River Yarrow (Lancashire)

Infobox River | river_name = River Yarrow


caption = The River Yarrow in Duxbury Woods
origin = Will Narr, Anglezarke
mouth = River Douglas at Sollom
basin_countries = England
length = 29 km (18 miles) (from reservoir pumping station)
elevation = 325 m (1066 ft)
discharge =
watershed =
The River Yarrow is in Lancashire, with its source at an area called "Will Narr" at "Hordern Stoops", along Spitlers Edge - the Chorley/Blackburn boundary - on the West Pennine Moors. The river feeds the Yarrow Reservoir, which in turn feeds the three reservoirs at Rivington and Anglezarke. Upon leaving the reservoirs via a pumping station, the river passes through an area that was formerly known as "Abysinnia". Currently, this area is within the boundaries of Heath Charnock and Limbrick, but the original name was given because it was a route frequented by coal miners, and the workers were said to look like natives of Abysinnia - modern day Ethiopia.

From here, the river flows underneath the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, jointing with Black Brook at Yarrow Bridge, then continuing through the ancient woodland of Duxbury into Yarrow Valley Park forming a boundary of Euxton and on through Eccleston and Croston, where it feeds the River Douglas at Sollom just before its inlet into the River Ribble brackish final stretch. The entire course of the River Yarrow falls within Chorley and its villages. Parts of the river are a County Biological Heritage Site.

Tributaries

Locations that are listed on Ordnance Survey maps have been "italicised".

Green Withins Brook starts at "Standing Stones Hill" and joins the Yarrow near to the ruins of "Simm's Farm".

Limestone Brook has its source near to "Devils Ditch", and flows via "Shooting Huts" on Anglezarke moor where it connects into the Yarrow at "Meeting of the Waters".

Black Brook flows from Great Hill through White Coppice (where it is known as "Warth Brook"), and lesserly from "Eagle Tower" at Heapey. The brook joins the river at the Yarrow Bridge prior to entering Duxbury Woods. The brook is actually larger than the Yarrow, due to the large amount of water removed from the Yarrow for consumption. In fact, the Yarrow flooded when Anglezarke Reservoir was drained in 2002, waterlogging the fields at Nick Hiltons Bridge.

Between Duxbury Woods and "Drybones" (off Burgh Lane), Eller Brook adds to the flow from Adlington.

Clancutt Brook flows away from the sea, and feeds in at Birkacre near Coppull.

The River Chor joins the Yarrow at the Common Bank area of Chorley, near to Euxton.

German Brook enters shortly after.

Culbeck Brook feeds in at Euxton.

Syd Brook inputs at Croston.

Finally, the River Lostock feeds the Yarrow at Bretherton.

Wildlife

After suffering many years of pollution due to effluent discharge from Whitter's Factory and Stanley's Factory, the river is now much cleaner, and as such has attracted birds such as Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher, and fish including Trout, Chub, Dace and Barbel.

Fish passes have been installed at Pincock, Birkacre and Duxbury, to enable upstream spawning of fish which would be unable to navigate the weirs. Salmon have been recorded at Duxbury for the first time in over 100 years. [ [http://www.merseybasin.org.uk/press.asp?id=1091 Salmon return to the Yarrow] , Mersey Basin Campaign 26 July 2006]

Removal of Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and Rhododendron plants is undertaken to allow low-growing native species to flourish.

References