River Dane

In 1451 when the River Dane flooded in Congleton, it destroyed the town's corn mill, half of the timber-framed buildings and the wooden bridge over the river. To prevent it from happening again, the river was diverted away from the town. Congleton's textile industry grew from the 14th century, with many water-powered mills built along the river by the 18th century. A small stone bridge over the river near Holmes Chapel, Hermitage Bridge, was built in 1772 by a local ironmaster. In some years, the river floods widely across the meadows here. Nearby, a tall red brick railway viaduct, built in 1841, spans the broad Dane Valley between Holmes Chapel and Twemlow. It has 23 arches and is Grade II…