Читать книгу Walking on the West Pennine Moors. 30 walks around moorland Lancashire онлайн

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The cotton industry was well established in Lancashire by the 1750s. Cotton goods imported from India were highly fashionable and very expensive, so there was a demand for a cheaper alternative. By the 1840s handloom weaving was in decline, but Lancashire had some important advantages as mechanisation increased. It was close to sources of cheap coal, and to the manufacturers of machinery in Oldham and Manchester. In addition, Liverpool was the primary port in the UK for importing cotton from the Americas.

As the Industrial Revolution progressed, so the local population increased, and in the 19th century the landscape was transformed by the construction of large water bodies to supply the surrounding conurbations. The reservoirs represent major feats of engineering and construction, and are of considerable historical significance. Victorian detailing of the built features of the reservoirs – Gothic-style valve towers and crenellated stone walls with decorative reliefs, for example – are important architectural heritage.