Grove Mill, Canal Mill and Botany Bay

This is a unique history of two of the most important mills in the Chorley area. With more than 180 photographs, maps and plans, it is a must for historians and visitors alike. Containing the full histories of the Smethursts, who brought the railway and Methodism to Chorley; the Widdows, who helped to found the Chorley Agricultural Society; and the Smalleys, captured in one of this book's many archive photographs posing outside the church in 1905, it celebrates the area's industrial heritage. More than this, though, it celebrates life in the area in days gone by, and the character and indomitable spirit of the mill workers and staff. Full of intriguing facts - including the strange history of the ghosts of Bygone Times - this beautifully illustrated little book will delight all who know the area.