Community Assembly of Rossendale

Serving, supporting and protecting our local community

The Community Assembly of Rossendale is located in East Lancashire in North West England within the South Pennines. The borough is named after the Rossendale Valley located in the upper part of the valley of the River Irwell. Its largest town is Rawtenstall. It also includes the towns of Haslingden and Whitworth. The name Rossendale was first recorded in 1292. A record of the name as Rocendal (1242) suggests Celtic ros meaning moor or heath with Old Norse dalr for dale or valley , hence moor valley , the valley of the River Irwell.

Rossendale is part of the Forest of Rossendale, which consists of the steep-sided valleys of the River Irwell and its tributaries, which flow from the Pennines southwards to Manchester and cut through the moorland which is characteristic of the area. It was given the designation of forest in medieval times. The larger settlements grew into market towns, typically through the late Middle Ages. Farming and a cottage woollen industry developed during the reign of Henry VIII, and Rossendale's population expanded during the Industrial Revolution.

The area is also notable for its quarrying, and Rossendale Flagstone was used widely throughout the country in the 19th century. The flagstones in Trafalgar Square in London were quarried in Rossendale.