New information boards detail area’s heritage

Some of the new signage harks back to the stylish Victorian era

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New information boards detailing the area’s heritage have been installed on Wet Rake Gardens, Drake Street, Maclure Road and on Toad Lane.

The boards use original historic photos and visuals to tell the story of these distinctive areas in a move to encourage locals and visitors to find out more about these well-known parts of the town.

The board situated in Maclure Road tells how the Grade II Listed St John the Baptist Church, opposite Rochdale railway station, was opened in 1830 mainly to cater for the influx of Irish workers who settled in the town to work in its thriving textile industry.

Visitors to Toad Lane will find out about its history as a popular packhorse route from Rochdale market to Whitworth, Bacup and Rawtenstall as well as the Baum’s former life as a hardware shop.

Drake Street’s history as one of Rochdale’s principal residential areas may come as a surprise to people who know it solely as a shopping street.

Elements of the boards have been designed to look like the original Victorian tramway poles.

The Town Centre Map of Rochdale, which has been updated to guide people through the newly transformed town centre, is also contained on the new boards. The map shows all the new developments in Rochdale, highlights the green spaces and provides accurate information on car parking spaces across the town centre.

The old finger post signs, which direct pedestrians around the town centre, have also been replaced as part of the upgrade.

The changes complete the public realm improvements in the town centre, including revamped shop fronts for traders on Drake Street and the restoration of the historic ginnels on Bull Brow.