Cotton Mill

The former Ainsworth's Cotton mill on the right and workers houses on the left 1908

Backbarrow blue bill once the Ainsworth,s cotton mill taken 1955

The Lancashire cotton industry extended into the most northern parts of the county, in our area mills were established in Cark, Ulverston, Spark Bridge and Backbarrow all taking advantage of the abundant supply of water to power the machinery. The motive power at the Backbarrow mills was the River Leven, the river is the over flow from Lake Windermere and could produce up to two hundred horse power, ample energy to power all the mill machinery. The Backbarrow cotton mill was established about 1782 band by 1790 the mill was owned by Birch Robinson and Walmsley. The industry needed small dexterous people who could work in small confined spaces and handle the fast moving machinery and children were ideal. In those  days parishes were responsible for the care of pauper children  who were seen as a drain on their limited resources, the parishes were only to pleased to be rid of these orphaned, abandoned or runaway children. The Backbarrow cotton masters took only a few pauper children from the nearby towns of Ulverston and Dalton, the rest came from large cities like  Manchester, Liverpool and London.

Accommodation for the work force and the children was in tenements on the opposite side of the river known as The Square which were demolished in1935. other accommodation consisting of dormitories known as High Row and Low Row existed in Backbarrow, these have now become private dwellings. A building known as the Hospital was located in Finsthwaite Lane, which was really nothing more than a place to isolate sick children to protect the rest of the workforce from infection.

Mor to followe