Edited from an article that appeared in the Bacup Times January 31st 1903. Visit To Pikelaw-By Hurdles Wood Sorting Fibres For Beds Descending a short stairway, we find ourselves in a square cellar where was stacked a large heap of fibres. Seated on forms were several men engaged in the picking of this fibre, […]
Through the Workhouse Read More »
In 1876, the Bacup district was expanded to encompass Stacksteads, which was initially referred to as Stacksteads Ward until 1888 when it was renamed Tunstead Ward. Stacksteads, along with neighbouring villages like Weir, Sharneyford, and Britannia, were considered distinct villages with their own identities. Each village boasted its own Co-op store as well as other
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The Rossendale Shoe and Slipper Industry is set to celebrate its 150th anniversary in November 2024. This historic industry was pioneered by John William Rothwell, a resident of Holts Buildings, Millar Barn Lane Waterfoot. In November of 1874, John, a married man, fulfilled his first order which consisted of six dozen pairs of slippers featuring
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In the eerie annals of Bacup’s history, the demolition of the old Leisure Hall on Burnley Road has etched itself into local lore. As the walls crumbled, it is said that a spectral presence emerged from the depths of the past. The ghost of a long-departed traveller, a figure of legend, was rumoured to have
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Christmas 1914 in Bacup and Stacksteads was a festive period marked by a mix of joy and sorrow. Families, eager to send parcels to their loved ones at the front, faced the financial burden of postage costs. However, the spirit of the season prevailed as families celebrated Peace and Goodwill despite the knowledge that their
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It is believed that Fern Hill House Stacksteads, was built about 1819, and whilst there are no interior photographs we do know that in 1871 following the death of its owner James Munn the house was put up for sale and described as follows: Beautifully situated Mansion house and Estate overlooking Stacksteads near Bacup Substantially
Fern Hill Military Hospital Read More »
Colonel Thomas Backhouse O.B.E. T.D was adopted as the prospective Conservative Candidate for the Rossendale Division in May 1946. A well-known barrister, who appeared regularly in his early career at the Rawtenstall and Bacup Courts, he had a distinguished military career. A member of the Officer Training Corps whilst at school he joined the 4/5th
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Between the years 1824 and 1865, 35 cotton mills were erected in Bacup. People flocked from the agricultural districts such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire to work in Bacup. The beautiful, wooded valleys and the clear fish-filled river Irwell soon disappeared and instead of growing trees, we grew chimneys that belched out and smoked 24
Migration from Norfolk to Bacup Read More »
In Lancashire folklore, a boggart is known as a type of poltergeist that can haunt certain areas. In this spooky tale, three young boys found themselves in a hair-raising situation when they decided to listen in on some carters taking a morning break at the Old Meadows coal pit. The boys had been innocently playing
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At the time of the opening of the new fire station on Rochdale Road, in 1960 the Bacup Borough Fire Brigade had been in existence for about 66 years. Under the control of the local board the brigade may never have come into existence had it not been for a devastating fire at Beulah Methodist
The Irwell – Not the River Read More »