Buying a home in OL13 (Rossendale)
OL13 covers the Bacup, Britannia & Lee Mill, Whitewell & Stacksteads and Whitworth wards, in Rossendale.
What the records show in OL13 (Rossendale): 2 of the 8 postcodes we checked are in a mapped river or sea flood area; parts of the area are a radon Affected Area, with up to 5–10% of homes above the action level; the British Geological Survey rates landslides as significant near all 8 postcodes we checked; old landfill lies within 500 m of 4 of the 8 postcodes we checked; and 8 postcodes we checked are in a conservation area or on a listed building's site, including Bacup Town Centre Conservation Area.
Land Registry recorded 19 sales there in the last 3 years, with a median price of £165,000, and the most common were terraced homes.
From official records at 8 postcodes. Conditions change from street to street, so check the home you're buying.
Check a home in OL13
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and sea2 of the 8 postcodes we checked in a mapped flood area
- Surface waterLow or very low at all 8 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 5–10% of homes above the action level
- GroundLandslides recorded nearby
- Median sale£165,000 across 19 sales in the last 3 years
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of OL13 or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against the Environment Agency's flood zones.
2 of the 8 postcodes we checked are in a mapped flood area:
A home in a mapped flood area can cost more to insure. Ask the seller about past flooding and any claims.
Surface water flooding
Flooding from heavy rain that can't drain away.
- Low: 2 of 8 postcodes
- Very low: 6 of 8 postcodes
Radon
From the UK Health Security Agency's map of each 1 km square.
At all 8 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 5–10% of homes above the action level.
The map shows the highest value in each square, not a measurement for any home. A three-month test tells you about a particular house.
Ground stability
British Geological Survey ratings for the surrounding area, not a particular plot.
- Landslides: significant near all 8 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is moderate or significant at all 8 postcodes we checked.
Ask your surveyor to look for cracking and movement, and the seller about subsidence claims.
Old landfill sites
Historic landfill sites within 500 m of each postcode centre.
Most old landfill causes no problems, but a home on or next to one can be harder to mortgage.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Whether each postcode centre falls in a conservation area, on a listed building's site, or under similar protections.
- Bacup Town Centre Conservation Area (article 4 direction area) at OL13 8EZ
- Immediate Article 4 Direction for small Houses in Multiple Occupation (article 4 direction area) at OL13 8HU, OL13 0DR, OL13 9JJ, OL13 9BU, OL13 8HP, OL13 0AX, OL13 8EZ and OL13 8NR
- Bacup Town Centre Conservation Area (conservation area) at OL13 8EZ
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Broadband and mobile
Ofcom's predictions for every address at the 8 postcodes we checked.
We couldn't get Ofcom's figures when this guide was built.
House prices
The average price in Rossendale was £201,483 in August 2026, up 4.9% on a year earlier, across every home in the council area.
At the postcodes we checked, Land Registry has 19 sales in the last 3 years, with a median of £165,000 and a range of £50,000 to £385,000.
| Type | Sales | Median price |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 12 | £115,750 |
| Detached | 4 | £293,000 |
| Semi-detached | 3 | £220,000 |
Crime
Measured around OL13 8HU, near the centre of OL13.
117 crimes were reported within about a mile of the centre in August 2026. Town centres usually have more, because of shops and nightlife.
- Violence and sexual offences50
- Anti-social behaviour19
- Criminal damage and arson13
- Other theft7
- Public order7
- Vehicle crime6
Schools near the centre
The nearest schools by distance. Distance doesn't decide a place: each council's admissions rules do.
- Bacup Thorn Primary School
Primary · ages 4–11 · Community school · 770 m
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Primary · ages 3–11 · Academy sponsor led · 930 m
- Bacup St Saviour's Community Primary School
Primary · ages 4–11 · Community school · 960 m
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Stacksteads, Bacup
Primary · ages 3–11 · Voluntary aided school · 1.2 km
- Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Voluntary controlled school · 1.4 km
- The Valley Leadership Academy
Secondary · ages 11–16 · Academy sponsor led · 2.4 km
- Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Secondary · ages 11–18 · Academy converter · 3.0 km
Lancashire County Council: Primary admissions ↗ · Secondary admissions ↗
Postcode by postcode
Each row is one postcode centre we checked. Open a postcode for the full free area check.
| Postcode | Rivers and sea | Surface water | Radon | Ground | Landfill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL13 8HU | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | None within 500 m |
| OL13 0DR | Flood Zone 3 | Low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 1 within 500 m |
| OL13 9JJ | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 1 within 500 m |
| OL13 9BU | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | None within 500 m |
| OL13 8HP | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 1 within 500 m |
| OL13 0AX | Flood Zone 2 | Low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 1 within 500 m |
| OL13 8EZ | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | None within 500 m |
| OL13 8NR | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | None within 500 m |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 8 postcodes, not every street, and leaves out planning applications: check the postcode you're buying in.
- It isn't a survey, a search or advice, and doesn't rate OL13 or any home.
Sources
Checked 30 October 2026. We refresh these guides every month.
- HM Land Registry Price Paid Data
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- Environment Agency, Historic Landfill Sites (Environment Agency Conditional Licence). Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right.
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Environment Agency flood risk zones via Planning Data England
- Planning Data England (planning.data.gov.uk)
- Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (Open Government Licence)
- UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland), Open Government Licence. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Contains Registers of Scotland data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (Open Government Licence)
- data.police.uk street-level crime (Open Government Licence)