The Random Jottings of Donald Jay in Nelson in Pendle Lancashire .
The history of Roughlee Mills a village in Lancashire, England, is rich with industrial heritage, and the Pendle Forest History Group, in collaboration with the Roughlee Parish Council, created an industrial heritage trail to explore and celebrate this history. The trail features three plaques that are installed around the village at the former locations of the mills. The history of the mills, as researched by Brian Jeffery and Richard Higgins, is as follows:
Thorneyholme Mills: Thorneyholme had a simple corn mill in the 13th century, which was used to grind oats into flour. In the 16th century, a larger corn mill was built where Thorneyholme Hall now stands. This mill was owned by King Charles II, who sold it in 1662 due to the rising cost of repairs, and it became a farm. Later, in 1783, it was rebuilt as a house. Around 1795, a cotton twist mill was built across the road from the Thorneyholme farm and barn, and it had a large waterwheel, 22 feet in diameter, that was housed inside a 5-foot wide wheel chamber. This mill was fed by a leat from a lodge built upstream alongside Pendle Water, and the water was then channelled into the mill by a headrace. The mill closed by 1814 and partly became a chapel until 1823.
Dam Head Corn Mill: In the 13th century, the Dam Head area had a simple corn mill, which was used to grind oats into flour. The mill was fed by field drains coming down from Offa Hill. Later, a weir was built into the small field below Thorneyholme, and water was diverted along an ancient artificial channel known as a ‘goit.’ The mill was owned by King Charles II, who sold it in 1662 due to the rent not covering the cost of keeping it in good working order. The corn mill eventually fell into disrepair and was sold to James and William Roberts and Ambrose Walton, who dismantled the mill and built Roughlee School on the site in 1852. John Wesley came to preach in Roughlee four times, encouraging locals to be disciplined, hardworking, and thrifty. By 1823, they had enough money to build a Wesleyan Chapel in Roughlee.
Judson’s Roughlee Mill: Built by Robert Judson in 1787, Roughlee Mill was a water-powered cotton-spinning mill. It was set over four storeys and was situated next to where the Village Centre stands today. Judson built a weir to divert Pendle Water into a lodge containing three million gallons of water, and a channel dug into the steep hillside would have caused it to collapse, so he constructed a wooden aqueduct, or ‘launder.’ In 1880, Roughlee Mill contained 2,672 mule spindles and 42 power looms, powered by a 14ft waterwheel and two small steam engines. By 1888, the waterwheel was 42ft in diameter and was linked to a 20hp steam engine. Once it had powered the waterwheel, water passed through a tailrace back into the river. The mill added a yarn bleaching and dyeing department in 1903, but it closed in 1907 after the engine suffered a serious breakdown.
The industrial heritage trail in Roughlee allows visitors to explore the rich history of the village and learn about the mills that were once a vital part of the local economy. The three plaques installed around the village at the former locations of the mills are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Pendle Forest History Group and the Roughlee Parish Council in preserving the industrial heritage of Roughlee

Go Here to watch a good video       The Mills of Roughlee - Roughlee Village
By Donald Jay