TheRiver Darwen runs throughDarwen andBlackburn inLancashire, England, eventually joining theRiver Ribble atWalton le Dale south ofPreston on its way to theRibble Estuary.
Originating at Jack's Key Clough where Grain Brook and Grainings Brook meet, the two streams from Bull Hill and Cranberry Moss respectively,[1] the river flows through the town of Darwen, continuing into the suburbs of Blackburn pastEwood Park. The river passes below theLeeds and Liverpool Canal atEwood Aqueduct and is culverted again at Waterfall and near Griffin Park. It is joined by theRiver Blakewater nearWitton Country Park in Blackburn and leaves the mostly urban landscapes of the towns behind, flowing through parklands and valleys.[2] A further tributary, theRiver Roddlesworth, joins the Darwen at the bottom of Moulden Brow on the boundary betweenBlackburn with Darwen andChorley Borough Council (the nameMoulden Brow being associated withMoulden Water, an alternative name for this stretch of the river). From there, the Darwen flows pastHoghton Tower through Hoghton Bottoms and Samlesbury Bottoms, finally combining with theRiver Ribble atWalton-le-Dale.[3]
" While Darwent Streams with Blood of Scots imbru'd..."
The river was polluted with human and industrial effluent during theIndustrial Revolution, and this contamination continued until the early 1970s. The river often changed colour dramatically as a result of paper and paint mills routinely using the river water to flush out dye and paint tanks. This process has now ceased, and as a result the river water is now relatively clear which has resulted in the return of trout and small fish. In 2012 a section of the river which had remained in a culvert for 100 years was uncovered at an area of Darwen known as Shorey Bank.[7] Throughout the course of the river many improvements have resulted in improved water quality.[8]
| Next confluence upstream | River Ribble | Next confluence downstream |
| Stydd Brook (North) | River Darwen | Savick Brook (North) |
53°44′56″N2°41′06″W / 53.7489°N 2.6849°W /53.7489; -2.6849
