The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

270 THE BRITISH ISLES.
includes amongst its members the Cheshire towns of Stalybridge, Dukinfield, and
Hyde (see p. 265). In the -whole of this district cotton-spinning is the leading
industry, but a good deal of machinery is also made. Mossley, Hurst, Droylsden,
and Denton are the principal villages dependent upon Ashton.
Oldham, to the north-east of Manchester, is almost wholly devoted to cotton
spinning and weaving, and machine-making. The machine works of Messrs.
Piatt are the largest in the United Kingdom. Middlefon, on the Irk, to the
north of Manchester, manufactures tapes and small wares, in addition to brocaded
silks, which are frequently sold as the produce of the looms of Bethnal Green.
BoIfoii-k-Moors is another centre of a congeries of factory towns, and
scarcely yields to Oldham in population. It is a busy hive of industry, which
has grown up in the midst of sterile moors near the river Eoach, and owes much
of its prosperitj' to Flemish, Palatine, and Huguenot emigrants. During the
Civil War it was besieged by the Earl of Derby. The town is famous for its fine
yarns, shirtings, and cambrics, and also turns out engines, machinery, patent
safes and locks, and other minor articles. Amongst its buildings are a town-hall,
a large market hall, and a free library with museum. A monument has been
erected to Crompton, the inventor of the mule. Collieries are worked in the
neighbourhood. Fanucorth , Kearslcy, and Halliwell are minor manufacturing
places near Bolton. Farther away towards the south-west are the cotton towns
of Leigh—where also silk is woven on hand-looms
—
Atherton, Tyldcsley, Adlcij, and
Bedford. The country around these towns is rich in coal and building stone, and
the dairies supply excellent cheese.
Bury, on a hill overlookiog the Irwell, is another centre of the cotton trade,
besides which the paper for the Times newspaper is made here. Sir Robert Peel was
a native of the town, and a monument has been erected in his memory. Summerseat
is higher up on the river, with the factory of Messrs. Grant, who were the original
Brothers Cheeryble in "Nicholas Nickleby." Radcliffe and Whitefield are in the
same neighbourhood. Ascending the Irwell, we pass Enmsholtom and Saslinyden,
and reach Baciip, known for its co-operative cotton factories, in the heart of the
Rossendale Forest, and near the head of the Irwell.
Rochdale, on the Roch, an affluent of the Irwell, is chiefly occupied in the woollen,
and more especially the flannel trade. It was here that twenty-eight " Equitable
Pioneers " founded in ] 842 a co-operative society which has served as a model to
similar associations throughout the world. Heywood, lower down on the Eoch, is
engaged in cotton-spinning ; whilst Littlchoroucjh, near the head of the river, and
at the foot of Blackstone Edge, is noted for its pretty scenery.
Having now dealt with the Lancashire towns which occupy the upper basin of
the Mersey, we return to the south, in. order to descend that river as far as
Liverpool. On our way we pass the important manufacturing town of Warrington,
where the Mersey is spanned by a bridge built in the time of Henry YII. From
this bridge the river is navigable for vessels of 150 tons burden. Warrington
has iron and steel works, engineering factories, glass houses, and wire works.
Pius are enumei-ated amongst the articles made here. A few miles lower