Emergency repairs in Littleborough, 24/7

Littleborough people can ring one number about a frozen pipe, a lost key, dead sockets, slates torn off by the wind or a pane cracked in two, anywhere from the stone rows by the Rochdale Canal to newer houses at Smithy Bridge, across OL15.

Littleborough grew where old routes over the Pennines met at the River Roch. Weaving came first. Then the Rochdale Canal and the Manchester to Leeds railway were routed through the Summit Gap, and mills, coal pits and quarries followed. Hollingworth Lake was built on the south side to feed the canal. The stone-built centre has conservation area status, and gritstone terraces climb the valley sides towards Calderbrook, Shore and Durn, with later semis and estates around Smithy Bridge. The town stands about 190 metres up, with Blackstone Edge to the east, so wind and rain constantly test slate roofs, chimneys, gutters and stone walls. Flooding is a real risk as well. The Roch rose over its banks on Boxing Day 2015, and houses in Littleborough took in water. Older stone cottages may also hide lead pipes and early wiring behind their thick walls.

First steps in an emergency in Littleborough

Plumbing in Littleborough

Go straight to the stopcock. Littleborough’s gritstone terraces often put it in the cellar, or else below the sink where the main comes through the front wall, while newer Smithy Bridge houses usually have it inside the cupboard beneath the sink. Where water is reaching wiring, switch off at the fuse board, then open the cold taps until the pipes run dry.

Locksmith in Littleborough

Walk round to the back door and check windows reachable from the ground. Steep yards and high walls behind many Littleborough rows are not worth climbing.

Electrical in Littleborough

Is it your house or the whole street? With neighbours dark too, dial 105, a free call that tells you about local cuts. Storms and floods in the Roch valley have both caused cuts before. If you alone are off, open the consumer unit lid and hunt for one switch pointing the wrong way, try it once, and leave it down if it trips.

Roofing in Littleborough

Bowls and buckets under every drip, then move what you value. A sagging, swollen ceiling means stay out and keep that room’s lights switched off. Moorland gales can rip slates loose and send chimney pots down, so nobody should be up there. From across the street, note which part of the roof has lost slates.

Glazing and boarding up in Littleborough

Clear glass wearing shoes and gloves while children and pets stay elsewhere. Many old Littleborough cottages have timber sashes or casements, and a damaged frame can drop its glass if forced. On a wet or bitter night, boards across a missing pane shut out both the rain and any intruder.

Streets and districts in Littleborough

All of Littleborough is covered: Church Street, Victoria Street and Peel Street in the middle, Halifax Road, Todmorden Road and Calderbrook Road running north and east, then Hollingworth Road, Lake Bank, Featherstall Road and Whitelees Road to the south. Smithy Bridge, Durn, Shore, Summit and Rakewood are included across OL15.

Including Church Street, Victoria Street, Peel Street, Halifax Road, Todmorden Road, Calderbrook Road, Hare Hill Road, Hollingworth Road, Lake Bank and Featherstall Road.

Also Smithy Bridge, Durn, Shore, Calderbrook, Summit, Rakewood, Featherstall and Stansfield.

Nearby: Rochdale, Heywood, Royton, Saddleworth.