Rossendale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Borough of Rossendale
Rossendale
Shown within non-metropolitan Lancashire
Geography
Status: Borough
Region: North West England
Admin. County: Lancashire
Area:
- Total		 Ranked 218th
138.05 km²
Admin. HQ: Rawtenstall
ONS code: 30UM
Demographics
Population:
- Total (2005 est.)
- Density		 Ranked 317th
66,000
478 / km²
Ethnicity: 96.2% White
3.1% S.Asian
Politics
Arms of Rossendale Borough Council
Rossendale Borough Council
http://www.rossendale.gov.uk/
Leadership: Alternative - Sec.31
Control: Conservative
MPs: Janet Anderson, Greg Pope

Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centred around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West. The district combines urban with rural aspects, and is close to the more populated areas of Bury, Bolton, Burnley and Manchester.

In 2001 the population of Rossendale was 65,652 (Government census records), spread between the larger towns of Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Bacup; the villages of Whitworth, Waterfoot, Helmshore, Crawshawbooth and Edenfield, as well as Cloughfold, Greave, Laund, Loveclough, Lumb, Newchurch, Rockcliffe, Shawforth, Stacksteads, Stubbins, and Weir.

The district was formed on April 1, 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, from the municipal boroughs of Bacup, Haslingden, Rawtenstall, part of Ramsbottom urban district and Whitworth urban district.

Contents

[edit] Transport

The borough is linked by the motorway network to Manchester, Burnley and Blackburn via the A56/M65 and M66 motorways. Bordering Greater Manchester southwards, it is 17.4 miles to Deansgate (City Centre) via the Edenfield by-pass and M66, about 30 minutes in a car. However it can take up to an hour in busy periods. Alternatively 'B' roads can be taken via Edenfield, Walmersley, Whitefield, and Broughton.

There was once a rail link south to Manchester via Bury, but this was closed in the 1960s as part of cuts following the Beeching Report. Part of the old railway reopened in 1991 as the East Lancashire Railway operating a service to Bury via Ramsbottom and Summerseat, and manned by volunteers. In September 2003 an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood was opened. The line is now just over 12 miles long and is open every weekend of the year. There are aspirations to redevelop this line as a link to Manchester providing a commuter service.

The area is well served by public transport, with bus services provided mainly by Rossendale Transport and Burnley & Pendle as well as Northern Blue.

[edit] History and industry

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 was 16,033 in 1801; in 1901 it had grown to 89,540 (relevant censuses). 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.

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. 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 the late Derek Pilkington, whose efforts led to the preservation of Higher Mill in Helmshore, now Helmshore Mills Textile Museum.

With the steady decline of the cotton industry Rossendale suffered from serious economic decline which has only recently halted, and the area still has pockets of poverty. However the opening of fast road connections with Manchester, allied to the attractiveness of the local countryside has meant that Rossendale has developed a sizeable commuter population. Thus, in its wake, is bringing some signs of economic revival and Rawtenstall in particular now houses a number of shops that sell niche fashion and luxury consumer goods alongside the inevitable Asda and Tesco superstores. This, coupled with expensive redevelopment plans to regenerate the Valley Precinct and bus depot (both in Rawtenstall), would inevitably attract more businesses and visitors into Rossendale.

Talks of turning the current railway into a commercial commuter line would be an obvious advantage, and the more optimistic ideas of applying for the Metrolink system to be extended to Rossendale are probably a long way off. Existing plans to extend to Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside and Manchester Airport have been put on hold, estimated to cost around £900 million, which the government seem unwilling to subsidise, Documented by the BBC here.

[edit] Etymology

The etymology is doubtful, although it is believed the second element of the name is Old English dæl "dale, valley". A record of the name as Rocendal (undated) suggests [[Celtic language|Celtic] ros "moor, heath", although this etymology is tentative.

[edit] The Arts in Rossendale

Rossendale is the home to a large community of artists with several painters studios, many of which are centred on the area around Waterfoot. This is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Horse and Bamboo Theatre Company who specialise in visual theatre, often using distinctive masks. The Littoral Arts Trust, dedicated to arts, social and environmental research is based in the Rossendale Valley. The first part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail runs from Deerplay, above Bacup, to Stubbins.

The actress Jane Horrocks was born in Rawtenstall, Rossendale, and the composer Alan Rawsthorne was born in Haslingden. Betty Jackson, the fashion designer, is a native of Bacup. There is also a thriving brass band tradition as well as a vibrant amateur theatre scene.

There has been a long tradition of dialect poetry and writing in Rossendale. This seems to have ended, but characters like Andrew Houston (The Rossendale Bard), Walter Hargreaves (Shepster) and Clifford Heyworth (Bill o' Bows) are still fondly remembered. Waugh's Well, above Edenfield and Cowpe marks the spot where Edwin Waugh wrote many of his poems, and is a favourite spot for walkers - a popular activity in Rossendale that does not appear to be in decline.

[edit] Miscellany

Three Rossendale towns have cricket clubs in the Lancashire League - Bacup, Haslingden, and Rawtenstall. The overseas professionals who are associated with the League have therefore often lived in the Rossendale Valley. For example, Everton Weekes was long associated with Bacup; Clive Lloyd with Haslingden.

The Whitworth Doctors were local surgeons and bone setters whose reputation spread far and wide, so that they treated patients from throughout the country, including Princess Elisabeth and the Archbishop of Canterbury. 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 Waterfoot; a family run business of specialist Black Pudding Makers, using only traditional methods and with a recipe dating back to 1879. Rawtenstall has Fitzpatricks Herbal Health, 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.

The popular comedy series, The League of Gentlemen is apparently based upon Rossendale (and perhaps Bacup in particular), playing upon stereotypes and exaggerations of the area. Subsequently, the producers filmed in various northern towns, one of which was Bacup itself, which Jeremy Dyson (writer) and Steve Pemberton (actor) proclaimed, "Bacup was the furthest we went into Lancashire. Bacup was our hot favourite, but it was too frightening - when we arrived there was this cartoon drunk with a bottle shaking his fist at us. Bacup in real life was worse than Royston Vasey". http://www.geocities.com/gwaddingham/log.htm

The most notable famous residents (past and present) include Jane Horrocks and Ted Robbins (of Phoenix Nights fame, amongst other things), William Roache, Phil Neville, Sam Aston, Natalie Casey and Jennie McAlpine (see Fiz Brown).

The area is has a sizeable ski slope, appropriately named Ski Rossendale, which attracts many visitors. The slope has spawned and aided the Brass brothers, Steve Bailey and Danny Wheeler; and more recently Johnny Greenwood, Colum Mytton and Molly Percival to fame in the snowboarding world.

Rossendale also hosts the very popular Rossendale Motorbike Show which brings in motorcyclist enthusiasts from far and wide. Music, stalls, food, tattoo's and bikes (of course) briefly turn the town into a very busy place. In 2007, however, the event looks unlikely to take place.

The area is served by the Rossendale Free Press which provides news, sport and so on. A community forum and business directory, can also be found at Rossendale Online.

[edit] External links



Ceremonial county of Lancashire

Unitary authorities: Blackpool | Blackburn with Darwen

Non-metropolitan districts: West Lancashire | Chorley | South Ribble | Fylde | Preston | Wyre | Lancaster | Ribble Valley | Pendle | Burnley | Rossendale | Hyndburn

Topics: Places | Parishes | Parliamentary constituencies


Districts of North West England Flag of England

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Counties with multiple districts: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside
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