Turning west it runs past Heywood and Bury before meeting the River Irwell just to the east of Radcliffe.

The town of Rochdale is recorded as Recedham in the Domesday Book and Rachetham in 1193, with variations of Rechedham continuing into the thirteenth century.

The first element is either from the common intensive prefix rö- (Modern Welsh rhy-, Cornish re-) meaning "great" and found in other river names such as the Ribble and the Rother[3] or rag-, (Modern Welsh ar-) meaning "opposite" or "adjacent to".

Another etymology focused on the early forms similarities to Rheged, the Cumbric-speaking kingdom in North West England during the Middle Ages.

[10] On Boxing Day 2015, following heavy rain, the Roch burst its banks causing flooding in the town centre.