Calder Vale

#manchestertrips Calder Vale is an English village, located on the edge of the Forest of Bowland in Manchester. It lies on the River Calder in a deep valley with only a single cul-de-sac providing vehicular access. The name Calder is thought to be derived from the Old Norse "kaldr", which means "cold". The village was founded by Quakers Jonathan and Richard Jackson, and in 1835 a cotton-weaving mill — the Lappet Mill — was built, powered by the River Calder. The mill and mill pond still exist and Lappet Mill is still working as a cotton mill. One of its main products is the red, black and white checked cloth used for Arab headscarves and it was said that Yasser Arafat's headdresses were made at the Mill. The Jackson brothers also built many of the terraced houses still in occupation close to the mills. The church of St John the Evangelist lies high above the village, linked to it by a half-mile woodland footpath (compared with a three-mile journey by road). It was consecrated on 12 August 1863. It serves the adjacent village of Oakenclough, in addition to Calder Vale. There is also a Methodist chapel in the village centre.