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 kilometres) east of Rawtenstall, 6.4 miles (10.3 km) north of Rochdale, and 21 miles (34 km) east of Preston. In accordance with the 2011 Census, Bacup has a permanent resident population of about 13323 inhabitants. Bacup emerged as a settlement following the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain in the Early Middle Ages. For centuries, it was a little and not well known centre of domestic flannel and woollen cloth production, and many of the original weavers' cottages survive today as listed buildings. Following the Industrial Revolution, Bacup transformed into a mill town, developing around the now covered over bridge which crosses the River Irwell and the North-South / East-West crossroad at its centre. Through that time, its landscape became dominated by unique and big 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, including a mayor, aldermen and councillors to oversee local affairs. During the late 20th century, Bacup was integrated into 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 along with other North West towns and cities. Nevertheless, English Heritage has named Bacup as the most preserved cotton town in England, and its town centre is designated as a conservation area for its special architectural qualities. For all of your house improvements, be certain that you employ trustworthy specialists in Bacup to make sure that you get the very best quality service.