Rochdale: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

This article is about the English town. For other Rochdales see, Rochdale (disambiguation)

Rochdale is a town in Greater Manchester in north-west England. It is the main town in the metropolitan borough of Rochdale, and gets its name from its position on the River Roch at the edge of the Pennines.

The borough's location as a crossroads to trade between east and west England saw the building of George Stephenson's Summit Rail Tunnel and the Rochdale Canal from Manchester to Yorkshire (re-opened in 2003 following years of neglect after an east-west motorway cut through it) supporting local textile industries of cotton, wool and silk.

Rochdale is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of the Co-operative movement. A museum now exists at Toad Lane, the site of the Rochdale Pioneers.

Otherwise, it's known as the home town of the 1930s–1960s singing star Gracie Fields, larger than life Liberal politician Cyril Smith, comedian Steve Coogan, singer Lisa Stansfield and actress Anna Friel.