Near the east end of Rossendale lies Bacup, an old textile town branded as an “Urban Conservation Area”. A town full of nostalgia, Bacup is home to various Victorian buildings, the Natural History Society Museum, and the Pennine Aviation Museum. Every Easter Bacup hosts its traditional “Nut Dancing” ceremony. Originating from either seventeenth century Morocco or nineteenth century Cornish tin-miners, the ritual is composed of an African tribe dance with Pagan rites with the purpose of dismissing evil. Britannia Coconut Dancers perform the “Nut Dancing” sporting wooden clogs, black jumpers, kilts, white stockings, coconut husks, and turbans throughout the streets of the town. Other unique aspects of Bacup include Elgin Street, the shortest street in Great Britain measuring only 17 feet, and common UFO reported sightings.
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