Just as with Todmorden Road, Rochdale Road was not always as we know it today if a traveller wanted to get to Rochdale from Bacup his journey would begin in the centre of Bacup whereupon he would then make his way up Yorkshire Street passing the Toll House situated at the bottom of Todmorden Road and then up Tong Lane shown below. The houses on the left of the photograph  backed on to what was known as Smiths Building, built in a area once known as Brickfield, in 1844-1849. Brick street consisted of seven houses numbered 1 -13 and in Clay street numbered 2-14. These cottages had  been built by the Smith brothers who owned and operated Tong Mill seen in the distance in the picture.

these cottages had  been built by the Smith brothers who owned and operated Tong Mill seen in the distance in the picture.

 

Tong farm house bore the date stone of 1851 and was built in the style of many Georgian houses with heavy stone mullioned windows, the roof and gables decorated with oblong stone balls. At the time of the Boggart the house was occupied by a man known as " Owd Robin O' Greaves" and his thrifty and bustling wife Mally. Robin and his family had occupied the house virtually since it was built. Whilst the Boggart did make some unwanted visits to the house it mainly concentrated it's visits around the barn and shippon attached to the house often frightening the householders out of their wits.

 

The Old Barn at Tong pictured  right  was one of many farm buildings scattered about the Thorn Estate as we know it today. The Thorn Estate consisted of just a few farms  such as Slack Gate and Thorn farm, which was farmed by a family by the name of Lord.

 

Thorn farm was demolished in 1946 and the estates known today as Pennine Road and Rosendale Crescent was built along with the house on Clough Road. Behind the houses on the right was an area of  Meadowland which if you walked through would  lead to Britannia Old road.

 

 

Walking over the old road would bring you to Nanny Brow passing under to reach the village of Britannia from which you would then travel the rest of the way to Rochdale.

 

 

 

 

 Rochdale road today was know as  Sandfield Road in the distance is the tram shed which opened in July 1911.  Lane ends road shown right showing Ross Mill in the distance and the rope works on the right of the picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The houses shown right were situated in the area once known as Smelt. Named so for the Smelting of Barley that  was once carried out here. Cellar houses like the ones shown here were common in the Smelt areas as well as in many areas of Bacup. The houses shown far left on the picture sat underneath what was once the Victoria Inn and were the scene of a brutal murder in 1886 when John Waite killed his wife John Waite aged 35 years, and the victim his wife, about the same age were very poor and had lived unhappily together. Waite's two youngest children, Alice Ann aged 9 years, and Charles Julian aged 7 years, were playing in the road opposite to Lark Hill, shown below  and the murderer called the girl saying" Come along with me , as fast, as you can". She went with him down the toad, and he took her to P.C Lows house, in Rochdale Road. On entering the officers house he laid the key of his own house on the table, and  said he had murdered his wife Although sentenced to death his execution was respited at Her Majestys Pleasure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one time this area of Rochdale Road was known as Mashwood and housed a mill of that name along with a foundry accessed by what are known today as Jubilee Steps. At one time the steps allowed quick access to the fire station which was situated on Henrietta Street. The Empire Theatre was known as The Royal Court Theatre opened on Monday September 18th 1893 with seating for 2,200 people the site of the theatre was  formerly occupied by Barkers Foundry remnants of which are the Foundry windows bricked up behind the rear stage wall. The houses that once stood in the gap between Irwell Mill and the Empire numbered 29-49 were demolished in 1958.

 

Camel Street below  stood were the car park  for the medical centre is today some census returns show the area as also being called Catbanks. In September 1896 the wall supporting the road that led to the newly opened Central board school collapsed onto the houses of Cat banks.25 Yards of the wall together with  the full width of the road amounting to scores of tons fell with a tremendous crash into the back street of Catbanks and cascading debris and soil into the adjoining Camel Street. One unoccupied house and lime shed were completely demolished.

 

 

 

 

Quarry Street shown right was at one time a quarry In 1826 during the chartist riots a large group assembled in this area after attacking Irwell mill which is on the opposite side of the road. The magistrate of the time Mr Whittaker from Broadclough House called out the militia and read the riot act to the gathered crowds. It did little good and the crowd gathered for a further hour before dispersing back to their homes.

 

The large building in the picture left is the Cooperative stores opened in 1863. The cottage next door was the home of the first Natural History Society rooms known at the time as " The Bug Club".

 

 

 

Next door to this was the home of  one of Bacup' most humble benefactors Dr Hardman Worrall who it is said kept a monkey called Jack in his surgery. The cottages were demolished about 1892 in order to make way for the building of the Maden Public baths gifted to the borough of Bacup by the late Henry Maden.

 

The picture on the left outside the Cooperative stores  was taken in 1911. The streets are decorated with bunting in order to celebrate the opening of the Bacup Light Railway which was in fact a tramway to Rochdale from Bacup

 

 

The picture right shows the area of Rochdale Road as it was before the Pioneers store was built.  Whilst below shows the area in the 1930's. Across the road from the Pioneers which was opened in 1914  stands the New Inn.

 

 

The lease hold for the New Inn dates back to 1818 . However a landlord by the name of Shepherd is shown in the records as being in situe in 1810.  On the 21st September 1870 the New Inn was the venue for a rather special presentation. A silver snuff box was presented here to John Stevenson the founder of Bacup Old Band on his retirement.

Only 50ft away from the New Inn stood another beer house known as the Odd fellows Inn opened as a beer house in 1869.

The other side of the archway was Helsworth's painter and decorator shown on the right  in his caravan.

 

The Waterloo hotel situated at the bottom of Rochdale road straddles the river and rumour has it that the name Waterloo originates from the tippler toilets rather than  from anything to do with the battle of Waterloo.

 

 

Thorn Street led to one of Bacup's many chapels pictured right  Thorn Wesleyan opened  in 1872. Though the chapel at Thorn was formerly opened on May 5th 1872 that date was not it's real commencement. Strictly speaking it was a transfer from premises in Union Street, were both chapel and school services had been held for over twenty years. Those premises were officially known as Union Street School, Chapel for the destitute or the Bacup ragged school

 

The chimney shown in this photograph taken on Thorn Street is that of the Maden Baths boiler house. Behind the chimney is the derelict building of the old Embassy club with the chimney of the Corn Mill on Yorkshire street in the very distance.

 

 

The streets and houses surrounding Central School were known as the Co-houses, namely Inkerman Street shown right Regent Street, Coorperation Street.. and Industrial Street shown below. Numbers 1, 3, 5, 7 Inkerman Street and 2, 4, Thorn Street were all indentured in 1856.

 

 

 

 

 

 

George Street, Mary Street and Lion Street all held names connected with Royalty, The Lion of England King George and Queen Mary.

 

At one side of George Street  just previous to the Great War was a grocer's Shop, Pilling's. On the opposite corner of George Street a chap, Tommy Gibson, had a baker's shop and used to go from house to house selling oatcakes and barmcakes. Demolition of George Street began the week commencing 10 January 1983.

 

 

 

 

 

Gladstone Street completes the Rochdale Road Thorn Areas.