Rochdale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rochdale | |
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  Rochdale shown within Greater Manchester |
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| Population | 95,796 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | Rochdale |
| Metropolitan county | Greater Manchester |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ROCHDALE |
| Postcode district | OL16 |
| Dial code | 01706 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | Rochdale |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester | |
Rochdale is a large town in the northwest of England. Lying along the course of the River Roch, with a population of 95,796, it is the largest and most populous settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester.[1]
Historically part of Lancashire, Rochdale rose to prominence during the 19th century as a major centre of textile manufacture. Rochdale was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the first ever industrialised towns.
Rochdale is perhaps best known for being credited as the birthplace of the Co-operative Movement.[2] The Rochdale Principles, a set of ideals for the operation of cooperatives, takes its name from the town.
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[edit] Geography and administration
[edit] Civic history
Rochdale the largest settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, having previously formed the County Borough of Rochdale local government district, which was excempt from the administrative county of Lancashire.
[edit] Divisions and suburbs
Divisions and suburbs of Rochdale include, Buckley, Spotland, Belfield and Shawclough.
[edit] History
[edit] Etymology
Rochdale gets its name from its position on the River Roch at the edge of the Pennines. The Domesday Book records the town's name as Recedham, which is made up of Rached (Celtic river name) and ham (OE homestead). Over time this changed to Rachedale and finally Rochdale.[citation needed]
The name of the River Roch is pronounced [ɹəʊtʃ] with a long o sound, unlike the town itself which is pronounced ['ɹɒtʃdeɪl].
[edit] Industrial Revolution and cotton
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Rochdale was amongst the most productive cotton spinning mill towns in the world.
[edit] Co-operative Movement
Rochdale is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of the Co-operative Movement; a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled system of enterprise.
A few poor weavers joined together to form the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society at the end of 1843. The Rochdale Pioneers, as they became known, set out the Rochdale Principles in 1844, which have been highly influential throughout the cooperative movement.
A museum now exists at Toad Lane, the site of the Rochdale Pioneers. Rochdale College in Toronto, Canada, a now-closed co-operative housing and alternative education experiment, was named in honour of the town of Rochdale as a tribute to its historic importance for the Co-operative Movement.
This Co-operative Movement also includes the national supermarket chain, the Co-operative supermarket, which once started where the town centre shopping centre was; a memorial of three brass sheep represents industrial/textile manufacturing traditions, and beginnings of the Co-op.
[edit] Landmarks
[edit] Rochdale Town Hall
Rochdale Town Hall is a Victorian town hall finished in 1871. It was designed by the architect W H Crossland. The original clock tower, that rose to a height of 240ft, was destroyed by fire in 1883, and the present shorter, and less flamboyant tower was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1887.[3] The stained glass window, which is in the southernmost part of the building, was supposed to be one of Hitler's top-priority items for acquisition, should he win the war.[citation needed]
This town hall is built directly next to the underground location where the River Roch flows underneath the town.
The front of the town hall has gargoyles, as well as golden statues of lions which have the traditional emblems of Rochdale, Lancashire and Yorkshire on them. These are said to be a commemoration of the peace between the two historic counties, Rochdale being one of the towns helping to achieve it.
Standing opposite to the town hall, to the north, is the town's memorial, dedicated to those who lost their lives in conflicts since the First World War (1914 - 1918). It, and the surrounding gardens, were designed by the noted architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.[4] It has four flags, and is dedicated to those whose memory will live on.[5]
It was said that Adolf Hitler gave instructions that Rochdale Town Hall was not to be bombed during the Second World War as he wanted to take the stained glass windows from the tower back to Germany.[citation needed]
[edit] War memorial
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Rochdale has a war memorial.
[edit] Other notable buildings
Another notable Rochdale landmark is the "Black Box", or the Council Offices and bus station, built in the mid 1970s. Between Rochdale and neighbouring Littleborough is Clegg Hall, a 17th century manor house that is currently undergoing a restoration project which aims to return it to its original state. Also of note is the parish church of St Chad, which is located on the hill directly overlooking the Town Hall. The church has parts going back to Norman times and the old town stocks are found in the churchyard.
[edit] Present day
[edit] Industry and commerce
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There are large engineering firms on the south of the town, near the M62. The Hansons company are a large manufacturer of springs. The famous Ellidge and Fairly deep fryers for chips shops were made in Rochdale, with an outlet in Shawclough.
[edit] Arts and culture
Arts and cultural organisations based in Rochdale include:
- Backdoor Music Project, for local youths with bi-weekly performances at a number of venues.
- Skylight Circus, allowing youths to practise many forms of circus performance arts.
- M6 Theatre Company, a touring theatre company which creates plays for young people.
- Touchstones, an art gallery and museum.
- Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society,formed in 1898 currently performs at The Gracie Fields Theatre.
- Rochdale Music Service - an extremely successful organisation for youth music in Rochdale.
- Walter Kershaw - a sculptor and painter- creator of many well known murals around the north west
[edit] Transport
[edit] Rail and Metrolink
The borough's location as a crossroads for trade between east and west England saw the building of George Stephenson's Summit Railway Tunnel and the Rochdale Canal from Manchester to Yorkshire (re-opened in 2003 following years of neglect after an east-west motorway cut through it) supporting local textile industries of cotton, wool and silk.
The Manchester and Leeds Railway opened a station serving the town, but the line passed about a mile south of the town centre. The station remains open though much reduced in size from its heyday. Trains run from Manchester Victoria to the south, Halifax, Bradford and Leeds to the east, and is also on the Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham Line
The town is to be served by an extension of the Manchester Metrolink tram system. The scheme had been put in abeyance in 2004 amid Government fears the cost was too high. But it now looks like going ahead after ministers approved plans in July 2006 to link Oldham with Manchester Victoria. Under plans to be approved next year (2007), the scheme will be extended from Oldham to Rochdale. Trams will travel from Rochdale bus station, stop at Drake Street and on to the town's railway station. The link will then use the old Oldham loop line to get to Manchester Victoria.
[edit] Road
The M62 motorway passes to the south of the town.
The centre of Rochdale is built over a large portion of the River Roch, and is in the Guinness Book of records as the world's widest bridge, its length is of course only a matter of yards, but its width is almost the town centre's whole width.
[edit] Sport
Rochdale has a professional football team - Rochdale A.F.C., who play their home games at Spotland Stadium, a ground they share with the town's Rugby League team Rochdale Hornets.
[edit] Notable residents
- Autechre, internationally famous electronic music group
- Colin Baker, actor, although not born in Rochdale, Baker moved there and was raised in his early life.
- Nicholas Blincoe, novelist
- John Bright, Free Trade orator and MP
- George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron of Rochdale
- The Chameleons, rock music group
- Mark Chapman (also known as Chappers), sports reader and Radio 1 sidekick DJ
- Rev. Joseph Cooke (1775–1811), a Free Christian, was expelled by Wesleyan Methodists on doctrinal grounds, was the inspiration behind the Methodist Unitarian movement.
- Gracie Fields, singing star and actress
- Anna Friel, actress
- Chris Hewitt,record label owner,music management and festival promoter
- The Mock Turtles, rock music group
- Andy Kershaw, broadcaster
- Liz Kershaw, broadcaster
- Bill Oddie, actor, comedian and ornithologist.
- John Peel broadcaster, lived and worked in Rochdale in 1959 at Townhead Mill
- Sir Cyril Smith, Liberal politician
- Lisa Stansfield, singer
- Tractor, rock music group signed and championed by short-term Rochdale resident John Peel
[edit] Twinning
Rochdale is twinned with the towns of:
[edit] References
- ^ "Official British Place Name Archives - Rochdale", Greater Manchester County Records Office. URL accessed March 28, 2007.
- ^ Rochdale - The Birthplace of Co-operation. URL accessed January 1, 2006.
- ^ Victorian & Edwardian Town Halls; C Cunningham; Routeledge; London; 1981
- ^ Rochdale Official Guide (3rd edition); Pyramid Press; London; 1952
- ^ Hartwell, C., (2004), Buildings of South Lancashire, p.595.
