In the previous two articles we concentrated on what the canal brought into the town. We should also look at what it carried out. The wharf at Coates didn't just handle incoming coal. There was a large lime kiln that burned local limestone, most likely from Rainhall Rock via the Little Cut. Much of this was used in the local building trade for making mortar, in the early days putty lime and sand but after the establishment of the mills and the availability of ashes from the boilers and power from the mill line shaft to drive mortar mills, ash-lime mortar became the favourite for masonry and brickwork. There was a shortage of lime in Lancashire so a lot was exported as limestone or burnt lime. The lime produced by local kilns was delivered to where it was needed by horse and cart. There were lime-kilns for agricultural lime on the canal side, I can think of two, one at Cockshott Bridge (Lower Park Marina) and another beyond Salterforth opposite the wharf which used to serve Park Close quarry. There was also a large kiln up Esp Lane near Hollins which needed coal carting up to it and lime away into the town. I don't know how much coal the kilns used but it would be considerable.
There was another market in Lancashire, stone setts for road making and it just so happened that the grit-stone from the Salterforth quarries was ideal for this purpose as well as general building stone. Hundreds of boat loads were sent from the wharves at Salterforth dedicated to the quarries and served by tramways direct from the quarries. Add to this about 20,000 tons of limestone annually from Gill and Rainhall Rock quarries in the late 19th century and it amounts to a considerable work force.
All this economic activity stimulated by canal transport translated into a general increase in the town in service industries such as building and engineering and the retail trades. All too often we think of Barlick's growth during the 19th century being solely due to textiles but as you can see, the necessary precursor to all that happened up to 1914 was the advent of the canal in 1796.
The thing that always strikes me is that this was purely a matter of chance. The original line of the canal missed us completely. The only reason the course was re-aligned was to take advantage of the water resources of Whitemoor to give the supply to the summit level essential for the canal to function. So, every time you lift up your eyes to the looming mass of Weets over the town, reflect that all our present day prosperity stemmed from that hill! A surprising but true result of our examination of the canal. I have always stressed that to explain Barlick you have to look at the topography. I rest my case.
My old favourite. The canal boat loaded with setts at Salterforth.
