Bridge over the River Irwell before it was culverted.
The Bacup old school, which was originally built for a Baptist Meeting House, was situated on the east branch of the Irwell Stream ( or syke as it was known) which formed the boundary confine of the village at the junction ( or lumb) of the two Irwell streams. There were no houses, whatever, then on the opposite or SE side, but a bridge crossed over the eastern branch.
From the bridge, two footpaths diverged. One up Tong Naize, to Tong , and Thorn, and the other went along the side of the stream to Lumbscarr and Rockliffe. The front of the school looked out upon open fields. There was also a foot-passenger bridge near to the school, over the NW branch stream ( or so-called syke) which connected the few houses on the southern side of the syke with Bacup fold. There was also the street bridge at Bridge-end, which still exists.
The only four highway outlets to the village, (no turnpike roads at that time to, or from Bacup) were:
1 By Waterside to Burnley
2 By Bankside Lane to Newchurch
3 By Lower and Higher Tong over Tong Bridge to Rochdale
4 By Lanehead over the moors to Yorkshire
The top of Lanehead formed the boundary of Bacup in that direction.
Hammerton Green was just an open space.
Waterside, or Hempstead’s, on Burnley Road and the bottom of Bankside Lane.
These outlets marked in those days the entire extent of the ill-built little village, which was composed of for the most part of inferior cottages and not a few of one-storied hovels.
Rochdale Road was formed in 1809/1810. There were no toll bars in Bacup prior to this time.
Every householder was compelled to do statute work on the old highways (breaking stones and spreading them) one of two days a year before the bars were introduced.
The road through the Thrutch -1826.
The old packhorse road from Todmorden Vale to Newchurch, came up by Flower Scarr where at one time stood qn old licensed public house through Sharneyford, past Heap Farm, and Th’ Owd Whoam down by the Flowers, and Laneside, Greensnook, Lane Head Lane through the river opposite the old school. Through Newgate up Bankside Lane, Top O’ the Bank, right on past the Hile, down through Edgeside and up the hill to Newchurch.