THE last cotton rope manufacturer in Britain is winding up and will cease trading in September.

When Britannia Rope and Twine Company closes it will be the end of an era as the factory on Elm Street, Edenfield, is to be demolished and its 100-yard rope walk will disappear for good.

Three directors -- Terry Broadbent, Jack Bamford and Colin Ward are the company's three-strong workforce and after working there for more than 50 years are all well past retirement age.

Terry said: "It will be a very sad day when we close, but there was no one to sell the business to. People want high wages these days, they wouldn't work for the money we've been earning."

The company was established in 1886 and was taken over by John Turner who had a rope business in Rochdale and whose company was founded in the 1840s.

Terry recalled: "Every town in Lancashire had a rope walk, there were three in Blackburn, two in Haslingden, one in Waterfoot, one in Burnley and one in Nelson.

"We have been the only one left for the past 20 to 30 years and for the last two to three years we have only operated the rope walk on a three-day week although the business has run all week."

The 'rope walk' is a 100 yard enclosure where the rope is made by putting twists into the cotton length.

Rope making machines can be easily bought nowadays, but Terry if people who need a really long piece of rope it has to be made on a rope walk.

The yarn starts off at 100 yards and after the twists have been added the finished rope is about 60 yards.

Only two rope walks remain in Britain now -- a shorter one in North Yorkshire and one at the Royal Navy Dock Yard in Chatham. Helmshore Textile Museums has expressed an interest in preserving the machinery.

Terry said: "Cotton rope is kinder on people's hands and we usually get a lot of orders for use with horses and cattle because it is softer and doesn't chafe the animal, but with the foot and mouth crisis we have only had one order this year -- and that was only when we announced our closure.

"We also manufacture for the circus trade who need rope in long lengths."

The company has just a day and a half's rope manufacture to complete before it closes down.

Part of the land where the factory stands is to be given to Edenfield Cricket Club to extend its ground.