Being part of the Greater Manchester region, Rochdale is a large market town lying at the foothills of the South Pennines on the River Roch, 5.3 miles north-northwest of Oldham, and 9.8 miles north-northeast of Manchester.

The town rose to prominence during the 19th century as a major mill town and centre for textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution.
Today, it is a predominantly residential town.

The main local landmark is Rochdale Town Hall, a Grade I architecturally listed building dating from 1871 and is one of the United Kingdom’s finest examples of Victorian Gothic revival architecture.

Transport to and from Manchester city centre, is good and frequent with Metrolink, train and buses to the surrounding region and links to Manchester International Airport as well as the national bus and rail network.

The main centres of education in the town are;

– Hopwood Hall College: A further education college with a campus in Rochdale. It offers vocational courses for school leavers, and courses for adult learners and some higher education.
– Rochdale Sixth Form College opened in September 2010, and is the primary provider of A-Level courses in Rochdale and the wider Metropolitan Borough.