Published by the Whitworth Historical Society, 37 pages. A4 size booklet (N7531)
Please note this booklet was printed privately, and so while it lacks the finish of a more professional publication, this doesn't in any way detract from the fascinating contents. The page numbers begin with the inside front cover, and several pages inside the booklet have been left intentionally blank during printing (they have not been numbered, so don't form part of the 37 pages of contents). In addition, there is some smudging to the text on a couple of inside pages that occured during the printing process, but all text remains readable.
From the preface (dated 1983): 'Up t' reservoir or 'Back Cowm' are the usual local names for the peaceful little valley along which the Cowm Brook runs' before it flows into the Cowm reservoir. But, as I am so fond of the place and it has given me so much pleasure over the years, I feel that the very least I can do in return is to grace it by the more dignified name of Cowm Valley.
This tiny valley that I find so fascinating, begins for me where the reservoir dam cuts firmly across the valley, and it finishes at the far end where Cowm Brook first emerges from the towering quarry tips that have gradually sealed the narrow neck of the valley.
I do hope that no-one reading this is expecting a very learned work or a really definitive study, it is certainly far from being academic and there is still plenty of scope for research if anyone is interested. I decided to put- this booklet together simply because I have had such enjoyment exploring the nooks and crannies in the valley, poking around in the ruins and trying to visualise what it must have been like before it died, that when I knew my time in Rossendale was probably going to come to an end in the foreseeable future, I felt that it would be a good idea to gather together all the bits of information I have collected over the years, lace them with a few speculations and hope that in this way I might share my pleasure. As far as I know there is no other written work of any sort on Cowm, so this humble offering is not going to look like an attempt to up-stage anyone else, thank goodness!
Condition of the booklet is generally very good. The covers are clean and bright, the spiral binding is intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound. There is a small price sticker on the rear side cover