3 minute read
Discover Rochdale Town Centre's Hidden Heritage Stories
If you’re wandering around the Baillie Street Quarter in Rochdale Town Centre you may have noticed a new addition to the artwork lined streets.
Rochdale Town Centre Business Improvement District (Rochdale BID) revealed an outdoor gallery ‘Hidden Heritage Stories’ in early February.
Hidden Heritage Stories features 21 individual panels that share stories about key buildings throughout Rochdale Town Centre’s history.
From tales about the Fire Engine Station and Broadfield Park to stories of the river’s historical medieval bridge and Circus of Varieties, visitors and residents can discover more about the Town Centre’s fascinating buildings and landmarks.
Style caught up with Rochdale BID Manager, Paul Ambrose, to find out all about the project:
Style: Where did the idea for the Hidden Heritage Stories originate?
Paul: Through the initial lockdown period the BID introduced ‘Hidden Heritage Stories’ which was delivered through our social media channels. The idea was simple, it told the story about particular historic buildings and places within the town centre.
With dozens of stories to be told the obvious next step for this project was to evolve it into an outdoor gallery so that local people and visitors can learn more about the history that’s all around them.
I have been involved in the transformation of the town centre for over 20 years and in this time you get to know about the stories behind some of the buildings and spaces.
Perhaps one of my favourite stories is Theatre Street which was located on what is currently the location of the police station.
This long forgotten street was connected to The Esplanade via a footbridge over the River Roch and beyond it lied the Town Hall.
Theatre Street was home to the County Police Station, Rochdale’s Theatre Royal and a cattle market. On 22nd October 1954 Gracie Fields performed at Rochdale's Theatre Royal for a charity gala and sadly 4 weeks later the building was destroyed by fire.
What was your favourite part of the project?
I suppose my favourite part of the project has been seeing locals and visitors to the town centre stopping to take a look at the heritage panels.
Also, all the panels lie within the Baillie Street Quarter which has a unique and distinctive sense of place, and in order to help define the identity of this area a series of small scale, yet important, interventions undertaken by the BID are ongoing.
The improvements include: installing festoon lights and art work, cleaning street cabinets; installing hanging baskets and planters; jet washing and painting doorways; removing disused signs; and relocating commercial bins to a less prominent location.
Hidden Heritage Stories is the latest improvement to this much-loved area of the town centre.
What do you hope the public will take from the Hidden Heritage stories?
The town centre has a fascinating history and the BID is happy to celebrate it with a series of heritage panels. Each story provides a glimpse into the past for Rochdale’s growing number of visitors, while also showing those who live here how much we’ve got to be proud of.
I hope the outdoor gallery brings a little joy to people, whether they are living or working here, or just passing through.
