Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 3rd July, 2021)

A bywash overflow.

I was told that Inceites used the sluice as watersides before they discovered the Benidorm water parks

Its cheaper to use the bywash as a slide than to jet off to Benidorm.

I jumped the by- wash many times as a kid, losing a shoe once. I wonder if I could jump across now if I had to. I somehow think I could..
although there's no canals in Westhoughton. It was probably thought there's no need for a canal - we just have lovely clear water streams pouring down from Rivington.

Sluice with a missing gate, nowt safe around this area of Wigan

Veronica, it's impossible for Westhoughton to have any "lovely clear water streams pouring down from Rivington".
Rivington sits in the Ribble drainage area, whereas Westhoughton is in the Mersey basin.

I think you might be wrong there George it's Ribington is on our doorstep and it's down hill all the way. I fancy th e drinking water is from there as well. It was last time I heard. How could the streams be stopped from the hills and coming into W/H ? Pray tell ...

That brought back so many memories. My first boyfriend and I were dangling our feet in the bywash one day on the canal in Ince, (oh the romance!). It was 1967 and I was fourteen. I had my school uniform on and had taken my socks off and they dropped into the bywash! I was really upset and the poor lad was rushing up and down the canal bank trying to catch them! Fifty years later I saw his name on a facebook post and said Hello,. I thought he wouldn't have a clue who I was after fifty years as he only knew me by my maiden name and we only went out together for a couple of weeks, but he came straight back and said, "Hello Irene....lost any socks lately?" Once seen, never forgotten!

Welcome back Irene, we have missed you and your comments.

I'm not wrong, Veronica.
If you stand on the A6, top of Westhoughton, and you look towards Winter Hill, you'll notice that you're looking across a valley. If you cross the road and look towards Aspull, you'll be looking across another valley. In other words, the A6 runs along high ground.
To get to the A6 from Horwich,it's uphill.
To get to Westhoughton from the A6 is downhill.
The high ground which the A6 runs along stops the water from going to Westhoughton.
Roughly speaking, if you draw a line from Winter Hill, through Blackrod to St.Catharines Church in Wigan, everything North West of the line drains to the Ribble. Everything South East of the line drains to the Mersey. Westhoughton is South East of the line and drains to the River Mersey.
Several main drains clear the Westhoughton area, like Pennington Brook, Cunningham Brook, Westleigh Brook and Borsdane Brook. They join the River Glaze and feed the Mersey.

Westhoughton drinking water comes from Edgeworth and Turton. Rivington supplies Liverpool and Wigan areas.

Thankyou POD fan. I haven't been too good lately. I have followed PAD with interest though, each day.

Welcome back Irene, we have missed you and your comments.

I hope you are feeling better now Irene. I have missed your daily comments and your cheery outlook.

Thanks DTease, that's so kind...I'm getting there!

I posted a comment George but it's not appeared. I take your word for it as it looks like you have done your homework. Edgeworth and Turton are not too far away - so its still the same lovely soft water that streams down here through them thar hills.

George. Are you trying to say that Howfeners are Scousers?

I spend a lot of time in Westhoughton and I can say this - whatever it is, a cup of tea tastes a lot nicer made there, from that water, than it does made at home. Same tea-bags (Taylors Yorkshire Tea) and same milk (semi-skimmed). No sugar. Much nicer made in Howfen.

I remember sitting on the lock's at 14 in Ince, with my boyfriend, who later became my husband.So glad your back Irene, missed you!!

Thankyou Edna. My next boyfriend, (after the socks episode), was when I was 15 and is my husband. Both were butcher's assistants so I must have had a "thing" about butchers' lads!

We have lovely natural tasting water in Shevington. I've not tasted a better cup of tea anywhere else. It's due to the type of rock that Shevington stands on and it's health giving properties.

Violins, anyone?

Who would expect any thing else in Shangri - la - only mineral water from volcanic rock allowed. The Parish Council would see to that. United Utilities would be barred from anywhere near contaminating the natural spring water. They have patrols round the village and told to shoot anybody wearing wellies.

Glad you are back with us Irene, as everybody has commented, you have been missed ! X

Thankyou Helen..xx