Uncovering Littleborough

Posted by on 9 Oct 2023

This week we head to Littleborough, a district of Rochdale located 3 miles northeast of Rochdale town centre. It neighbours the Calder Valley in the upper Roch Valley area, sitting in the foothills of the picturesque south Pennines and it is perfectly connected by road, motorway and the northern train network.

The area is rich in history, with historic finds providing evidence of Neolithic, Celtic, Roman and Anglo-Saxon activity.  More recently Littleborough played a vital role in the industrial revolution, where attracted to by the abundance of natural resources and modern infrastructure, coal mining, engineering and large textile mills contributed to its growth and cemented its status as a mill town. 

Originally within the boundaries of Lancashire, the town became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in 1974, and today is a haven for professionals and families who want the perfect balance between town and country living.

I spoke with Richard Harris, Managing Director at Target Fire Protection whose business is based in Hamer, Rochdale and who now lives with his family in Littleborough.

Target Fire is a commercial fire and protection company, servicing and supplying fire safety protection equipment.

Richard started the business in 1989 from his dad’s spare room, before relocating the business to Royton in 2007.  As the business grew, he relocated back to Rochdale.

When I asked why, Richard said “People and connectivity. We have customers across the UK, we are only 40 minutes from Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and can also be in York in an hour. A large percentage of our customers are based along the M62 corridor but we are UK wide. Our location means that delivering projects for the Elizabeth Line in London to longstanding clients in Glasgow and Bristol is no problem.

People are central to our business too. We employ 19 people and we are continuing to grow, Richard said. We work closely with Hopwood Hall college and take one on an apprentice every year. Their engineering apprenticeships are fantastic.

Why did you choose Littleborough to live?

“I was born and bred in Rochdale and know the town well, before we moved here my wife and I used to walk around the lake, and when we chose to move Littleborough just felt right, it felt like home”

Richard went on to say, “It’s a really beautiful part of the northwest and a great place to bring up a family, there is a true community spirit and has everything you need on the doorstep.”

Littleborough is a great tourist attraction with Hollingworth Lake, the award winning leisure destination, at its centre.  The manmade lake spans 118 acres and originally built as the main water source for the Rochdale Canal, it was later developed in the 1860’s into the tourist resort it is today known in the Victorian times as ‘The Weighvers’ Seaport’.  It is a much loved beauty spot perfect for picnics, discovering wildlife and birdwatching in the nature reserve, water sports, walking and so much more.

This friendly town has two train stations and boasts a variety of independent shops offering everything you need from cakes shops and butchers to clothes boutiques, gift shops and even a hardware store.

You will never go hungry in Littleborough, there are plenty of coffee shops, bars and restaurants to choose from. I asked Richard where his favorited places to go would be, he didn’t even have to think about it:-

Great place for coffee? Olive and Pickle, a modern lakeside café & kitchen

Great place for a drink? Hare on the Hill, serving real ales and fantastic food, a real hidden secret

Great place to eat? Riva, a family ran Italian with great food, great atmosphere and great service on the lake

What about schools?

Rochdale has an outstanding 6th form college and a successful Further Education college for more vocational learning.  Skills are central to the RDAs strategy in support of Atom Valley and only last year a partnership was created with Pembroke College Oxford which encourages and enables the most able pupils to participate in courses at the university https://investinrochdale.co.uk/news/post/students-from-rochdale-bury-attend-a-month-long-summer-school-hosted-at-uni

More information on local schools can be found here -

In a nutshell

Littleborough is nestled in the untouched beauty of the south Pennines with all the amenities you need on the doorstep.  With family homes in the area range from £185,000 to £1,200,000 for a minimum of 3 bedrooms.

For those wanting the feel and amenities of a small town with the backdrop of stunning countryside.  With easy access to the motorway and rail network and a whole host of places to go and things to do Littleborough is simply perfect.