Heywood is actually a town plus unparished area within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, within Greater Manchester, England.[1] Historically part of Lancashire, at the 2001 census it possessed a populace of 28,024.[2] The town lies on the south bank of the River Roch and it's 2.4 miles (3.9 km) east of Bury, 3.7 miles (6.0 km) west-southwest of Rochdale, and 7.4 miles (11.9 km) north of the city of Manchester. The town of Middleton sits to the south, whilst towards the north is the Cheesden Valley, open moorland, and also the Pennines. Heywood's nickname is Monkey Town, a reputation proven to date dating back to 1857.