Bacup, United Kingdom

At 53°42′14″N 2°11′56″W (53.704°, −2.199°), 15 miles (24.1 km) north-northeast of Manchester, 17 miles (27.4 km) southeast of Blackburn and 26 miles (41.8 km) southwest of Bradford. Bacup stands on the western slopes of the South Pennines, amongst the upper-Irwell Valley. The River Irwell, a 39-mile (63 km) long tributary of the River Mersey, runs southwesterly through Bacup towards Rawtenstall from its source by the town's upland outskirts at Weir. The Irwell is mostly culverted in central Bacup but it is open in the suburbs. In 2003 there was a proposal to use plate glass for a section of the culvert in the centre of the town however the culvert was eventually replaced with concrete. Bacup is roughly 1,000 feet (305 m) above sea level; the Deerplay area of Weir is 1,350 feet (411 m) above sea level; Bacup town centre is 835 feet (255 m) above sea level.

Bacup’s economy reflects its industrial heritage and ongoing transition toward a more diversified local base. While traditional textile and footwear manufacturing declined during the late 20th century, the town is now home to a range of small and medium-sized enterprises across sectors such as engineering, plastics, furniture, and e-commerce.

Modern employment sites include Futures Park and New Line Industrial Estate, which support local businesses involved in production, distribution, and services. Companies with operations in Bacup include Orthoplastics, JJO plc, Dale Print, AV.com (a subsidiary of Gear4music), and the Lancashire Sock Manufacturing Company.

Although Bacup forms part of the broader Pennine Lancashire economy, it retains a distinct local employment profile shaped by manufacturing and logistics. The workforce is concentrated in skilled trades, machine operation, and warehousing roles, reflecting the area’s stock of light industrial units and repurposed factory buildings. Business activity in the town also includes niche and specialist manufacturing, supported by regional transport links via the A681 and proximity to the M66 corridor.

The key date in Bacup's cultural calendar is Easter Saturday, when the Britannia Coconut Dancers beat the bounds of the town via a dance procession. Britannia Coconut Dancers are an English country dance troupe from Bacup whose routines are steeped in local folk tradition. They wear distinctive costumes and have a custom of blackening their faces. The origin of the troupe is claimed to have its roots in Moorish, pagan, medieval, mining and Cornish customs. The Easter Saturday procession begins annually at the Traveller's Rest Public House on the A671 road. The dancers are accompanied by members of Stacksteads Silver Band and proceed to dance their way through the streets.

Bacup Museum is local history hub and exhibition centre in Bacup. The Bacup Natural History Society was formed in 1878. The work of the society is carried out by a group of volunteers who have a base in the Bacup Museum which contains many domestic, military, industrial, natural history, and religious collections.