River Roch

The River Roch rises on Chelburn Moor in the Pennines south of Todmorden and flows south through Littleborough towards Rochdale. At Rochdale it is joined by the River Beal at Belfield and the River Spodden from Whitworth. The river then turns west, passing Heywood and Bury before meeting the River Irwell at Springwater Park near Radcliffe. The name Roch comes from an old word meaning ‘great wood’, showing how the river once ran through dense woodland. In the 12th century the town of Rochdale was called Rachetham, linking it to the river’s name. The Roch has also been tied to the ancient kingdom of Rheged, though this idea remains unproven. Locals still pronounce the river’s name with a long vowel, unlike the town’s shorter sound. Parts of the river were buried under a wide bridge in Rochdale’s centre early in the 20th century. The bridge was made by joining seven smaller bridges together. In the 1990s the river was uncovered briefly for repairs. A later project reopened the buried section, but heavy rain in 2015 caused flooding in the town centre. The Roch’s tributaries include the River Spodden and the River Beal, adding to its flow through the region.