River Beal
Encyclopedia
The Beal is a small river in Greater Manchester
, England
, and is a tributary of the River Roch
. It rises in the Beal Valley in green space
between Sholver
and Royton
, before continuing northwards through, Shaw and Crompton
, Newhey
, Milnrow
and Belfield
.
From its source at Beal Valley, it flows north through Shaw and Crompton
in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham
, where Old Brook
and Pencil Brook
are tributaries. It continues north through Newhey
and Milnrow
in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
, before joining the River Roch
at Belfield
.
In part, the river forms a boundary between Oldham
on one side and Royton
and Shaw and Crompton on the other.
word "Bel" meaning "raging torrent".
1212 :, The Beal valley was recorded as part of the thegn
age estate of Kaskenmoor, held on behalf of King John
by Roger de Montbegon
and William de Nevill.
1892 : Ellenroad Cotton Mill was built on the bank of the Beal, and made fine cotton yarn by mule spinning.
During operation of a bleaching and dying works, discharge to the river of used dyes and waste would cause it to change colour from one day to another.
circa 1997 : Littlewoods PLC
changed the course of the river slightly to allow development of their Shaw National Distribution Warehouse Centre.
2005 : Raw sewage was discharged to the river, killing thousands of fish and raising health fears among local residents.
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and is a tributary of the River Roch
River Roch
The River Roch is a river in Greater Manchester in North West England, a tributary of the River Irwell that gives Rochdale its name.-Course:...
. It rises in the Beal Valley in green space
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...
between Sholver
Sholver
Sholver is an area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. An elevated, residential area, it lies near the middle of the Oldham part of the valley of the River Beal, northeast of Oldham's commercial centre, nearly at the northeastern-most extremity of the town, by open countryside close to the...
and Royton
Royton
Royton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies by the source of the River Irk, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines, north-northwest of Oldham, south-southeast of Rochdale and northeast of the city of Manchester.Historically a...
, before continuing northwards through, Shaw and Crompton
Shaw and Crompton
Shaw and Crompton is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, north of Oldham, southeast of Rochdale, and to the northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Newhey
Newhey
Newhey is a suburban village in the Milnrow area of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England...
, Milnrow
Milnrow
Milnrow is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, and forms a continuous urban area with Rochdale...
and Belfield
Belfield, Greater Manchester
Belfield is a locality within Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies at the confluence of the River Beal and River Roch, east-northeast of Rochdale's town centre...
.
Course
Shaw and Crompton
Shaw and Crompton is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, north of Oldham, southeast of Rochdale, and to the northeast of the city of Manchester...
in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham
Metropolitan Borough of Oldham
The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 219,600, and spans . The borough is named after its largest town, Oldham, but also includes the outlying towns of Chadderton, Failsworth, Royton and Shaw and Crompton, the village of...
, where Old Brook
Old Brook
Old Brook is a small watercourse in Shaw and Crompton in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester which flows from Crow Knowl on Crompton Moor to the River Beal. Its main feature is a waterfall at Pingot Quarry....
and Pencil Brook
Pencil Brook
Pencil Brook is a small watercourse in High Crompton in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester and is a tributary of the River Beal....
are tributaries. It continues north through Newhey
Newhey
Newhey is a suburban village in the Milnrow area of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England...
and Milnrow
Milnrow
Milnrow is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, and forms a continuous urban area with Rochdale...
in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after its largest town, Rochdale, but spans a far larger area which includes the towns of Middleton, Heywood, Littleborough and Milnrow, and the village of Wardle.The borough was...
, before joining the River Roch
River Roch
The River Roch is a river in Greater Manchester in North West England, a tributary of the River Irwell that gives Rochdale its name.-Course:...
at Belfield
Belfield, Greater Manchester
Belfield is a locality within Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies at the confluence of the River Beal and River Roch, east-northeast of Rochdale's town centre...
.
In part, the river forms a boundary between Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
on one side and Royton
Royton
Royton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies by the source of the River Irk, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines, north-northwest of Oldham, south-southeast of Rochdale and northeast of the city of Manchester.Historically a...
and Shaw and Crompton on the other.
History
The name Beal is believed to come from the BrythonicBrythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
word "Bel" meaning "raging torrent".
1212 :, The Beal valley was recorded as part of the thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
age estate of Kaskenmoor, held on behalf of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
by Roger de Montbegon
Roger de Montbegon
Roger de Montbegon was a landowner in northern England , Baron of Horneby, and one of the Magna Carta sureties....
and William de Nevill.
1892 : Ellenroad Cotton Mill was built on the bank of the Beal, and made fine cotton yarn by mule spinning.
During operation of a bleaching and dying works, discharge to the river of used dyes and waste would cause it to change colour from one day to another.
circa 1997 : Littlewoods PLC
Littlewoods
Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its...
changed the course of the river slightly to allow development of their Shaw National Distribution Warehouse Centre.
2005 : Raw sewage was discharged to the river, killing thousands of fish and raising health fears among local residents.
Tributaries
- Butterworth Hall BrookButterworth Hall BrookButterworth Hall Brook is a water course in Greater Manchester, North-West England, which flows through the village of Milnrow and is a tributary of the River Beal.-Course:...
- Piethorne BrookPiethorne BrookPiethorne Brook is a tributary of the River Beal.-Course:Originating at Windy Hill, it flows in a south-westerly direction through Piethorne Valley towards Newhey and its confluence with the River Beal.-History:...
- Jubilee Brook
- Old BrookOld BrookOld Brook is a small watercourse in Shaw and Crompton in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester which flows from Crow Knowl on Crompton Moor to the River Beal. Its main feature is a waterfall at Pingot Quarry....
- Brushes Brook (formerly Leornardin Brook)
- Pencil BrookPencil BrookPencil Brook is a small watercourse in High Crompton in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester and is a tributary of the River Beal....
- Besom Hill Brook
- Fullwood Brook
- Hodge Brook