View source for River Croal

{{Short description|River in Greater Manchester, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = River Croal
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<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = River Croal.jpg
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| image_caption      = River Croal at Little Lever
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<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[England]]
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| length_mi = 10
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<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = 
| source1_location   = the confluence of [[Middlebrook, Greater Manchester|Middle Brook]] and [[Deane, Greater Manchester|Deane]] Church Brook
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| source1_elevation  = 
| mouth              = 
| mouth_location     = confluence with [[River Irwell]]
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|53|33|0|N|2|22|57|W|display=inline,title}}
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}} 
The '''River Croal''' is a [[river]] located in [[Greater Manchester]], [[England]]. It is a [[tributary]] of the [[River Irwell]].

Rising at the confluence of [[Middlebrook, Greater Manchester|Middle Brook]] and [[Deane, Greater Manchester|Deane]] Church Brook, it flows eastwards through [[Bolton]], collecting ''Gilnow Brook'' and the larger ''[[River Tonge]]'' at [[Darcy Lever]]. Most of the river is [[culvert]]ed through Bolton town centre, running under Knowsley Street, Market Place and Bridge Street.
Before 1836, the River Croal formed the boundary between the townships of [[Great Bolton|Great]] and [[Little Bolton]].

The name of the river is derived from the [[Old English]] ''croh'' and ''wella'', the winding stream. It was possibly originally called the Middlebrook along its entire length as early references mention the ''Mikelbrok'', (''mycel'' and ''broc''), the great stream but not the Croal.<ref>{{Harvnb|Mills|1976|p=76}}</ref>

It meets the Irwell at [[Nob End]], [[Kearsley]] after a total course of around ten miles.

==Tributaries==
* Doe Hey Brook (R)
** Will Hill Brook
* Blackshaw Brook (L)
* [[River Tonge]]
** [[Bradshaw Brook]]
** [[Astley Brook]]
** [[Eagley Brook]]
* Middle Brook (Ls)
** Bessy Brook
** Knutshaw Brook (R)
* Deane Church Brook (Rs)

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}

*{{citation |last=Mills |first=David |title=The Placenames of Lancashire  |publisher=Batsford |year=1976 |isbn= 0-7134-5236-6}}

{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://www.bolton.org.uk/croal.html River Croal Photographs]
* [http://www.snakeoil-urbex.co.uk/0006/ Snake Oil UE, River Croal Culverts]
{{River item box
|type=confluence
|River=[[River Irwell]]
|upstream=[[River Roch]] (East)
|downstream=[[River Irk]] (East)}}
{{Greater Manchester}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croal, River}}
[[Category:Rivers of Greater Manchester|Croal]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton|Croal]]
[[Category:Geography of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton]]
[[Category:Irwell catchment|1Croal]]
[[Category:Croal catchment]]


{{GreaterManchester-geo-stub}}
{{England-river-stub}}