Welcome to Croalworth

 Welcome to Croalworth.

Nestling in the West Pennine Moors in Lancashire, north west England, Croalworth’s history is dominated by industry. Weaving and coal feature heavily in the local museum, both industries now far less relevant in the modern world than they had been, leaving the once-proud town now resting its reputation upon fading glory. 

Much the same can be said about the town’s football team, winners of some of football’s most prestigious prizes in the early parts of the last century, now resigned to kicking balls aimlessly around a crumbling stadium in front of supporters whose humour is blacker than the coals upon which the town once relied.

The town takes its name from the river that runs through it. Its source is one of the many deep springs that pepper the hilly terrain and it eventually joins Manchester’s famous River Irwell. At one time the river, whose name is derived from old English meaning ‘winding stream’, was used to power the local industry. These days it mainly transports discarded plastics and other non-recyclables, although a family of rogue terrapins is reputed to live on its banks close to the town centre.

Modern day Croalworth has been hampered by the growth of out-of-town shopping centres, leaving the pedestrianised town hall squad much quieter than it would have been thirty years ago. However, a shift in town planning policy has seen an increase of former commercial premises returning to the family accommodation that could have been found a hundred years ago, and a number of fiercely proud and independent local businesses are beginning for take control of the retail sector. This is drawing in many more visitors from neighbouring towns, and the historic indoor market is becoming a cultural focal point.

Croalworth’s most recent claim to fame is it being the home of Wilfred Hughes, a fictional character in the novel ‘The Broken Bottle’ by John Hartley.