Memory Lane – Bacup and Stacksteads are in the picture
IN this week’s Memory Lane, we take a look back at the history of Bacup and Stacksteads.
First we take a look at Bacup, which became a mill town following the Industrial Revolution, when a number of woollen and cotton mills were built. With plenty of employment available, the town became heavily populated and prospered.
However, the Great Depression put an end to this, and the closure of Bacup railway station in 1966 compounded the town’s decline. It became less prosperous and the population decreased.
Now, however, Bacup is known for its historical buildings, from large, red-brick mills, to small, stone weavers’ cottages.
Bacup became part of the borough of Rossendale in the late 20th century, having been given municipal status in the 1800s, with its own town government.
Now the town is a hub for commuters, with a town centre designated a protected area by English Heritage for its architectural qualities.
Turning our gaze to Stacksteads, the village sits between Bacup and Waterfoot. In the 19th century it was home to cotton mills, which sat along the banks of the River Irwell, winding its way through the village and Rossendale Valley.
The cotton industry expanded in the 1870s, as labourers moved into the area, however in the 20th century the cotton trade decreased, as had also happened in Bacup.
Many of the mills were then used for other purposes, such as the production of footwear.
Bacup Shoe Company was founded in 1928 in Stacksteads Mill by former footballer Ernest Goodwin and shoemaker Walter Smith, and is still a thriving business today.
The village featured in episodes of the BBC drama Juliet Bravo in the 1980s – as did Bacup – and was also the location for the filming of Laurence Olivier Presents: Hindle Wakes, an on-screen version of the play Hindle Wakes.
Our first image of the week (Picture 1), shows Newchurch Road in Stacksteads.
Next (Picture 2) is a shot of the Car 10 tram outside the Park Hotel in Bacup.
Picture 3 is a snap of Bridge Street in Bacup in the early 1900s.
Picture 4 shows the Premier Rink in Stacksteads, where people took to the floor to rollerskate. Men and women can be seen, ready to go in their skates.
Bottom right, Picture 5 is a shot of the waterfall in Whittaker Clough in Bacup. The next image (Picture 6) shows people, a horse and a cart on Market Street, Bacup.
Finally, our last image of the week (Picture 7) shows Broadclough, which is now a village in its own right, having previously been part of the old borough of Bacup.
Do these images bring back memories of Bacup and Stacksteads? Please get in touch and share your photographs.
Thanks to all our nostalgia contributors.