Rossendale, United Kingdom
Rossendale is a town of 67,400 people in England, United Kingdom, founded in April 1, 1974.
Why visit Rossendale
Townapedia lists 48 museums and landmarks, 59 parks and trails, 183 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 40 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Daisyfield Viaduct, Hail Storm Hill, The Whitaker and Helmshore Mills Textile Museum.
Weather in Rossendale
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Rossendale
Rossendale () is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Bacup and its largest town is Rawtenstall. It also includes the towns of Haslingden and Whitworth. The borough is named after the Rossendale Valley, the upper part of the valley of the River Irwell.
From the Wikipedia article Borough of Rossendale (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Rossendale on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do40
Daisyfield Viaduct
Bridge · 6.7 mi
Stone structure crossing the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal and River Irwell in Bury, Greater Manchester, England
Burnley Mechanics
Cinema and theater · 7.3 mi
Theatre and former Mechanics' Institute in Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Empire Theatre
Cinema and theater · 7.3 mi
Former theatre and cinema in Burnley, Lancashire, England, later converted to a bingo hall
28 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks48
Bury Castle
Monument and historic site · 6.3 mi
Castle in Greater Manchester, England, UK
Bury War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 6.3 mi
War memorial in Bury, UK
Lancashire Fusiliers War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 6.4 mi
War memorial in Bury, UK
Peel Memorial
Monument and historic site · 6.3 mi
Statue in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, UK
Haworth Art Gallery
Museum · 5.0 mi
Art gallery, museum and park in Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Bury Art Museum
Museum · 6.5 mi
Museum, archives, and gallery in Bury, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Cheetham Close
Monument and historic site · 7.0 mi
Megalithic site and scheduled ancient monument in North Turton, Lancashire, England, UK
36 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds59
Clarence Park
Park · 5.4 mi
Urban park in Bury, Greater Manchester, England
Falinge Park, Rochdale
Park · 6.2 mi
Public park in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, UK
Kirklees Valley Local Nature Reserve
Park · 5.3 mi
Nature Reserve in Tottington, Greater Manchester, UK
Queen's Park, Rochdale
Park · 6.4 mi
Public park in Rochdale, England
Springfield Park, Rochdale
Park · 6.5 mi
Public park in Rochdale, United Kingdom
47 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes183
Stocco
Restaurant · Italian · 5.1 mi
537 Edenfield Road
Mo-Th 12:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:30; Su 12:00-21:00
Mr. Fitzpatrick's
Bar and pub · Temperance · 1.2 mi
Temperance Bar
5 Bank Street, Rossendale
We 11:00-17:00; Th-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-16:00; Su 11:00-15:00
The Water Trough
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Breakfast, Wine, Brunch, Lunch · 3.4 mi
1095 Burnley Road East, Rossendale
Tu-Th 08:30-16:30; Fr-Sa 09:00-22:00; Su 09:00-14:30
Nino's
Restaurant · Italian · 1.1 mi
245 Bacup Road, Rossendale
Tu-Th 17:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 17:00-22:30; Su 13:00-21:00
Levanter
Restaurant · Tapas · 3.0 mi
10 Square Street, Bury
Mo,Tu closed; We 17:00-23:00 open "Kitchen till 10PM"; Th...
171 more on the map.
History
Rossendale is part of the Forest of Rossendale, which consists of the steep-sided valleys of the River Irwell and its tributaries, which flow from the Pennines southwards to Manchester and cut through the moorland which is characteristic of the area. It was given the designation of "forest" in medieval times denoting a hunting reserve.
The larger settlements grew into market towns, typically through the late Middle Ages. Farming and a cottage woollen industry developed during the reign of Henry VIII, but Rossendale's population only really expanded during the period of the Industrial Revolution. The population of the area that would become the modern borough of Rossendale was 24,136 in 1801; in 1901 it had grown to 89,540. Its wet and damp climate are ideally suited to the development of watermills, and later to the mechanisation of the wool and cotton spinning and weaving industries in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the middle of the 19th century a felt industry developed, and from this the manufacturing of slippers so that footwear also became a major employer in the area.
Read more of the history
The area became one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution, and was known as 'The Golden Valley'. There was great hardship among working people during this time, but many fortunes were made among the mill-owning classes. There was large-scale immigration from Ireland to find work building the railways and in the mills, which led to several instances of serious civil disturbances between the two communities. Michael Davitt, the Irish republican leader was among these immigrants, settling in Haslingden, where he received his education after losing an arm at the age of 11 in a mill accident.
The area is also notable for its quarrying, and Rossendale Flagstone was used widely throughout the country in the 19th century. The flagstones in Trafalgar Square in London were quarried in Rossendale. Upland farming is still carried out, largely of sheep but also of cattle. The history of Rossendale is well documented, largely through the efforts of the historian Chris Aspin, a specialist on the textile industry, and Derek Pilkington, whose efforts led to the preservation of Higher Mill in Helmshore, now Helmshore Mills Textile Museum.
The Whitworth Doctors were local surgeons and bone setters in the late 1700s and early 1800s whose reputation spread far and wide, so that they treated patients from throughout the country. In 1819 William Hewitt described them as "the most remarkable men of their class that ever appeared in England".
R.S. Ireland (The Real Lancashire Black Pudding Co.) is based near Haslingden; a family-run business of specialist black pudding makers, using only traditional methods and with a recipe dating back to 1879. Rawtenstall has Mr Fitzpatrick's, this is the last remaining functioning temperance bar in England, that makes and sells its own non-alcoholic drinks, such as sarsaparilla, black beers and blood tonic.
In recent years, Rossendale has seen the development of digital and creative sector initiatives supported by collaborative workspaces, community projects, skills programmes and business networks. The borough benefits from strong transport links to Manchester, whilst also developing locally based digital infrastructure and entrepreneurship initiatives. Examples include projects such as Rossendale Digital Hub at Christ Church in Bacup, Studio Rawtenstall at The Old Milk Depot, Empowered Collective's creative studio spaces in Waterfoot and wider proposals linked to digital skills, innovation and collaborative working environments across the borough.
The modern district was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of four former districts and part of a fifth, which were abolished at the same time:
Ramsbottom Urban District (North and Walmersley cum Shuttleworth wards only, rest went to Bury)
The new district was named Rossendale, referring both to the Rossendale Valley and to the associated medieval Forest of Rossendale which had covered a similar area. The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.
Under current local government reorganisation plans, all district councils in Lancashire, as well as the county council, will be abolished in 2028, with the district becoming part of a new Pennine Lancashire unitary authority.
From the History section of Borough of Rossendale on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Rossendale
Education
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School (selective state school)
In addition, there is Accrington and Rossendale College, based in Accrington.
From the Wikipedia article Borough of Rossendale, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Rossendale
Phil LesterEnglish YouTube vlogger and radio personalityPhoto: Gretchen @pjsforestkid, Public domain
Chris AspinEnglish author and historian (born 1933)Photo: BobFrith, CC BY-SA 4.0
Terence SuthersBritish museum curator and conservator (1944–2024)Photo: Photographed by: York Museums Trust Staff, CC BY-SA 4.0- Kristan BromleyBritish skeleton racer
- Peter MolloyEnglish footballer and manager (1909-1993)
- Jeff WhalleyEnglish professional footballer (born 1952)
- Joe JohnsonEnglish footballer (1882-1966)
Born in Rossendale, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship92
Shopping32
Gas and EV charging15
Schools, colleges and libraries96
Accrington Benjamin Hargreaves Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican · 5.7 mi
Barnfield Street, Accrington
Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican · 2.3 mi
Booth Road, Bacup
Baxenden St John's Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican · 4.4 mi
Church Avenue, Accrington
Green Haworth Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican · 5.1 mi
School House Lane, Accrington
Holly Mount Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury
School · Roman Catholic · 5.1 mi
Holly Mount Lane, Bury
Our Lady and St Anselm's Roman Catholic Primary School
School · Roman Catholic · 4.4 mi
John Street, Rochdale
Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School
School · Roman Catholic · 5.3 mi
Rudgwick Drive, Bury
Healthcare16
Manor Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.8 mi
1 Brandlesholme Road, Greenmount, Bury
Baxenden Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.5 mi
514-516 Manchester Road, Accrington
Map of Rossendale
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Manchester Airport (MAN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 23 miles away.
- Rawtenstall 1 mi north, about 2 min by car
- Haslingden 2 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Ramsbottom 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- Bacup 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Bury 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Accrington 6 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Rochdale 7 mi southeast, about 11 min by car
- Burnley 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Darwen 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Todmorden 8 mi east, about 12 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Rossendale
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Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Manchester bolton and bury canal, daisyfield viaduct 2, Parrot of Doom at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Bury Castle moat wall, Chemical Engineer, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bury War Memorial, Peter Broster, CC BY 4.0
- Lancashire Fusiliers memorial, Gallipoli Garden, Bury (5), Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peel Memorial statue - Bury, Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Feeder aqueduct burrs country park, Dennis Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Scott Park bandstand, Trappedinburnley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christ Church, Bacup, robert wade, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Christ Church, Walshaw, Alexander P Kapp, CC BY-SA 2.0
- St Aidan's Church, Rochdale, David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0
- St Edmund's Masonic Church, Rochdale, Tim Green, CC BY 2.0
- View over Cliviger, Ian Hargreaves, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cowpe Moss, michael ely, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Whitaker, Rawtenstall, formerly Rossendale Museum, Lancashire, England 2008, Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Dave.Dunford, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, endszbrxns, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, mappo2, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, tonys999, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, endszbrxns, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, mappo2, CC BY-SA 4.0
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