Bacup is a town in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines near 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 km) east of Rawtenstall, 6.4 miles (10.3 kilometres) north of Rochdale, and 21 miles (34 km) east of Preston. In line with the 2011 Census, Bacup has a permanent population of about 13323 people. Bacup was created as a settlement after the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain in the Early Middle Ages. For centuries, it was a modest and not well known centre of domestic flannel and woollen cloth manufacturing, and a lot of the original weavers' cottages survive as listed buildings. After the Industrial Revolution, Bacup transformed into a mill town, growing around the now covered over bridge crossing the River Irwell and the North-South / East-West crossroad at its centre. During that time, its landscape became increasingly dominated by distinctive and large sized 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, consisting of a mayor, aldermen and councillors to oversee local affairs. In the late 20th century, Bacup became a part of the borough of Rossendale. Bacup's historic character, culture and festivities have led to the town's suburbanisation and redevelopment as a more cosmopolitan commuter town for Manchester along with other North West towns and cities. Nevertheless, 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 your home improvements, be sure that you utilise reputable experts in Bacup to make sure that you get the best quality service.