Milnrow & Newhey April 2020

being taunted by a crowd standing on the
bank when the river bank collapsed and
a small crowd fell into the Roch. Six men
were killed and many more were seriously
injured.
More happily, as part of the celebrations
for Edward VII, the Prince of Wales’
marriage in 1863 there was a proposal
to erect a fountain in the river just by the
Wellington Hotel, but this came to nothing,
the suggestion being that fireworks would
suffice! Then of course there was the
covering of the river, something that was
proposed to ease the growing volume
of tram traffic in town. The removal of
the Walk footbridge and construction of
Rochdale’s coverage of the river in 1904
was completed in inexpensive Ferro-
Concrete in order to conjoin seven existing
bridges. This was partly to accommodate
a tram terminus in the town. One of the
bridges had its origins in the 14th century
and the single span made it – so Rochdale
people liked to claim – the widest bridge in
the world at just over 1460 feet by joining
up the Wellington Bridge to the (then) new
ornamental bridge at the Esplanade. A
roadway came into being as a result of the
widening. The covering of the river in the
town centre cost £12,000 at the time. 25
tons of pig iron along with traction engines
and a steam roller tested the new bridge’s
strength with 125 tons, a weight which it
easily withstood.
Flowing past Touchstones, the river picks
up the River Spodden coming down from
Whitworth then widens under Roch Valley
Way taking in Sudden Brook and Naden
Brook which had flowed down from Norden
to meet the Roch north of Heywood.
Flowing by Heywood and Bury, the Roch
eventually meets the River Irwell east of
Radcliffe at Blackford Bridge. Thereafter
the Irwell takes the water to Salford,
Manchester and into the Ship Canal, the
Mersey and ultimately the Irish Sea.
The river in the town centre is now partially
revealed of course and notwithstanding
the need to keep it litter-free, it is attracting
wild life again and leisure activities. After
heavy rain those carrying their canoes
around dangerous weirs are launching
near to Roch Valley Way and paddling
happily between Rochdale and Bury. Otters,
according to the Observer in 2011 are on
the increase and anglers holding the right
licenses are catching brown trout and five
pound chub as near to the town centre as
by Asda. In July 2018 a fawn was spotted
in the river between the Police Station and
Touchstones. Let’s hope that the river stays
clean for Rochdalians so that from now
onwards we can enjoy its waters and the
town’s wildlife.
If you have any comments about the River Roch I’d be delighted to hear
from you and add them to a growing Rochdale archive on the subject.
Please contact Gary Heywood-Everett at garyheywoodeverett@yahoo.co.uk
or leave your comments by text or by recorded message at 07745201263.
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