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The Power of the Clady

What, actually, is the name of our river?

Visitors are always confused by the names that we use for the river flowing through Upperlands.

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The simplest answer is:

UPSTREAM of Upperlands Bridge it is known as the "Knockoneill River".

DOWNSTREAM of Upperlands Bridge its is known as the "Clady River". (Older maps show "Claudy")

Knockoneill River
Clady River
Upperlands
Bridge
c 1832: Early Mills

Whilst there are 'local sketches' to be found, the earliest map available from Public Records (PRONI) dates from around 1832.

It tells a story of early development of water power and the beginning of the journey towards industrialisation.

Highlighted are buildings alongside the river which were likely to have been early mills. The old thatched Middle House is highlighted. Its name suggests that there were at least two other mills existing at that time.

c 1920: Huge Expansion

By the 1910s/1920s The Knockoneill / Clady had become a very busy place with a huge network of weirs, sluices and mill races feeding water to the many mills dotted along the banks.

Ecologically this was a highly successful model with the water being 'borrowed' from the river only fleetingly and returned within yards since its power had been extracted.

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The development of 'Dams' and the level of 'control' they offered, meant that there was less dependence on weather / rainfall, enabling work during drier spells and guaranteeing a longer working season.

Ecologically, the Dams were not at all good news for the river as the effects of low rainfall during  dry months  was hugely exacerbated by the redirecting of water into the increasingly hungry system of dams.

Alphabetical list of useful site links:

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