River Darwen facts for kids
The River Darwen is a river in Lancashire, England. It flows through the towns of Darwen and Blackburn. Eventually, it joins the larger River Ribble at Walton le Dale. From there, the water travels towards the Ribble Estuary on the west coast of northern England.
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The Journey of the River Darwen
The River Darwen begins its journey at a place called Jack's Key Clough. Here, two small streams, Grain Brook and Grainings Brook, meet. These streams come from Bull Hill and Cranberry Moss.
The river then flows through the town of Darwen. It continues into the suburbs of Blackburn, passing by the famous Ewood Park football ground. The river even goes underneath the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at a spot called Ewood Aqueduct. Sometimes, the river flows through underground tunnels, known as culverts, near Waterfall and Griffin Park.
A major river, the River Blakewater, joins the Darwen near Witton Country Park. After this, the Darwen leaves the busy towns behind. It flows through beautiful parklands and valleys. Another important stream, the River Roddlesworth, also joins the Darwen. This happens at Moulden Brow, which is on the border between Blackburn with Darwen and Chorley.
From there, the Darwen flows past the historic Hoghton Tower. It winds through areas known as Hoghton Bottoms and Samlesbury Bottoms. Finally, it meets the River Ribble at Walton-le-Dale, completing its journey.
Interesting Places Along the River
There are several interesting spots you can find along the River Darwen:
- A small Memorial Garden for the famous singer Kathleen Ferrier is located right on the river bank at Higher Walton, Lancashire.
- Parkway and Higher Croft Woods are south of Blackburn. This area is a special place for nature, known as a Biological Heritage Site. It also became a Local Nature Reserve in 2005. This means it's protected for its plants and animals.
- Walton-le-Dale is where the river joins the Ribble. This area was once the site of an important battle. The Battle of Preston happened here during the Second English Civil War. A famous poet, John Milton, even wrote about it. He mentioned the river in his poem, saying:
" While Darwent Streams with Blood of Scots imbru'd..."
This old poem uses the name "Darwent" for the river. This shows us that the name "Darwen" comes from an old Celtic language. It's similar to the Old Welsh word derwenyd, which means "valley thick with oaks."
The River's History and Cleanup
For a long time, the River Darwen was quite polluted. During the Industrial Revolution, factories and people used the river to get rid of their waste. This pollution continued until the early 1970s.
The river would often change colour! This happened because paper and paint factories would clean their dye and paint tanks by flushing them into the river. Luckily, this practice has now stopped.
Because of this, the river water is much clearer today. This is great news because it means that fish, like trout and other small fish, have returned to the river. In 2012, a part of the river that had been hidden underground in a culvert for 100 years was uncovered in Darwen at Shorey Bank. Many improvements have been made along the river's path, leading to much better water quality.
Rivers and Streams Joining the Darwen
Many smaller rivers and streams flow into the River Darwen along its course. These are called tributaries. Some of the main ones include:
- Hennel Brook
- Many Brooks
- Old Darwen
- Beeston Brook
- Hole Brook
- Alum House Brook
- Trout Brook
- River Roddlesworth
- River Blakewater
- Scotshaw Brook
- Higher Croft Brook
- Davy Field Brook
- Sunnyhurst Brook
- Bold Venture Brook
- Kebbs Brook
- Bury Fold Brook
- Grainings Brook
- Grain Brook
