcliffe, actor [Jeannie A Radcliffe], spagyrist John Radcliffe, physician Mark Radcliffe, DJ Paula Radcliffe, athlete Places: Radcliffe, Iowa Radcliffe, Greater... The River Croal is a river in Lancashire, England and a tributary of the River Irwell. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Meanders in a river A meander is a bend in a river, also known as an oxbow loop. ... The River Irk is a river in Greater Manchester in north-west England that flows through the northern suburbs of Manchester before merging with the River Irwell in the city centre. ... The River Medlock is a river of Greater Manchester in north west England that flows for 10 miles before joining the River Irwell in central Manchester. ... Salford is a city in Greater Manchester in the north-west of England. ... Irlam is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. ... The canal at its Manchester end, looking towards Old Trafford. ...

History

In the late 17th century, the Warrington businessman Thomas Patten, had made the River Mersey navigable as far as Warrington and suggested that there would be significant commercial value in extending this along the Irwell as far as Manchester. In 1721, Parliament authorised the alteration with the "Mersey and Irwell Navigation Act", and by 1736 work had been completed by creating eight canal locks along the 20 mile route from Warrington to Manchester, allowing access to boats of up to 50 tons. The waterway played a central role in the cotton industry of the 18th century that spear-headed the Industrial Revolution. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005 The River Mersey is a river in north-western England. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... Canal locks in England. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ... A Watt steam engine. ...

When James Brindley built the Bridgewater Canal, the task of crossing the Irwell Valley was one of the main obstacles he faced. His solution was to build a canal-carrying bridge across the river, the world's first commercially driven aqueduct. The bridge consisted of three arches, and measured 12 metres high, 200 metres long and 11 metres wide. Upon its opening in 1761 it earned the nickname of "the Castle in the Air" and proved hugely successful in the industry of the area. James Brindley. ... The Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England, near Manchester. ... Fljótsdalur in East Iceland, a rather flat valley A valley or a low area between two hills dale (in Scotland, a glen) is a landform, which can range from a few square kilometres to hundreds or even thousands of square kilometres in area. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ... It has been suggested that Voussoir, Keystone (architecture) be merged into this article or section. ... The or meter (see spelling differences) is a measure of length. ...

As the 19th century progressed, the increasing need for large freight carriers led to Liverpool's dominance as a port, and Manchester became increasingly reliant on its Merseyside neighbour for its export industry. A solution was to build the Manchester Ship Canal. The ship canal opened in 1894, by the expansion of the route of the Irwell and Mersey. Although it came too late to save the cotton industry that had made the region the centre of the Industrial Revolution, it transformed Manchester into England's third largest port, despite being 40 miles inland. As the canal was built, it became clear that Brindley's famous aqueduct would have to be demolished, as it allowed insufficient headroom for the freighters that the canal would carry. Fortunately, in 1896 the councillors of Eccles paid to have the aqueduct moved to the spot it occupies today, alongside the canal. Liverpool skyline. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. ... The canal at its Manchester end, looking towards Old Trafford. ... A Watt steam engine. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ...

Instead, the Bridgewater Canal is now carried over the Irwell/Ship Canal by the equally celebrated Barton Swing Aqueduct, which was completed in 1893 with the novel idea of "opening" by rotating 90 degrees to allow ships to pass. The Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England, near Manchester. ... The aqueduct in the closed position The Barton Swing Aqueduct (Grid ref: SJ 767 976) is a feat of late Victorian civil engineering. ... A degree (in full, a degree of arc, arc degree, or arcdegree), usually symbolized °, is a measurement of plane angle, representing 1／360 of a full rotation. ...

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are located close to the banks of the Irwell when it flows between Prestolee and Little Lever. The first is Ashclough a 5.8 hectare (14.3 acre) site which comprises the steep banks of the river. It has been designated because of its geological interest, primarily because it is the best available site displaying Ashclough Marine Band and its associated strata.^[1] A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ... Prestolee is a small village near the town of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. ... Little Lever is a small town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton of Greater Manchester in the north west of England. ...

The second site is Nob End, a 8.8 hectare (21.7 acre) site which has been designated because of its biological interest. The interest is based on the predominance of herbs typical of limestone grassland. This is because limestone grassland is not common in the surrounding area meaning that many of these species are rare.^[2] These two SSSIs are among the 21 found in Greater Manchester. This article is about the plants used in cooking and medicine. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Huddersfield Narrow Canal at Marsden. ...

Tributaries

• River Medlock
• River Irk
• River Croal
  • River Tonge
    • Bradshaw Brook
    • Astley Brook
    • Eagley Brook
• River Roch
  • River Spodden

The River Medlock is a river of Greater Manchester in north west England that flows for 10 miles before joining the River Irwell in central Manchester. ... The River Irk is a river in Greater Manchester in north-west England that flows through the northern suburbs of Manchester before merging with the River Irwell in the city centre. ... The River Croal is a river in Lancashire, England and a tributary of the River Irwell. ... The River Tonge is a short river flowing close to the town of Bolton-le-Moors in Greater Manchester (in the traditional county of Lancashire). ... Bradshaw Brook is a river draining parts of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in Northern England. ... Astley Brook is a stream in Greater Manchester, England. ... Eagley Brook (also known during the formative part of its course as Belmont Brook) is a small river of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in England. ... The River Roch (pronounced roach) is a river in Greater Manchester in north-west England, a tributary of the River Irwell that gives Rochdale its name. ... The River Spodden is a watercourse in north west England. ...

Angling

Despite its industrial past, fish stocks in the River Irwell are improving and Brown Trout are becoming an increasingly common sight.

References

1. ^ Ashclough citation sheet. English Nature. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
2. ^ Nob End citation sheet. English Nature. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.