Rossendale

The Rossendale Valley is a borough in Lancashire, consisting of a number of small towns and villages including Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Bacup, Waterfoot and. It lies within the West Pennine Moors.

Understand
in the 14th century was a Royal Hunting Park, the "Forest of Rossendale". Parts of the park's boundary are still clearly visible around Helmshore, which lies a mile or so south and west of Haslingden. The town includes the suburb of Acre.

Haslingden became a mill-town during the Industrial Revolution, but few signs of its textile heritage are now immediately apparent. However, on closer inspection the visitor will find a number of cotton mills remaining, mostly without their chimneys, and either derelict or taken over by other businesses. The town has a slightly neglected air, although improvements to Higher Deardengate where the original cobbled road setts were restored, and a replica Big Lamp erected, have smartened up parts of the town centre.

It is the birthplace of the composer Alan Rawsthorne (1905–1971). is a textile mill-town community that developed rapidly during the Industrial Revolution. However, in the late 20th century it suffered from serious economic decline from chronic depopulation and urban decay. Great efforts have been made to regenerate the town, with some success. Bacup's historic character, culture and festivities have encouraged the town's development as a commuter town. English Heritage has proclaimed Bacup as the best preserved cotton town in England, and its town centre is designated as a conservation area for its special architectural qualities.

Bacup is the base of the Britannia Coconut Dancers, a unique folk dance group of uncertain origin, who appear on Easter Saturday to dance around the town, attracting large crowds. is the largest town in Rossendale, about 16 miles north of Manchester, and like most of East Lancashire's towns is known as a 'mill town', meaning it was a centre of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. Only a small proportion of the many mills and mill chimneys that once dotted the Rossendale Valley now survive; and some can still be seen in Rawtenstall. The textile industry declined from the 1930s, steeply after 1950, and has now almost disappeared. Rawtenstall can therefore be viewed as a town in decline.

Rossendale includes the village of.

By bus
The x43 is a frequent bus service to Manchester and Blackburn.

The 464 is a frequent local bus running from Rochdale to Accrington, via Haslingden, passing through Bacup.

By car
The M65/A65 runs directly to Rawtenstall from the M62. Rawtenstall is a little over 30 minutes drive from the centre of Manchester. A regular and high-quality bus service, the X43 and X44, or the Witch Way, runs from Manchester to Rawtenstall and on to Burnley and Nelson.

By train
Rawtenstall and Rossendale generally suffers from the lack of rail links, although there are steam and heritage trains running at the weekend (and at other times, but infrequently) from Bury, via Ramsbottom.

Get around
Most towns are small, and easy to walk around, although there's no shortage of taxis if you need one.

Local buses run from Rawtenstall bus station to most neighbouring towns and the rest of the Rossendale Valley.

See

 * The most interesting features are probably the landscapes around the town of Haslingden, which are stunning - with a wonderful view from 'the Halo', a short walk above the town, which looks down the Irwell Valley to Manchester and beyond to the Cheshire hills. The Halo is sculpture set in a landscaped park, known as a Panopticon. One unique feature is that it is lit after dark and glows a sky-blue colour, giving the effect of hovering above the town. The landscaped site around has information boards and a viewpoint.
 * Helmshore village is picturesque and set in lovely countryside. It offers several walks, notably alongside the distinctive hill known as Musbury Tor; by the three Grane reservoirs and also at Snig Hole ('eel hole' in dialect) which is a popular local riverside walk.
 * Helmshore village is picturesque and set in lovely countryside. It offers several walks, notably alongside the distinctive hill known as Musbury Tor; by the three Grane reservoirs and also at Snig Hole ('eel hole' in dialect) which is a popular local riverside walk.

Do

 * Visit the Textile Museum (see above), which has a cafe and gift shop and frequent demonstration days showing working textile machinery.
 * Watch out for Juliet Bravo locations. The series was largely filmed in Bacup.
 * Lee Quarry is perfect for mountain biking.
 * Use Rawtenstall as a base to explore the local countryside and industrial archaeology.
 * Use Rawtenstall as a base to explore the local countryside and industrial archaeology.

Events

 * The Britannia Coconut Dancers, or 'Nutters', on Easter Saturday and other local events.

Buy

 * Perhaps oddly, Rawtenstall is the centre for a number of high quality women's clothes shops - clustered around 'Sunday Best' on Bank Street.
 * Rawtenstall has a characterful market, open Thursday and Friday, 9AM-4PM, at the far end of Bank Street on Newchurch Road. It's where Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Jeanette Winterson's semi-autobiographical novel was filmed for the BBC.
 * Helmshore Farmers Market is held outside the textile museum on the first Sunday of the month.
 * Fitzpatricks traditional botanical brews can be bought in the shop to take away.
 * Fitzpatricks traditional botanical brews can be bought in the shop to take away.

Eat
The area has several restaurants, and a number of take-away food outlets.
 * The White Horse Helmshore Rd., Helmshore, Rossendale BB4 4LU, +44 1706 213873. A friendly pub with a good selection of local craft beers, plus a reasonably-priced restaurant, using locally sourced ingredients. Welcomes walkers.
 * There are plenty of small restaurants: a tapas bar, a number of Indian and Chinese restaurants and takeaways and Italian restaurants in Rawtenstall.
 * The White Horse Helmshore Rd., Helmshore, Rossendale BB4 4LU, +44 1706 213873. A friendly pub with a good selection of local craft beers, plus a reasonably-priced restaurant, using locally sourced ingredients. Welcomes walkers.
 * There are plenty of small restaurants: a tapas bar, a number of Indian and Chinese restaurants and takeaways and Italian restaurants in Rawtenstall.

Drink

 * There are plenty of pubs, many of which are very basic drinking holes.
 * There are plenty of pubs, many of which are very basic drinking holes.

Connect
As of April 2022, the valleys have 4G from all UK carriers, and you might get 5G with Three.

Go next
Head east - into West Yorkshire (the next stop), with a picturesque route over the hills or 'tops' to Todmorden, and then on to characterful Hebden Bridge.