River Beal
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| River Beal | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Origin | Beal Valley |
| Mouth | River Roch, Belfield |
| Basin countries | England |
The Beal is a small river in Greater Manchester, England, and is a tributary of the River Roch. It rises in the Beal Valley in green space between Sholver and Royton, before continuing northwards through, Shaw and Crompton, Newhey, Milnrow and Belfield.
Contents |
[edit] Course
From its source at Beal Valley, it flows north through Shaw and Crompton in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, where Old Brook and "Pencil Brook" are tributaries,[1]. It continues north through Newhey and Milnrow in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, then joins the River Roch.
In part, the river forms a boundary between Oldham on one side and Royton and Shaw and Crompton on the other.[2]
[edit] History
The name Beal is believed to come from the Brythonic word "Bel" meaning "raging torrent".[citation needed]
An early reference is in 1212, when the Beal valley was recorded as part of the thegnage estate of Kaskenmoor, held on behalf of King John by Roger de Montbegon and William de Nevill.[3]
Built in 1892 on the bank of the Beal, Ellenroad Cotton Mill made fine cotton yarn by mule spinning.[4]
During operation of a bleaching and dying works, discharge to the river of used dyes and waste would cause it to change colour from one day to another.[5]
In the late 1990s, Littlewoods PLC changed the course of the river slightly to allow development of their Shaw National Distribution Warehouse Centre.
In an incident in 2005, raw sewage was discharged to the river, killing thousands of fish and raising health fears among local residents.[6]
[edit] Tributaries
- Butterworth Hall Brook
- Piethorne Brook
- Jubilee Brook ? (name uncertain)
- Old Brook
- Leornardin Brook (Brushes Clough)[7]
- Pencil Brook
- Hodge Brook ? (name uncertain)
[edit] Gallery
 Infancy in Higginshaw |
 Jubilee, Shaw |
 Looking downstream from Bentgate, Newhey |
 Between the M62 and A640 culverts |
 View from Ashes Lane, Milnrow |
 Upstream from Firgrove |
 Confluence with River Roch |
[edit] References
- ^ http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:z2wRpKIL1AgJ:documents.oldham.gov.uk/edrs/DET04090030.Doc+pencil+brook+beal&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=uk
- ^ Brownbill, J; William Farrer (1911). A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5. Victoria County History, 92–108. ISBN 978-0712910552.
- ^ Brownbill, J; William Farrer (1911). A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5. Victoria County History, 108–12. ISBN 978-0712910552.
- ^ Ellenroad Steam Museum. ellenroad.org.uk. Retrieved on 2009-09-14.
- ^ Mersey Basin Campaign. Local Action / Action Irk & Roch. merseybasin.org.uk. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Stephen Foster (2005-08-03). Leak turns Beal into dead river. manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Crompton Moor History Trail
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