Most of the early industry in the village, was dependant on water power from the river. It
was the existance of the Yarrow river, that gave the Euxton industry its base. Much
of the industrial archaeology does still remain, but the best may now be gone.
Starting upstream in Pincock, we have (or did have):
The "paper mill" of 1610, was just downstream of 'Riverside
Cottage'. Here the Yarrow river water still flows over the weir just to the rear of
the cottages.
The earth works of the old mill leats (water channels) are the
most obvious of the remains. In places they are observed
in straight lines, sometimes just as earth dug depressions following parallel to
the Yarrow river.
The leats are "well" engineered and surveyed earth channels or canels,
probably dug and maintained by hand labour, no steam shovels in 1610! They
would have had "natural earth" linings, this causing the need for regular
maintenance from siltage and weeds.
Pincock Spinning Mill (1792) is the last remnants of main industry of the Pincock area.
The mill pond with its "water lilies" has long gone, the oldest part of
the mill can be seen, it would have contained the old water wheel:
The third, and possibly the oldest of the mill leats can be seen just further down the
Yarrow river. It was built to provide water to power the Armetriding Corn Mill
(and later, the Armetriding Cotton Mill). It gained its water from the Yarrow by
construction of the lovely old weir, with falling water, is a little way downstream, on
the left (South) it is on the bend of the Yarrow.
The mill leat continues westward (downstream with the river) and passes the next building
on the left, the Armetriding Cotton Mill which was built in the 18th century when the corn
mill leat was tapped to drive its water wheel. It is now converted into a house.
Inside the mill, was the old cast iron Pelton wheel that stood motion-less after a century
of powering the old mill.
The water from the Armetriding Cotton Mill wheel is discharged upstream of the foot bridge
across the Yarrow, and the water from the Armetriding Cotton Millmill leet, discharges
downstream of it.
Just adjacent and above here is Armetriding Farm (possibly the second oldest building in
Euxton).
Further evidence of the
industrial archaeology is seen if one travels down stream, about a mile or so, on the
northern bank of the river. Here are the few remains of
Chorley Holme Mill, the file manufactory.
The mill leat channel can be
seen, with some evidence of the water take off weir. Holme Mill