Rossendale Valley facts for kids
The Rossendale Valley (also known as the Forest of Rossendale) is a special area in Lancashire, North West England. It's part of the wider Rossendale region. This valley is formed by the steep sides of the River Irwell and the smaller rivers that flow into it, called tributaries. These rivers start in the Pennines mountains and flow south towards Greater Manchester. They carve their way through wide, open moorland. Even though it's called a "forest," much of the area today is open moorland, not dense trees.
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What is the Rossendale Valley?
The Rossendale Valley is easy to spot because of its deep valleys created by the River Irwell and its smaller rivers. You'll often see old textile mills, tall chimneys, and houses built from a type of rock called gritstone. Most of the roads follow the narrow paths of the valleys.
Hills and High Points
The Rossendale Valley is home to two notable hills known as Marilyns. A Marilyn is a hill in the British Isles that is at least 150 meters (about 492 feet) high and has a drop of at least 150 meters on all sides. The two Marilyns here are Hail Storm Hill and Freeholds Top.
How the Valley was Formed
The land in the Rossendale Valley is made up of different layers of rock and soil. You'll find layers of gritstone (a type of sandstone), coal, and sand and gravel left behind by huge sheets of ice called glaciers a very long time ago. Over thousands of years, the River Irwell and its tributaries cut through these layers, creating the steep valleys we see today. Some of these valleys are as deep as 600 feet!
The steep slopes of the valley have some ancient woodlands, which are forests that have been around for a very long time. Other areas have trees that were planted more recently.
History of the Rossendale Valley
The Rossendale Valley was once part of a large area known as the Forest of Rossendale during the Middle Ages. Back then, people lived in small settlements called "booths" or farmsteads. As more people moved into the forest, these small settlements grew into tiny villages, known as hamlets.
