Bacup is a town in Lancashire, England, in the South Pennines near 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. As outlined by the 2011 Census, Bacup has a permanent population of about 13323 people. Bacup emerged as a settlement after the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain in the Early Middle Ages. For a long time, it was a small and not well known centre of domestic flannel and woollen cloth manufacturing, and many of the original weavers' cottages survive as listed buildings. After the Industrial Revolution, Bacup became a mill town, developing around the now covered over bridge crossing the River Irwell and the North-South / East-West crossroad at its centre. Through that time, its landscape became dominated by distinctive and large sized rectangular woollen and cotton mills. Bacup acquired 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 was integrated into 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 named Bacup as the best preserved cotton town in England, and its town centre is named as a conservation area for its unique architectural qualities. For all of your property improvements, be certain that you utilise trustworthy professionals in Bacup to ensure that you get the top quality service.