Heywood is a town and unparished area within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, at the 2001 census it had a population of 28,024. The town lies on the south bank of the River Roch and is 2.4 miles (3.9 km) east of Bury, 3.7 miles (6.0 km) west-southwest of Rochdale, and 7.4 miles (11.9 km) north of the city of Manchester.