Bacup and it's people  had many benefactors during the reign of Queen Victoria some who lived in mansion type houses others who lived in more humble abodes.  So who were these people and which houses belonged to whom. Click the picture to visit each homes individual page.

 

 

Rockliffe House situated  at Wesley Place,  Bacup was home to the Maden family built in 1866  by John  Maden cotton spinner and manufacturer, on land once known as Raw Cliffe. John Maden started off life as a humble handloom weaver, born at Bent in the hamlet of Heald.

 

 

Stubylee Hall  was the home of the Holt family built around 1808. The Holt estate originally covered the all the South side of the River Irwell from Cowpe across Brandwood Moor to Shawforth and then Sharneyford. John Holt was the only child of  James Holt and his second wife Ann daughter of John Heyworth of Greensnook.

 

 

 

 

Moorlands House was built between 1869 and 1871 by Edward Hoyle born 1833  fifth son of Joshua Hoyle head of the firm Joshua Hoyle & Sons.  Educated at Wesley college Sheffield on his return home  his one great hobby was pigeons.

 

 

 

 

Broadclough Hall situated on Burnley Road, Bacup was the home of the Whittaker family for  many years, the Whittaker family came to Bacup in 1523. James Whittaker of Broadclough was Greave of the forest in 1559 and his grandfather had also been a Greave in 1515.

 

 

Bankside Hall was built by the Ormerods sold and rebuilt by John Dawson and became the home of  James Smith  a sizer who  came to Bacup from Burnley in 1834 and built Tong Mills.

 

 

 

 

Forest House is first mentioned in the Barnes directory of 1824. Of which it is described as one of the seats of gentry and nobility of Lancashire. Built by and lived in at the time by John Foster a Liverpool architect of world renown.

 

 

 

Greens House Greens House was a fine Georgian house set back  from the road behind shrubberies on the road  from Bacup to Todmorden. The home of James Maden and family who moved to Greens House from Lane Head farm in 1806.  James was born in 1766 the son of James Maden of Broadclough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oak House situated on Todmorden Road, Bacup was home to Richard Smith son of James Smith owner of Tong Mill. Richard had been married twice by the time he moved to Oak House his second wife Sophia being stepmother to his children, Robinson, Richard and Mary Ann their mother Mary Greenwood having died in 1842.

 

 

Beech House situated on Todmorden Road Bacup was the home of  Mr James Smith Sutcliffe, born December 21st 1834, at Hempstead's Bacup he was the son of William Sutcliffe and Mary Smith daughter of James Smith of Bankside House.  There were two other sons William who died in 1858 at  the age of 20 and John  aged 29 who died 1861. As a boy he attended Mount Pleasant Day school.

 

 

Olive House Situated just off New Line Olive House was the home of Joshua Hoyle, born in 1808 described as a tall, well built robust man his job at this time being a tackler or loomjobber for Messrs James Howorth and brothers of Rockliffe Mill.

 

 

Greensnook House was the home of Lawrence Heyworth born in 1786 he was the youngest of four sons born to Peter Heyworth and his wife Elizabeth who was the daughter of Lawrence Ormerod of the same place. Both sets of grandfathers were the principal cotton manufacturers at Bacup.

 

 

 

Hawthorn Hill House is today simply known has Hawthorn House situated on the road to  Bacup across the road from  what most people will know as E Sutton & Son's Riverside works once the home of Joshua Hoyles India Mill. Hawthorn House if it could talk could tell the tale of the building and demolition of India Mill.

 

 

    

 

Holmes Villas was home to the Shepherd family  lived in the area of Broadclough and the Holmes for many generations, George Shepherd  was the second son of Mr James Shepherd  born in 1833 his brother Abraham having been born about 1838 and a sister Mary born in 1844.

 

 

 

 

In 1872 Fern Hill House was put up for auction following the death of the owner James Munn who had been drowned in the Lytham Regatta in 1871.

 

 

 

Heath Hill  was built between 1834-1838 by the Munn family who were of Scottish origin. The house was described as being a beautiful mansion set amidst well wooded country. This was the home of Robert Munn and his family, owner of Stacksteads Mill and Irwell Mill  to name but two.