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. Rochdale College in Toronto, Canada, a co-operative housing and alternative education experiment, was named in honour of the town of Rochdale, England, as a tribute to its historic importance for the co-operative movement.

This Co-operative movement also includes the national supermarket chain, the Co-operative supermarket, which once started where the town center Shopping Center was; a memorial of 3 brass sheep represents the Lancashire traditions and beginnings of the Co-Op.

It has a fine Victorian Town Hall, finished in 1871. The original clock tower was destroyed by fire in 1883, and the present tower was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1887. The stained glass window, which is in the southernmost part of the building, was supposed to be one of Hitler's top-priority items for acquisition, should he win the war.

This town hall is built directly next to the underground location where the River Roch flows underneath the town.

The front of the town hall has gargoyles, as well as golden statues of lions which have the emblems of Rochdale, Lancashire and Yorkshire on them. These are said to be a commemoration of the peace between the two counties, Rochdale being one of the towns helping to achieve it.

This page was last updated: 12 September 2005

Town history extracts are taken from Wikipedia and are licensed under GFDL