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My significant other used to go down Cockden as a lad and play in the river. There would be quite a gang of them and they would take a drink of water, some sort of butty and have a picnic. He learnt to swim there, but to be honest I have never seen it deep enough to swim in. Maybe it was his poetic licence. Anyway he has really fond memories of it, the sun always shone etc etc.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

I remember as a teen walking with a bunch of friends (Merle Wilkinson now Stuttard and Granville Holden are the only names I remember) on many occasions from Harle Syke up Haggate and down to Cockden. We walked across fields and wound up down by Victoria Park (did I remember that correctly?)...then we walked along to the Big roundabout at Lanehead and up Briercliffe road back home. Took us all day...and yes, we had our butties with us! Just thinking about it makes me tired now..and my feet ache!

Victoria Park is near to where Bank Hall pit was, just across Queen Victoria Rd. You would have pretty much followed the river down. Quite a trek back via Lanehead, where I suppose the roundabout was big in its day. You can follow your jaunt on multimap.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

The river at Cockden.

Swimming places. 1 under the road bridge. 2 in front of the wall just 100 ft upstream from the river.

In the mid 50s and early 60s the river used to run in front of the aforementioned wall and was about three and a half feet deep, or a bit less as we were much smaller then. We used to swim there.
Under the bridge was the deepest place.
Both depths were increased because we would dam the river with large stones and sods.