Bacup is a town in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines close to Lancashire's boundary line with West Yorkshire. The town is inside the Forest of Rossendale and the upper Irwell Valley, 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometres) east of Rawtenstall, 6.4 miles (10.3 kilometres) north of Rochdale, and 21 miles (34 kilometres) to the east of Preston. As per the 2011 Census, Bacup has a permanent population of roughly 13323 inhabitants. Bacup was established as a settlement following the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain in the Early Middle Ages. For a long time, it was a small and obscure centre of domestic flannel and woollen cloth manufacturing, and many of the original weavers' cottages survive today as listed buildings. After the Industrial Revolution, Bacup became a mill town, developing around the now covered over bridge which crosses the River Irwell and the North-South / East-West crossroad at its centre. Through that time, its landscape became dominated by distinctive and large sized rectangular woollen and cotton mills. Bacup was granted a charter of incorporation in 1882, which gave it municipal borough status and its own elected town government, made up of a mayor, aldermen and councillors to oversee local affairs. In the late 20th century, Bacup was integrated into the borough of Rossendale. Bacup's historic character, culture and festivities have aided the town's suburbanisation and redevelopment as a more cosmopolitan commuter town for Manchester and other North West towns and cities. Nonetheless, English Heritage has proclaimed Bacup as the best preserved cotton town in England, and its town centre is named as a conservation area for its distinctive architectural qualities. For all of your house upgrades, be certain that you use reputable professionals in Bacup to make sure that you get a great quality service.