Victorian Rossendale Walks: The End of an Era

Lancashire's Rossendale Valley comprises several Victorian mill towns, the largest of which is Rawtenstall. In 1888, Marshall Mather, a Methodist Minister; acclaimed author; historian; philosopher and would-be environmentalist, published a book of walks called 'Rambles Round Rossendale'. He commented on life in the cotton mills; streams and rivers blackened by industrial waste; the local inhabitants, good and bad, and the legends and history of the area. Since it was published, housing developments have climbed the valleys' lower slopes but we can still walk on wild moorland, wander through mossy cloughs and admire distant views that Marshall would have known. Did he leave sufficient clues for us to follow his routes today? I decided to find out. This is the third and final book in the series, the first being 'Victorian Rossendale Walks' and the second 'More Victorian Rossendale Walks'. This 90 page book reproduces Marshall's original text for another ten of his rambles and I describe how we can follow them today. I do so without the need to refer to maps or internet videos with, I hope you will agree, good reason. Like many walkers, I am often frustrated by guides which purport to be helpful but aren't because their routes are not clear or have been obstructed or changed since they were written. My walks are based on rights of way that can easily be followed today and, I believe, will be for years to come. Directions are in plain English and I use landmarks that are unlikely to change. So no technology or map reading skills needed, just my book. Old-fashioned? yes; luddite? probably; a practical and enjoyable way to follow a walk? .... definitely! My book combines Marshall's lyrical, Dickens-style, Victorian prose, local and social history, and walks that can surprise and delight and, hopefully, inspire a reader or two to climb a hill, sit on a rock, take in a remarkable Lancashire view and contemplate life or, as Marshall says, 'muse'. I hope you enjoy Marshall Mather's and my walks.