Littleborough

Rochdale grew up from the 18th century as a textile town and transport hub: the Rochdale canal, completed in 1807, was the surest way to transport goods across the Pennines, a huge improvement on pack horses struggling over rough tracks. The textile trade collapsed in the 20th century and Rochdale, historically part of Lancashire, became part of Greater Manchester during the 1974 reorganisation. The town is best known as the birthplace of the Co-operative Movement in 1844, of the singer Gracie Fields (1898-1979) and (infamously it must now be said) of the politician Sir Cyril Smith (1928-2010). The poet Byron's title was Lord Byron of Rochdale but he had no link to the town.

Rochdale Council post local information online.

By plane:

Manchester Airport (MAN IATA) has frequent trains to central Manchester. Pick a train that continues beyond Piccadilly to Victoria, where you change for the train or tram to Rochdale as below. You can ride the tram all the way from the airport and change trams at Deansgate, but that's much slower for scant fare saving.

By train:

Trains from Manchester Victoria run to Rochdale every 10 min, taking 15-20 min. These trains are part of longer mainline routes:

- from Blackburn via Accrington, Burnley, Todmorden, Littleborough, Rochdale, Victoria, Salford and Atherton to Wigan.

- from Leeds via Bradford, Halifax, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Rochdale to Victoria; also from Leeds to Wigan, and to Warrington and Chester.

- from Clitheroe via Whalley, Blackburn, Darwen, Bolton, Salford and Victoria to Rochdale.

1 Rochdale railway station is half a mile south of town centre. It has a staffed ticket office, waiting room and toilets. There’s step-free access to all platforms.

Metrolink trams (pink line) take 30 min from Manchester Victoria via Newton Heath, South Chadderton, Oldham, Shaw and Milnrow to Rochdale railway station and the Interchange. Rochdale is in Fare Zone 4 so a single journey from city centre is £4.60; trams run every 15 min 6AM-midnight. (The grey line only runs as far as Oldham.) Westbound, the line runs through Victoria to St Peters Square, Deansgate, Chorlton and East Didsbury. Change in city centre for all other lines.

2 Interchange is the bus and tram station, central in town.

By bus:

National Express Bus NX 540 runs daily from London Victoria to Rochdale Interchange, taking 6 hours. This bus also calls at the airport, Manchester city centre and Oldham but you can't use it for the short ride from there to Rochdale.

Local buses run to the Interchange every ten min on route 17 from Manchester Shudehill via Middleton and Castleton, taking 70 min. They also run here from: