PIGHOLE MILL AND CATLOW

[Stanley]

CATLOW MILL RESEARCH AS OF 31/07/12

I was asked a question by John Clayton of Barrowford who is interested in a possible fulling mill at Catlow, Nelson. (Near Stoney Rakes SD884363) I have no record of a fulling mill but went through my watermill research to see what I had on Catlow in the hopes there might be a clue which could help him. Here's what I dug out of the old research from thirty years ago.
Roger Frost, in 'A Lancashire Township' mentions three mills in Briercliffe Township, Pighole (page 11), Extwistle (Page 87), Roggerham (page 88) and Walverden on the same page. The one that attracted my attention thirty years ago was Pighole (SD 876363). Here's what Roger had to say about it: “Pighole Mill, sometimes known as Peglar Mill is on the Walverden Brook and now known as Fern Valley. The name probably stems from ME Peightley or Pightel which means a small enclosure. Probably built after the closure of Walverden Mill in 1438 when its business was moved to Colne. Not shown on the Yates map of 1786 but is referred to in the census of 1851 as a bobbin mill. In the 1841 census 39 people, including 7 HLW are noted as working in the building”.
Pighole Mill is noted on the 1848 1st Ed. Of the OS and again in the survey of 1891. On later maps it is Pighole Cottage and then Fern Valley.