On July 29, 1857, the Bacup Court House was inaugurated at Bankside, hosting its first petty session on the same day. Before this, the Police Station was located on Todmorden Road, in a building that was recently known as the Wellington Hotel. On August 6, 1887, the Bacup Watch Committee, responsible for the Bacup Borough Police force, acquired the Bacup Court House for £2,000. Adjacent to the old market hall, the building was featured as Hartley Police Station in the popular TV series Juliet Bravo, which aired from August 30, 1980, to December 21, 1985.
Following the discovery of dry rot and the permanent closure of the front desk announced in November 2011, the staff were relocated, and the building was sold in 2012. It has since been converted into five residential dwellings.