Rochdale – in Under Five Minutes! Check out the History and some of the Attractions of the birthplace of Co-Operation, that’s the Co-Op to you and me.
Here at Five Minutes Spare, we regularly review the towns and cities of the UK, with a mind to planning a holiday there. With 2020 officially becoming the year of the staycation, it makes sense that more and more of us are looking for a sweet spot to vacate to, that is closer to home than it might have been in the past.
Image: Alastair Wallace/Shutterstock.com
For everyone scouring Britain for the best locations to get away from it all, we present Rochdale. This town you have never heard of lies in Lancashire and comes with a hearty population. We took a look into the history and culture of this lovely location, to see if it lives up to the sign you have to drive under to get to it… a sign which proudly declares that Rochdale is the birthplace of Co-operation. Why? You will have to stick around to find out…
Rochdale in the Early Days
Long ago and far away, Rochdale was born at the side of a Roman road. It probably started with a half-way house… a sort of hotel or stable house that marked the points between two other places, which the old Roman roads would pass through. Rochdale took its name from the River Roch on which it sits, although there has been speculation that it may have been Rochdale originally and has evolved over time.
The Roman road that passed through here would have connected Manchester to the city of York. It would have been built sometime between 40 AD and the 3rd century before the Romans retreated. They used to build in wood and leave a lot of temples behind them. It is possible that a small settlement was left behind when they retreated back to Rome.
The Vikings invaded from roughly the 8th century to the 10th century. They would have sailed up every possible river and frequently hunted and pillaged along the shore settlements. It is thought that Rochdale would have been the site of many battles between the Danes and the Saxons. A castle is recorded here, although no trace of it remains. The fort was likely built in wood, which would explain it vanishing into time. It is thought that the area of the town named Castleton was called so as a reference to this.
If there was a castle here, then medieval people would have flocked to it as a symbol of protection. Oddly enough, it is less likely that they would have been so frequently attacked if they had just stayed away from the place: but hindsight is a wonderful thing. The Danes would have either gone home, moved on, or settled in Britain, by the 11th century. So the Romans had invaded and gone, Danelaw had arrived and been assimilated, and then William the Conqueror arrived in 1066 and stole everything for a third time.
William the Conqueror
In 1086, William decided he wanted to know exactly what his spoils were, and ordered a survey taken of all his new wealth. That survey turned out to be the Domesday Book, which history records as a largely misleading title. It was the first large scale survey of land and goods in the UK and is relied on for details of towns and cities of the time.
Rochdale was recorded as being in the hundred of Salford. A ‘hundred’ was a batch of settlements run by a lord, who would in turn report to the king. It was in Cheshire county and had no recorded population. This usually means it was either abandoned or so large that there seemed no point in recording it. It belonged to Roger of Poitou and was the former property of Gamal, Son of Gruffydd. It was made up of 9.5 and 5 leagues of woodland, as well as one furlong of mixed measures. Even we don’t know what that means.
Middle Aged Rochdale
From the middle of the 12th century, the town ran a market. A charter was granted for an annual fair and a church was built. The town experienced slow growth right up until the Industrial Revolution. As usual with English towns, its population started to boom in the 1800s.
In 1212 the land was gifted to Roger de Lacy, but it was back in the hands of the crown by the end of the 14th century. Around the same time, the great plague hit the land. Any small population that remained in the town would have been decimated by the three waves of the black death. The Dukes of Lancaster were briefly in charge, but the crown was back in the saddle of the manor in 1399.
Interestingly enough, the Byron family then bought the estate as of 1638. Nearly two centuries later, it would be sold by the man that held the inheritance: the Poet Lord Byron himself. There was no official seat or residence, but a house was added in 1702 to give the Lords somewhere to live. In 1745 it was sold again, but it was eventually knocked down in 1922.
By the time of Henry VIII and the closures of most monasteries in Britain, Rochdale had already established itself as one of the biggest wool producers in Europe. They were known on a global scale, for producing kerseys, flannels, and baize, as well as many other woollen goods. Despite this growth, it wasn’t until the Industrial era that the population would truly take off. More on that in a moment, however, as we would like to explore some fun facts from Rochdale, first.
Rochdale Trivia
Before you go, study up for your visit. We researched some fine facts for you to roll out at the pub, when you are getting friendly with the locals. Here are the Five Minutes Spare best fun facts about Rochdale for you to fall back on:
- The Co-Operative part is about the Co-operative supermarket chain. The founders of the business were from here and are known as the Rochdale Pioneers. The government refer to them as the founding fathers of the world-wide co-operative movement.
- Rochdale Town Hall was finished in 1871 and is now a Grade 1 Listed Building. Adolf Hitler reportedly threatened to take it back to Germany, stone by stone, once he won the war. Why? It came to a finished cost of £160,000. Sounds small now, but in 1871 that was the equivalent of about £15 million nowadays.
- That same town hall was one of the first buildings in town to have a working indoor toilet. This particular extravagance was saved in case the queen came to visit… but it remained reportedly unused.
- The 7 large skyscrapers in the Paddock area of town were built in an effort to clear out the slums caused by the Industrial Revolution’s massive growth.
- Rochdale AFC were in the fourth tier of the Football League from ’74 till 2010. This makes them the record holder for having spent the longest time at the bottom of the league tables. Still they have done a bit better of late.
And on that cheery note, let’s round up the last few centuries so we can find out what the best attractions in Rochdale are. Credit to Rochdale Gov, who provided us with most of our not-so-funny facts today. When it comes to adding a little drudgery to a happy situation, you can always trust the UK government… now on with the show.
The Industrial Revolution in Rochdale
By the time of the Industrial Revolution, fabric from Rochdale was making its way all over the world. With no port access, the town had previously seen its wares reach Britain and Europe, but now trade was more global. The mills built to power the weaving meant many hands to power them and thread the looms.
In the 18th century, mines were opened, worked, and closed again, right through to the 20th century. This coal would have powered the machinery that churned out the fabric, that made the town so well known throughout the land. Circa 1850, the wool industry went into sharp decline, but it didn’t make much difference, since the town had largely shifted to cotton by then.
Within the next hundred years, the population rose dramatically as more and more people fled here to work. Rochdale quickly became one of highest wielding cotton spinning towns in England. By the time the 1900s came about, wool, silk, and cotton were spun, bleached, fulled, dyed, and woven, all within the limits of the town walls.
In 1844, the Rochdale Pioneers opened the first Co-operative Store, which still runs to this day. The idea was that all members paid a dividend for access to cheaper goods and services. It was so successful that the chain now owns a whole range of products and services and is still going strong, even after nearly two hundred years.
Modern History
Rochdale contributed its fair share of young men to the First World War. They partook in battles from the Somme to Gallipoli. The Second World War saw Rochdale play host to evacuees from Manchester, who arrived at Rochdale railway station in September. They would have stayed with local families to avoid the bombs that were falling on the big cities. There were a total of 3,500 women and children evacuated to the area during WWII.
One extremely interesting account details what the children were given as they were seen by a local doctor in the Victoria Street Methodist Church. Those first 750 children arrived as if on a school trip with their teachers. They were given a can of meat, a can of unsweetened milk and one of sweetened milk, a pound of biscuits and a quarter pound of chocolate. These rations were expected to last them for 48 hours. To some, it just might have been the most food they had ever held in their hands.
All in all, Rochdale was a fairly safe space during the war years. It wasn’t big enough to bomb and it was far enough to the north of England that it was never considered to be of tactical importance. Apart from Hitler really wanting to get his hands on that town hall, there was no reason for them to be worried.
In the most recent times, Rochdale has seen plenty of retail streets open, experienced its fair share of recession fails, and has birthed thousands of happy citizens. Before we move on to discuss the best things to do in town, let’s take a look at some of those names, to find out who the most famous people to come from Rochdale have ever been.
Famous People from Rochdale
Every town and city we review has some famous people that come from there, or at least from the surrounding areas. Rochdale is no different to this, sporting a fair few famous folk of its own. Here are some of our favourites:
- One of the early Doctor Who’s was played by a Rochdale man… Colin Baker.
- The pro poker player Jake Cody is from Rochdale, who once won the Triple Crown.
- The Artist Jack Crabtree is a Rochdale alumni.
- Julie Goodyear, who was best known for playing Bet Lynch in Corrie, is a Rochdale lass.
- Bill Oddie – the guy that loves shows about birds – is Rochdale born.
And the list goes on, and on, and on! You can view it in full over on Wikipedia, or you can just take our word for it that there are loads of famous people from Rochdale. We are quite glad we don’t need to recite them all.
Things to do in Rochdale
Now we get to the part that everyone has been waiting for – the best bits! If you are going to come to Rochdale for a holiday, what should you make time for? As usual, Five Minutes Spare is on the case!
Historic Sights and Landmarks
Having cost all those hundreds of thousands of pounds to build away back in the end of the 1800s, the Rochdale Town Hall is still one of the top sights to see in town. The lavish architecture and supreme style surrounding it make it the perfect landmark and historical sight, for you to get some IG photos of.
A second, unmissable, landmark in Rochdale is that of Hare Hill House. This manor house sits in acres of its own ground and is routinely open for events and entertainments. You can book a space for your own event, stroll the grounds to amuse yourself, or even go along and help maintain the place as a volunteer.
Museums and Galleries
Rochdale is home to Touchstones, which is the local museum and art gallery. They have a gift shop and café situated inside, too, so you really can make a day of it. You should always check in to see what exhibit is one while you are in town, and it makes for the perfect place to pick up some fine art to hang at home, too.
The Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum is in town and should never be underestimated. This attractive museum makes kids out of all of us… because who doesn’t want to sit in a big red fire engine and flash the blue lights? This place is the best thing to do in Rochdale if you have kids, but you could go alone if you wanted to. Nobody would think any less of you if you did.
Your third option for awesome amusements in museums of Rochdale is the Ellenroad Engine House. Check this place out to find out all about the steam engine and why it is/was so important to this area, throughout the Industrial Revolution. This is one of the only places in the UK where you can still see a working mill.
Outdoor Attractions
Up there with the best parts of Rochdale is Hollingworth Lake. They have a visitor’s centre, plenty of nature for you to get stuck into, and a large lake for the kiddies to play in, in summertime. It’s where everyone goes to walk the dog, get some fresh air, and sunbathe. There is an attached country park with some stunning views of the picturesque Rochdale countryside, too.
If nature is what you love most, you can also catch some time by checking out the Healey Dell Nature Reserve. Arguably the best part of roaming around in country parks for the day is that they are usually free. Take a picnic, pack the kids up in the car, and see how many pinecones they can collect for you to keep them entertained while you have a nice walk.
Finally in the things to do outdoors section, we have the nearby Greenbooth Reservoir. People love to come here for the awesome 3.9 mile circular walk around the lake. It is a truly stunning piece of land that you would be sensible not to miss while you are in the area. We have it on good authority that bird watchers love this area but keep it under your hat… we don’t want to scare away any herons.
Sports and Recreation
If you happen to be a fan of (arguably) the worst team in Britain, you can hop along to Spotland Stadium and give them your support. You can also take the tour, if you can find someone to show you around. It’s also known as the Crown Oil Arena because of the sponsors. It is home to the Rochdale Athletic FC that we mentioned earlier… famous for being the longest running team in the bottom leagues.
Shopping and Retail
You can pop into the Rochdale Riverside Retail and Leisure centre if you want to shop till you drop. If not, you can find almost everything you need on the town’s main streets.
Other Notable Attractions
But that’s not even nearly everything that there is to do in town. When you come to Rochdale, you will always find there are hundreds of things to do, no matter what your interests are. We listed a few of the things we couldn’t fit into our article below, to give you more choices in things to do in Rochdale:
- Blackstone Edge is yet another lake in the area for your perusal. Rochdale is great for fisher people.
- Rochdale Canal gives you ample choice in outdoor attractions… probably more than you need.
- The religious can pop into the Middleton Parish Church if they want to attend a service while here on holiday.
- The Rochdale Pioneers museum will teach you all about the Co-Operative and why it was so important.
- You have your choice of theatres here, check out the Gracie Fields Theatre for a large scale viewing experience. If not, check out the Curtain Theatre for an old-school play.
There is so much to do in Rochdale – but don’t forget you can comment on our blogs and on our forum, should you feel strongly that we missed anything out.
How To Get To Rochdale?
Now you know everything that we know about Rochdale – except how you can get there. Bear with us, we are getting to it…
By Road
You can follow the M66 or the M62, depending on whether you are coming from the north or the south.
By Rail
You should head for Rochdale railway station, although Castleton and Littleborough are both nearby.
By Air
Your nearest international airport is Manchester Airport.
By Sea
You don’t have direct sea access from Rochdale, but you do have the River Roch. If you have a boat and the determination, it isn’t impossible.
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