"Rossendale is truly the Valley of Stone. Stone shaped its hills and valleys. Its towns and villages are built from locally quarried stone, as are the countless drystone walls that criss-cross its countryside. From the late 18th Century to the time of the First World War quarrying was a major industry in Rossendale. The quarries employed thousands of men and Rossendale stone was exported in huge quantities throughout the UK and beyond." This was the basis for an original and exciting Heritage Lottery Funded project to record, explore, understand and appreciate Rossendale's heritage. See
www.valleyofstone.org.uk for further information. Such was local enthusiasm for the project that a 'Valley of Stone Heritage Group' has been formed contact Arthur Baldwin, Senior Project Officer, at Groundwork Pennine Lancashire on 01254 265163 for information on memberships and events.
