Whitworth
| Whitworth | |
| Lancashire | |
|---|---|
 A view over Whitworth, to Brown Wardle Hill | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SD882185 |
| Location: | 53°39’47"N, 2°10’37"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 7,263 (2001) |
| Post town: | Rochdale |
| Postcode: | OL12 |
| Dialling code: | 01706 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Rossendale |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Rossendale and Darwen |
Whitworth is a small town in Lancashire, set amongst the hills at the edge of the Pennines, between the towns of Bacup, to the north, and Rochdale, to the south. It has a population of 7,263.
The territory of Whitworth spans the entire length of the Whitworth Valley, an area of seven square miles. It consists of the areas of Healey, Broadley, Whitworth, Facit and Shawforth that are linked by the A671 road, part of the great turnpike built in the 18th century, together with a number of smaller hamlets now subsumed into the main areas of Whitworth itself. There are several such hamlets now making up parts of Whitworth, such as Cowm Top which was removed to make way for Cowm Reservoir, now a water ski recreation centre, and Hades which lies at the foot of Hades Hill together with others that have been absorbed by the nearby towns, such as Prickshaw which is now a part of Rochdale.
History
Early history
The early history of Whitworth is unclear; exact dates are difficult to pin down. At the very earliest period, Whitworth was at the edge of the famed and extensive Forest of Rossendale, which covered 22,000 acres and reached a point somewhere near Bacup. Flint arrows, stone hammers and spearheads found in the area point to the existence of Neolithic man who roamed the bleak open moors.
Anciently Whitworth came within the parish of Rochdale which, all part of the Hundred of Salford. The Abbot of Whalley Abbey held much of the land in this area. Saxton's Map of Lancashire of 1577 does mark Whitworth, setting it between neat pyramid-like hills on either hand. Facit is of rather newer origin. The first settlement was in the 13th century and the name apparently meant "Bright Flowery Slope" in reference to the hillside all around.
Development
The 16th century saw the gradual destruction of the Forest of Rossendale and the extension of sheep farming, the growth of weaving and eventually the first industry in the area. Industrialisation, however, remained a "household" affair through the 18th century and the settlements of Whitworth, Facit and Shawforth remained villages. Impetus was given to the development of the area through the construction, during the middle of the century, of a turnpike road through the valley. It ran from Manchester by way of Rochdale and Whitworth to Bacup and then on to Burnley, Colne and Skipton. It was one of the few such roads in eastern Lancashire and provided a ready means of conveying local goods to Manchester and Yorkshire. The road was of vital importance in Whitworth's industrial expansion and with it, the settlements in the township thus began to grow. By the 19th century, quarrying and coal mining were the chief industries although the manufacture of yarn remained important.
Towards the end of the 19th century a great deal of development was visible including the opening in 1881 of a rail link between Bacup and Rochdale. Passenger services on the railway stopped in 1947. Two reservoirs, at Cowm and Spring Mill, were completed in 1877 and 1887 to augment Rochdale's water supplies. In 1910, a tram service was introduced by Rochdale Corporation, first to Whitworth and later extended to Bacup. Buses replaced these in 1932. The first public electricity supply and electric street lighting were both installed in 1923. The population of Whitworth reached its peak of 9,574 in 1901 following which the recession in industry in the 1930s and the effects of Second World War saw it decline. The first post war census in 1951 declared a population of 7,442 which declined further to 7,031 by 1961. Since then, however, the figure has risen to its present total of around 7,263.[1]
Despite the decline in population, Whitworth in this century has seen improvements in the living conditions of its people and in the amenities provided. Old housing, a relic of the "bad days" of the cotton boom, has been replaced, modernised or renovated in both the public and private sector. Civic buildings have been erected and parks and open spaces provided. In April 1976, an area in and surrounding Healey Dell, at the south end of the valley became legally designated as a statutory local nature reserve, the only one in Rossendale.
A prominent feature of Healey Dell is the railway viaduct which stands 150 feet above the River Spodden. Built from local quarried stone, it has 8 arches, each of 30-foot span. The first part of this railway line was completed in Facit in 1870. The main function of the line was to transport stone from local quarries. The railway also ferried people to and from the area and during the latter half of the 19th century there were approximately 20 mills between Healey and Shawforth employing around 4,000 people.
Landmarks
Construction of a new civic hall on Market Street in Whitworth began in early 2006 after the previous hall was destroyed by an electrical fire on 6 December 2003.[2] The new hall is called "The Riverside" and is run by the Community Leisure Association of Whitworth (CLAW). It was officially opened at 2 pm on Saturday, 28 October 2006.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Whitworth) |
- Whitworth Town Council
- Community Leisure Association of Whitworth
- BeautifulBritain.co.uk – Whitworth
- Whitworth Museum Info
- Whitworth Waterski & Recreation Centre
- The Riverside – Whitworth Civic Hall
- Whitworth Valley
- Whitworth Swimming Club