Heywood is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.  Historically part of Lancashire, it had a population of 28,205 at the 2011 Census. The town lies on the south bank of the River Roch, east of Bury, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north of Manchester. Middleton lies to the south, whilst to the north is the Cheesden Valley, open moorland, and the Pennines. Heywood's nickname, Monkey Town, is known to date back to 1857.