- left see article Source elevation 325 m Country United Kingdom | Length 29 km Mouth River Douglas Bridges Yarrow Bridge | |
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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 Anglezarke and Upper and Lower Rivington Reservoirs. Upon leaving the reservoirs via a pumping station, the river passes through an area that was formerly known as Abyssinia. 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 Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia): until the mid 20th century it was usual for miners to return from work covered in coal dust.
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Map of River Yarrow, United Kingdom
From here, the river flows underneath the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, joining 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's 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.
WildlifeEdit
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 dippers, grey wagtails and kingfishers, 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.
Removal of Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and Rhododendron plants is undertaken to allow low-growing native species to flourish.
TributariesEdit
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 Hilton's 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.