Bacup is a town in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines close to Lancashire's boundary with West Yorkshire. The town is in the Forest of Rossendale and the upper Irwell Valley, 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometres) east of Rawtenstall, 6.4 miles (10.3 km) north of Rochdale, and 21 miles (34 kilometres) east of Preston. In line with the 2011 Census, Bacup has a resident population of about 13323 inhabitants. Bacup was created as a settlement following the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain in the Early Middle Ages. For a long time, it was a modest and obscure centre of domestic flannel and woollen cloth manufacture, and many of the original weavers' cottages survive as listed buildings. After the Industrial Revolution, Bacup became a mill town, growing around the now covered bridge which crosses the River Irwell and the North-South / East-West crossroad at its centre. In the course of that time, its landscape became dominated by recognisable and large rectangular woollen and cotton mills. Bacup received a charter of incorporation in 1882, which gave it municipal borough status and its own elected town government, including a mayor, aldermen and councillors to oversee local affairs. During the late 20th century, Bacup became a part of the borough of Rossendale. Bacup's historic character, culture and festivities have encouraged the town's suburbanisation and redevelopment as a more cosmopolitan commuter town for Manchester as well as other North West towns and cities. Nonetheless, English Heritage has proclaimed Bacup as the most preserved cotton town in England, and its town centre is named as a conservation area for its unique architectural qualities. For all of your home improvement jobs, ensure that you use trusted specialists in Bacup to ensure that you get the top quality service.