Touchstones Rochdale

At Touchstones Rochdale you’ll find, all the below under one roof:

• Art Gallery
• Museum
• Local studies centre
• Visitor information centre
• Shop
• Café Life

The local studies centre at Touchstones Rochdale holds the main local studies and archives collection for Rochdale Borough. This includes a wide range of material relating to the Rochdale area including Castleton, Littleborough, Milnrow, Wardle and Norden.

Local studies material for Heywood and Middleton is held at Heywood and Middleton Libraries.

Resources held by local studies include:

• Parish records
• Census returns
• Trade directories
• Newspapers
• Photographs
• Maps and plans including ordnance survey maps, estate plans and railway maps
• Books
• Pamphlets and articles covering the areas past

The strength of the collection very much depends on donations that are made. If you have any material from the past or present day you would like to consider giving or lending to the collection please get in touch.

Make the most of your visit, contact us in advance of your visit to be sure we have the archive materials you require on site. Most of our archives are stored elsewhere.

We advise you to telephone to pre-book a microfilm reader in advance.

Free internet access is available and pre-booking is essential.

When: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm.