Rawtenstall Rossendale East Lancs Railway Bacup River Irwell Lancashire Tourist Information

Rossendale Tourism & the Rossendale Way

The Rossendale Valley, incorporating the towns and villages of Bacup and Stacksteads, Rawtenstall, Haslingden, Whitworth, Waterfoot, Crawshawbooth and Goodshaw, Helmshore and Edenfield is one of the most beautiful rural areas of Lancashire. Popular with walkers, who particularly head for the stunning Rossendale Way, this area has a rich industrial and radical labour history which stretches from the earliest period of the industrial revolution and the loom breakers of the early 1800s to later mammoth mills such as Ilex Mill in Rawtenstall. Rossendale was at the very heart of the industrial revolution and numerous heritage sites and museums are in the area including the superb example of an 18th century loomshop at Rawtenstall's Weavers Cottage, the magnificent Helmshore Textile Museum, the heritage East Lancashire Steam Railway first opened in 1846 and the Rossendale Museum based in the former home of the mill owning family the Hardmans which dates from 1840. The superb Bacup, Stacksteads & Rossendale History website (see link right) puts the scale of Rossendale's role within the industrial revolution into perspective, particularly its link with cotton for between 1840 and 1849 20 cotton mills were built in Rossendale and from 1850 to 1859 a further 45 mills were built. When the cotton supply from America ceased at the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, work and wages disappeared in the Bacup area. For more information contact Bacup Natural History Society.

The Rossendale area of Lancashire is perfect for walkers. The shape and form of the countryside is mostly rugged moorland. Valleys are deep-cut by streams and the River Irwell. Walking the 45 mile long Rossendale Way is perfect for exploring the area's history and is easily broken down into shorter trails. For a complete Rossendale Way pack guide contact Rawtenstall Library.

The Irwell Sculpture Trail is a 30 mile walking trail running all the way from Salford Quays to Bacup. Six miles of this spectacular trail run through Rossendale, and 30 sculptures are to be found along the full route. Checkout the sculpture trail's webguide right or pick-up trail guide leaflets from either the Rossendale Museum or central Rawtenstall Library.

Rossendale Tourist Information at the Rossendale Museum, Whitaker Park, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 6RE. Tel: 01706 260785 or 01706 227777. Tourist Information is also available from Rawtenstall Library, Queen's Square, Rawtenstall, Rosssendale, Lancashire, BB4 6QU. Tel. 01706 227911. Bacup Natural History Society, 24 Yorkshire Street, Bacup, Lancashire OL13 9AE. Tel. 01706 873042. See also the historic Quaker meeting house at Crawshawbooth between Rawtenstall and Burnly at Friends' Meeting House Crawshawbooth Quaker Meeting 13 Co-operation Street, off Burnley Road (A682), Crawshawbooth, Rossendale BB4-8AG. (weblink right for details). This historic meeting house dates from the early 1700s. Find further details for the Whitworth Heritage Centre and Lambert Howarth's Footwear Museum & Mill Shop in Rawtenstall via the Visit Rossendale webguide.

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Helmshore Mills Textile Museum

Located in the heart of the Rossendale Valley at Helmshore village near Rawtenstall (clearly signposted off the main A56 road with brown signs), the Helmshore Mills Textile Museum is the definitive site for the history of Lancashire's textile industry. This fascinating journey into textiles history is set in two heritage mill sites - Higher Mill (built in 1789) and Whitaker's Mill, a stone built 19th century mill. The focus here in on-site demonstrations is the spinning of yarn - and a visit first to Helmshore and the processes involved in yarn spinning is complimented then by a visit to nearby Burnley Queen Street Mill to continue the journey on to cotton cloth and weaving to the finished textiles product.

History comes alive with demonstrations on machinery which transforms raw cotton to spun yarn, with informative guides giving detailed commentary on each of the processes involved. Much of the machinery at Helmshore was made in the early 1900s and was second hand when it arrived here. All still works today, a testament to the engineering, as revealed in demonstrations on the First Floor which is layed out how it would have been as a working mill in the 1920s. On the ground floor key industrial inventions heralding from Lancashire, including Arkwright's Water Frame are on display and the museum covers Lancashire's shift from wool to cotton as the county's major export through the 18th to the 20th Century. Lancashire's role at the heart of the industrial revolution, including exhibits on John Kay from Bury's invention of The Flying Shuttle in 1733, is given due attention in the Revolution gallery and a mighty working waterwheel is also on-site. Other fascinating exhibits reflect on Rossendale's own Luddite uprisings between 1811 and 1816 when new developments in textile machinery were threatening livelihoods as well as the Cotton Famine of 1861-1865 when Lancashire was literally destitute and starving when raw cotton ceased to arrive from America from the onset of the American Civil War.

Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Holcombe Road, Helmshore Rossendale, BB4 4NP. Tel. 01706 226459. Open daily upto the end of October. Monday to Friday from 12-4pm, Saturdays and Sundays 12noon til 5pm). Free parking including coach parking is adjacent and the museum has excellent disabled access with lifts. Guide dogs admitted with baby changing facilities also on-site. The museum has both a cafe and shop. Helmshore Mills has a sister museum at the Queen Street Mill Museum site in Burnley.

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Rossendale Museum & Weavers' Cottage

Just outside Rawtenstall centre sits the Rossendale Museum set within Whitaker Park. Once the home of a former mill owner in the area, inside you'll find a late Victorian drawing room, fine arts and furniture, natural history collections and extensive exhibitions on social and local history.

Rossendale Museum, Whitaker Park, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 6RE. Tel: 01706 260785 or 01706 227777. Open Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1pm to 4.30pm (Apr-Oct) and from 1pm to 4pm (Nov-Mar).

Not to be missed in Rawtenstall is the beautifully preserved 18th century Weavers' Cottage on the Bacup Road. Inside is an extensive local history exhibition with photography and numerous local history books on sale. View the 'Tippler' toilet, Grandma's Kitchen, the Clogger's shop and spinning and weaving demonstrations. The cottage is usually open at weekends only from April to September from 1.30pm to 5pm. Also open on Bank Holidays. For up-to-date opening times contact Rawtenstall Library.

Weavers' Cottage, Fallbarn Fold, Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, BB4 7NW. Tel. 01706 229828.

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The East Lancashire Railway

First opened in 1846, the East Lancashire Railway linked Rawtenstall and the Rossendale Valley to the Manchester-Bolton line at Clifton with Radcliffe. An extension line from Stubbins Junction to the north of Ramsbottom to Accrington was added later in 1848. The Bury to Rawtenstall line continued to carry passengers right upto 1972, with complete closure following in 1980 after the last freight service withdrawal.

From 1980 preservation of the line was pursued in earnest, including input from the current joint owners Bury and Rossendale Borough Councils. Today this beautifully scenic heritage railway operates every weekend through the year with weekday runnings in August. Numerous special events including Diesel Extravaganzas, War Weekends, Days out with Thomas, Santa Specials and Night Rider Specials are held frequently - look to the full timetable on the East Lancs Railway's webguide link right for details. Most trains have buffets serving fine food and real ales and fares, including Family Tickets, Rovers and Concessions are very reasonably priced. The journey takes in the spectacular scenery of the Rossendale Valley and countryside around Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall. All stations benefit from wheelchair access with disabled toilet facilities at Bury Bolton Street, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall Station. Renovations are underway on the Bury Transport Museum's historic goods warehouse which dates from 1848. For more information see the East Lancs Railway's weblink right.

East Lancashire Railway Admin Office, Bury Bolton Street Station, Bolton Street, Bury, Lancashire BL9 0EY. Tel. 0161 764 7790.

The railway's stations include Heywood Station, Railway Street, Heywood, Lancashire OL10 1NH. Ramsbottom Station, Railway Street, Ramsbottom, Lancashire BL0 9AL & Rawtenstall Station, Bury Road, Rawtenstall, Lancashire BB4 6DD.

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Ski Rossendale

The popular dry ski slopes, three in all, situated near Rawtenstall is the perfect place to learn to ski or develop your technique. Lessons are available and there's a nursery slope on-site. Ski and snowboard hire is inclusive in the price.

The slopes are open daily, Mon to Fri 1pm to 9pm, Saturdays 9am to 1pm kids club only and from 1pm to 5pm for all. Sundays 9am to 5pm. See the Rossendale Ski webguide right for prices and details on lessons.

Ski Rossendale, Haslingden Old Road, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, BB4 8RR. Tel. 01706 226457.

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