Friday 27th March, 2009
Industry and Pollution
The Douglas, like most rivers, played a part in the prosperity of the region.
In the 14th to 16th centuries, conditions in the Douglas Valley favoured a mixed agricultural economy and the region saw an expansion of pasture land. This prosperity was reflected by high taxation rates.
In medieval times the fast flowing nature of the river as it passed to the east of Wigan town centre provided opportunities for water powered corn-mills. One of these was the Jolly Mill whose establishment can be dated from a Standish family document dated 1347/1348.
Unlike most water powered corn-mills, it managed to continue grinding corn until the early years of the 20th century. This is a tribute, not only to the installation of a water turbine in the 1890s, but also to the regular, efficient supply of water provided by the Douglas. From 1921 to 1961 the Jolly Mill functioned as a water powered saw mill.
Another medieval corn-mill was located near Scholes bridge. It gave rise to the street name “Millgate” meaning “the road to the mill”. Further to the north, ancient corn-mills were situated at Haigh, Worthington and Arley.
The Yates' map of 1786 appears to mark ten water mills on the Douglas in the Wigan area. Unfortunately it does not differentiate between corn-mills and others. By this time there were possibly early water driven cotton mills - certainly the first edition Ordnance Survey map (1847) shows many small cotton mills on the Douglas to the east of the town centre.
Another water driven industry in that area in 1786 was the Brock Mill forge.
Mills took the water from the river, used it to drive the machinery then returned it, untainted. The Douglas in medieval times was largely unpolluted but with the expansion of the mining industry things changed.
Soughs, from local coal mines, discharged orange coloured drainage water into the River. The bright colour was caused by the presence of "ochre", a local term for iron oxides filched from the bedrock through which the sough was driven.
The main offender was the impressive “Great Sough of Haigh” which was begun in 1652. It spewed its pollution into the appropriately named “Yellow Brook” which flowed into the Douglas, poisoning its ecosystem.
The previously mentioned Worthington Mill became a paper mill before metamorphosing into the notorious “Bleach Works”. Unlike its previous incarnations, the “Bleach Works” did not return the water untainted to the river but turned it into a multicoloured, poisonous soup which polluted the Douglas for the rest of its course.
Several other former corn-mills had a change in use. The previously mentioned Arley Mill became a grinding mill which ground fustic and charcoal to produce dyes for the burgeoning textile industry. It may also have been used in connection with adjacent mine shafts.
It is difficult to believe that the Douglas was once a salmon river. In recent years, there have been great improvements in its water purity and there are hopes that salmon may be reintroduced.
The “Bleach Works” have long gone and the discharge from the Yellow Brook is purified before it enters the river so the previous ecosystem is being re-established. This fishing forum , for example, mentions catching chub at Gathurst.
The “Duggie” has gone through many changes since it was named by our Celtic ancestors. It seems that it is now returning to its pristine medieval condition after the abuses of the Industrial Revolution.
However, can any river which flows through a large town ever be completely free of pollution? An article which appeared in the "Wigan Evening Post” on 30th Jan 2009 had the following disturbing news:
“Arsenic and acid have been detected in a Wigan river – even though millions of pounds have been spent on a clean-up.”
The battle is not yet won.