Where is Touchstones Rochdale?

Touchstones Rochdale is in North-West England, United Kingdom (postcode OL16 1AQ), in the parish of Rochdale, unparished area.

How do I get to Touchstones Rochdale?

The nearest railway station is Rochdale, about 0.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode OL16 1AQ.

Who runs Touchstones Rochdale?

Touchstones Rochdale is operated by Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council.

Is Touchstones Rochdale a listed building?

Touchstones Rochdale is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.

Is Touchstones Rochdale a protected site?

Yes — Touchstones Rochdale is part of the Rochdale Canal SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the South Pennine Moors SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.

How do I get to Touchstones Rochdale?

The nearest railway station is Rochdale, about 0.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode OL16 1AQ.

Museums · North West England

Touchstones Rochdale

In or near Wardle.

Victorian Rochdale Metropolitan Borough CouncilFree admission♿ Wheelchair accessible👪 Family-friendly★ 4.6 · 82 Google reviews

Touchstones Rochdale — art gallery, museum and local studies library in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom.

Touchstones Rochdale, museums in North West England — Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit: 1.5 h–3 h
Best time of year: Year-round
Nearest railway station: Rochdale · 0.8 km

Free entry
Family-friendly
Wheelchair accessible

Getting there & planning your visit

To visit Touchstones Rochdale, the nearest railway station is Rochdale, located 0.8 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is OL16 1AQ. The museum is wheelchair accessible.

Directions on Google Maps →

Touchstones Rochdale is a museum in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1883. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Managed by Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Part of Greater Manchester Museums Group. Address: OL16 1AQ. Wikidata describes it as: "art gallery, museum and local studies library in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom". Coordinates: 53.6151°, -2.1622°.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2025

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

Heritage listing

Touchstones Rochdale is an art gallery, museum, local studies centre, visitor information centre and café forming part of the Central Library, Museum and Art Gallery in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is a Grade II listed building. The first part of the stone building was opened as a library in 1884 with the museum and gallery being added in 1903 and extended in 1913. It became an art and heritage centre in 2003.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

Summary from the official site

Touchstones Rochdale is a museum, gallery, and arts centre situated in a historic Grade II building in Rochdale. Currently closed for redevelopment, the venue will feature a performance space, creative studios, and an evolving display of museum collections upon reopening.

Read more on the official property page.

Protected designations

Site of Special Scientific Interest: Rochdale Canal SSSI
Site of Special Scientific Interest: South Pennine Moors SSSI

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The library was built first, opening in 1884, after a fire at Rochdale Town Hall destroyed the "Clock Tower Library" in 1883. The art gallery and museum were built and linked to the library in 1903, and an extension added in 1913. The building was converted into an art and heritage centre in 2003.

Architecture

It is in Yorkshire stone and has a slate roof. The library has one storey, a front of three gables with ball finials, a central porch with an arcaded parapet, an elliptical-headed doorway, and mullioned and transomed windows with elliptical heads and hood moulds. The museum and art gallery have two storeys, a four-bay central block, a three-bay gabled block to the right, and a diagonally-set gabled block to the left. On the gables are panels of carved figures.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates: 53.6151, -2.1622
District: Rochdale
Parish: Rochdale, unparished area
Postcode: OL16 1AQ
Parliamentary constituency: Rochdale
Established: 1883
Nearest railway station: Rochdale — 0.8 km

Sources

wikidata: Q7828737 (CC0)
wikipedia: Touchstones Rochdale (CC BY-SA 4.0)
commons: Touchstones - geograph.org.uk - 1702342.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Historic houses · North West England

Rochdale Town Hall

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Memorials & monuments · North West England

Rochdale War Memorial

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Where to eat & stay near Touchstones Rochdale

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