For a while Ann Edwards lived in the stunning, sun-drenched Canary Islands. But then she accidentally stumbled across somewhere even better to call home.
"I was looking for a house for my sister and I fell in love with it so much, I moved here myself," Ann told LancsLive, peering over her back garden fence of her home in Whitworth, at the patchwork valley hills in the distance.
"The people are great, I wouldn't live anywhere else now." Ann lives in a little bungalow set up and away from Market Street, which runs through the core of the tiny town. There's a host of terraced cottage clusters and little neighbourhoods interspersed among the steep lanes and hilly landscape.
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Whitworth, just north of Rochdale over the Lancashire border, is nestled within a valley, in the shadows of the Pennines and surrounded by a rich tapestry of fields, moorland and woodland. A labyrinth of walking trails and mountain bike trails weave through them, while families flock to the Healey Dell Nature Reserve to admire the wildlife, industrial archaeology, River Spodden, waterfalls and 100ft-high viaduct.
A short walk from the main shopping parade is the magnificent Cowm Reservoir, a spot that is "simply stunning, especially when the sun is out," Ann told us. It is also home to The Waterski Centre while sporty residents are well catered for with a gym, leisure centre, fitness classes and a golf course.
It has maintained the feel of its traditional village roots, yet it has gradually evolved and expanded, now sprawling several miles along the A671. There's industrial estates, commercial businesses and also host of independent businesses deep-rooted into the fabric of the community, such as Affordable Pet & Animal Feeds, Porky's Pit Stop, Healy Deli and Scruff 2 Kruffs dog grooming parlour.
The groomers is run by Jill Gooding and her assistant Lewis Walsh. Jill has run the business for 21 years, and enjoys getting to know the loyal pooches and their owners.
"It's such a nice little village. I love getting to know the dogs, it is great living here," Jill added. "You might get in a traffic jam behind a rogue cow or sheep sometimes, but it's fine.
"There's so much to do, like going to the reservoir, the moors to walk over. I'd never live anywhere else."
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Ruth Greenwood runs Seasons Florist and has lived in Whitworth all her life. She has run the shop for 19 years, surviving the recession back in 2008/9, the height of the covid-19 pandemic and now faces the realities of a nationwide cost of living plight.
But her loyal customers and the people of Whitworth have always helped to pull her through the rough times. "You get your busy times and quiet times but I'm lucky as I get well supported by the people in the village.
"When it was covid times, people were shopping local more often and discovering what was actually on their doorstep. And that has carried on. So many new people have moved in as well, with new houses being built."
Ruth admires how the "unspoilt" nature of Whitworth sets it apart from other places, adding that is "beautiful and has everything you need". She's not wrong, it even has its own heritage museum.
"Sometimes little villages can lose their personality - Whitworth has got a lot of character and a lot of characters in it," Ruth says with a chuckle.
"It's also safe, it is great to see kids still playing out like I did when I was growing up."
Whitworth is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to where it sits on a map. It is within Rossendale Borough council, but some homes have a an Oldham postcode and Rochdale on their address. However, there is no doubt Ruth is firmly in the "Lancashire" camp. The florist said: "I don't associate myself with Rochdale at all, I live in Lancashire.
"I say that I am in Rossendale and it has been in that council for quite some time. "
Whitworth is twinned with Kandel in Germany. The small town's coat of armour design has a sword and star with a sky blue background.
Together they symbolise words such as truth, loyalty, Celestial goodness, noble person, excellence and leadership. Sounds a bit like somewhere you've just been reading about, doesn't it?
