Doffcocker


Doffcocker is a mostly residential district of Bolton, Greater Manchester, lying about 3½ miles from the town centre on the northwest edge of the suburbs on the lower south facing slopes of the West Pennine Moors. Historically within Lancashire, it is bounded by Markland Hill and Heaton to the south and Halliwell to the east.
Coal was mined at Doffcocker Colliery in the 19th century from the thin Mountain Mine of the lower coal measures.
Its most prominent feature is Doffcocker Lodge, a former mill lodge and now a local nature reserve for wildfowl.
The history of the name is not certain but it is believed to be formed from the Celtic dubh meaning dark or black, and cocr meaning a winding stream, giving "dark winding stream", the stream that fed Doffcocker Lodge. Another version is that it was named after a Scotsman who was passing through the area and had to cross the stream. Its waters were exceptionally high following heavy rain, so to keep his stockings dry the man was obliged to "doff" them.
A similar version appears in an old book