Bacup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Map sources for Bacup at grid reference SD868231
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Bacup is an English town in the Rossendale borough of Lancashire. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 12,763. The town is located between Burnley, Todmorden, Rochdale and Rawtenstall, near the border with Yorkshire. It is an old mill town, previously specialising in footwear. It was once described by English Heritage as the best preserved cotton mill town in England. It is home to the 17 feet long Elgin Street which has the (much disputed) title of 'shortest street in the world' according to the Guinness Book of Records. Another claim to fame for the town is that the 1980s TV police drama, Juliet Bravo was filmed there. It is also the highest town in East Lancashire. The professional English footballer, Marc Pugh was born there and he is currently playing for Bury F.C in the English Football League 2. The internationally renowned fashion designer, Betty Jackson, was also born in Bacup.
[edit] History
Bacup village is said to be around 800 years old as it is mentioned in a charter by Robert de Lacey in 1200. There is a small village included named "Fulebachope" which translates into Modern English roughly as the "brook in the shoot in valley". Another, oft quoted and more attractive (which probably also means 'unreliable') explanation for the name is that farmers from the nearby Deerplay Farm would order the deer 'backup' the hill from Bacup (actually pronounced 'bay-cup'). Deerplay is now the name of a pub, and the source of the River Irwell. Bacup is said to be the oldest of the Rossendale towns by at least 200 years.
Bacup barely existed throughout the Middle Ages and Rennaisance age, and only began to grow during the Industrial Revolution when it, along with the rest of the East Lancashire area, grew in size as many cotton mills were built in the area. The town was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1882.
Bacup began to decline during the 20th century as an industrial settlement, a process not helped by the closure of its rail-link. The population of the borough declined from 22,000 in the 1911 census to 15,000 in the 1971 census. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Bacup became part of the Rossendale borough along with Rawtenstall, Haslingden, Whitworth and Waterfoot. There are on-going attempts to halt the decline with substantial government/EU inspired investment and development schemes.
