The small textile village of Watergrove was situated above Wardle near Rochdale. This isolated community was supported by 3 cotton mills and numerous hillside quarries.
The fuel for the mills came from numerous local collieries, some of which ran for over 100 years. The moors are criss crossed by many ancient tracks. Saltergate dating back to before the 1200's which was used to transport salt from Cheshire into the Pennine villages. The Long Causeway and Limersgate are other famous pack-horse routs once trodden by countless Drovers, retreating Scots and our very own Ailsa O' Fussers.
In the 1920's it was decided to flood the valley to build a reservoir which obviously lead to the area being de-populated. Today Watergrove is a haven for those escaping the rush and push of Urban life.
During 2022 the water level was so low that parts of the old village could be clearly seen, along with a long forgotten coal outcrop. In today's episode we explore the outcrop and investigate which colliery may have worked the coal. We then take the bike up one of the ancient roads to investigate collieries dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries.