Failsworth

All you want to know about Failsworth

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007)

Coordinates: 53°30′37″N 2°09′27″W / 53.510282, -2.157593

Failsworth


Failsworth Pole
Failsworth (Greater Manchester)
Failsworth

Failsworth shown within Greater Manchester
Population 20,555 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference SD895015
 - London 163 mi (262 km) SSE
Metropolitan borough Oldham
Metropolitan county Greater Manchester
Region North West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town MANCHESTER
Postcode district M35
Dialling code 0161
Police Greater Manchester
Fire Greater Manchester
Ambulance North West
European Parliament North West England
UK Parliament Ashton-under-Lyne
List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester

Failsworth is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England.[1] It lies on undulating ground,[2] on the course of the Rochdale Canal and north bank of the River Medlock. It is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) west-northwest of Ashton-under-Lyne, 2.9 miles (4.7 km) south-southwest of Oldham and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) to the east-northeast of Manchester City Centre. The orbital M60 motorway lies to the east. Failsworth had a total population of 20,555 in 2001.

Historically a part of Lancashire, until the 19th century Failsworth was a small agricultural township linked, ecclesiastically, with the parish of Manchester.[2] Farming was the main industry of this rural area, with locals supplementing their incomes by hand-loom weaving in the domestic system. The introduction of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution facilitated a process of unplanned urbanisation in the area, giving rise to Failsworth as a mill town, marked architecturally by several large redbrick cotton mills.

Failsworth's major landmark is the Failsworth Pole—a maypole which occupies the site of several former political poles. Daisy Nook is a country park at Failsworth's southern boundary with Droylsden. The town encompasses the village of Woodhouses, situated along Failsworth's eastern boundary. Notable residents of Failsworth have included the poet and writer Benjamin Brierley, who was born and raised by a weaving family.

Contents

History

 Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (October 2008)

Unmentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, Failsworth does not appear in records until 1212, when it was documented to have been a thegnage estate, or manor, comprising 4 oxgangs of land. 2 oxgangs with an annual rate of 4 shillings were payable by the tenant, Gilbert de Notton, to Adam de Prestwich who in turn paid tax to King John of England.[3] The remaining 2 oxgangs were held by the Lord of Manchester as part of his fee simple. The Byron family came to acquire all four oxgangs in the mid-13th century, and thus held the entire township. However, apart from a small estate in the township held by Cockersand Abbey, Failsworth was acquired by the Chetham family, which was then broadly sold to smaller holders.[3]

Little more than 300 years ago its population was over just 1,000; today it is about 20,555. Farming was the main industry of the area with villagers supplementing their meagre incomes by hand-loom weaving until the advent of cotton and the Industrial Revolution.

In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed overnight at the Bulls Head Public House, Oldham Road.

In 1914 the regular Daisy Nook Easter Fair ceased due to the outbreak of war, but reopened in 1920.

In 2007 the new Tesco Extra superstore opened in the Town Centre

Governance

The coat of arms of the former Failsworth Urban District council.

Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Failworth during the Middle Ages formed a township in the parish of Manchester, and hundred of Salford.[1]

Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, Failworth formed part of the Manchester Poor Law Union, an inter-parish unit established to provide social security.[1] Failsworth's first local authority was a local board of health established in 1863;[1] Failworth Local Board of Health was a regulatory body responsible for standards of hygiene and sanitation in the township.[1] Following the Local Government Act 1894, the area of the local board became the Failsworth Urban District, a local government district within the administrative county of Lancashire.[1] In 1933, there was a small exchange of land with the neighbouring City of Manchester, and in 1954, parts of the Limehurst Rural District was added to Failsworth Urban District.[1] Under the Local Government Act 1972, the Failsworth Urban District was abolished, and Failworth has, since 1 April 1974, formed an unparished area of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, a local government district of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.[1][4] Failsworth contains two of the twenty wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham; Failsworth East and Failsworth West.

Failsworth forms part of the Ashton-under-Lyne parliamentary constituency and is represented in the House of Commons by David Heyes MP, a member of the Labour Party.

Geography

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.
North-West:
New Moston
(Manchester)		 North:
Chadderton		 North-East:
Oldham
West:
Newton Heath
(Manchester)		 Failsworth East:
Daisy Nook
South-West:
Clayton
(Manchester)		 South:
Droylsden		 South-East:
Ashton-under-Lyne
Further information: Geography of Greater Manchester

At 53°30′37″N 2°9′27″W / 53.51028, -2.1575 (53.5102°, -2.1575°) Failsworth lies 163 miles (262 km) north-northwest of London. It shares common boundaries with Manchester and Oldham, on its west and northeast respectively. Failworth is traversed by the A62 road, from Manchester to Oldham, the heavy rail line of the Oldham Loop and the Rochdale Canal, which crosses the north-west corner. The M60 motorway passes through Failsworth. For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Failsworth forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.[5]

The surface of the land in Failworth gently slopes from east to west, away from the Pennines and from the brooks which bound it on the north-west and south-east.

Economy

Failsworth was once a centre for the production of hats. Manufacture began as a cottage industry before the firm of Failsworth Hats was set up in 1892 to manufacture silk hats. For a time the company operated from a factory near the former Failsworth Council offices and remains in the area to this day. Today, Failsworth's main areas of economic activities are in electrical goods manufacture (such as Russell Hobbs) by Salton Europe (formerly Pifco Ltd, pre-2001), and plastic producers and distributors Hubron Limited. Many Failsworth residents work in Manchester, with many commuters choosing to live in the area because of its transport links which include the train service from Failsworth railway station on the Oldham Loop Line.

Landmarks

Failsworth Pole

A major landmark of the area is Failsworth Pole on Oldham Road. The first 'political pole' was erected in 1793 although a local historian suggests there were others before and that maypoles probably stood on the site for centuries. The pole that now stands on the site replaces one blown down in 1950.

Following a major restoration of the Pole, clock tower and gardens in 2006 a bronze statue of Benjamin Brierley was erected in the gardens.[6]

At the road junction of the A62 with Ashton Road West stands the cenotaph, built in 1923 in remembrance to over 200 Failsworth men who lost their lives in the First World War. Attendances at the cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday remain high, averaging around 1500 people.[citation needed] The annual Remembrance parade is led by 202 Field Squadron, RE (TA) ,[7] who are based in Failsworth. In June 2007 the War Memorial was rededicated after at £136,000 makeover by the Failsworth War Memorial Steering group, and opened by Colonel Sir John B Timmins.

Education

The local comprehensive is the newly re-built Failsworth School and caters for children aged between 11-16 years of age. The new £28 million project has allowed the school to come under one roof as opposed to the previous Lower and Upper schools on Partington Street and Brierley Ave. The school also promotes itself as a 'Specialist Sports College'. [8]

Primary school in the area, which caters for children between the ages of 7-11, are Mather Street, St John's Church of England, St Mary's Roman Catholic, Stansfield Road and South Failsworth. [9][10][11]

Future developments

Failsworth is seeing regeneration in its town centre with the construction of a new Tesco superstore which, it is claimed, will bring life back into the district. This opened at the end of Summer 2007. As part of the redevelopment a new £2.5 million community centre will be built, together with luxury apartments overlooking the Rochdale Canal.

Transport

A British Rail Class 142 train passing at Failsworth railway station.

Failsworth is easily accessed on the roads, with the A62 linking Manchester and Oldham, the A663 with Chadderton and Royton, and the M60 motorway.

There are frequent buses running through Failsworth towards Oldham and Manchester on First Manchester's 82 and 83 services. There is also frequent services running towards Oldham and Manchester with services 180 and 184. Other destinations which can be reached from Failsworth on the bus are Ashton-under-Lyne, Chadderton, Huddersfield, Rochdale, Royton, Saddleworth and Shaw and Crompton.

There is also a train station in Failsworth, which is part of the Oldham Loop line. Trains from Failsworth run towards Shaw and Crompton and Rochdale via Oldham and towards Manchester Victoria, Bolton and Wigan. There are plans to convert the train line into a Metrolink line, with conversion of the line to take place in the near future.

Twin Town

Country Place County / District / Region / State Originally twinned with Date
Flag of Germany Germany Landsberg am Lech Bavaria Failsworth Urban District 1974

Notable people

Benjamin Brierley statue at Failsworth.

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h A select gazetteer of local government areas, Greater Manchester County, Greater Manchester County Record Office, 2003-07-31, http://www.gmcro.co.uk/guides/gazette/gazframe.htm, retrieved on 9 July 2007 
  2. ^ a b Lewis 1848, pp. 206-209.
  3. ^ a b Brownbill & Farrer 1911, pp. 273-274.
  4. ^ HMSO. Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70.
  5. ^ Office for National Statistics (2001), Census 2001:Key Statistics for urban areas in the North; Map 3, statistics.gov.uk, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/census2001/ks_urban_north_part_5.pdf, retrieved on 9 July 2007 
  6. ^ J. McMahon and J. Crompton, The History of Failsworth Pole and the Ben Brierley Statue published June 2006.
  7. ^ http://www2.army.mod.uk/royalengineers/org/75regt/index.htm
  8. ^ http://www.failsworthlearning.co.uk/cnt1/128/
  9. ^ http://www.matherstreet.oldham.sch.uk
  10. ^ http://www.st-marys.oldham.sch.uk
  11. ^ http://www.southfailsworth.oldham.sch.uk

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
Ceremonial county of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Portal
Metropolitan districts
Cities and towns
Altrincham • Ashton-in-Makerfield • Ashton-under-Lyne • Atherton • Audenshaw • Blackrod • Bolton • Bury • Cadishead • Chadderton • Cheadle • Clifton • Denton • Droylsden • Dukinfield • Eccles • Failsworth • Farnworth • Golborne • Heywood • Hindley • Horwich • Hyde • Irlam • Kearsley • Leigh • Littleborough • Manchester • Middleton • Milnrow • Mossley • Oldham • Partington • Pendlebury • Prestwich • Radcliffe • Ramsbottom • Rochdale • Royton • Sale • Salford • Shaw and Crompton • Stalybridge • Stockport • Stretford • Swinton • Tyldesley • Urmston • Walkden • Westhoughton • Whitefield • Wigan • Worsley
See also: List of civil parishes in Greater Manchester
Rivers
Beal • Bollin • Croal • Dean Brook • Douglas • Etherow • Goyt • Irk • Irwell • Medlock • Mersey • Roch • Spodden • Tame • Tonge
Topics
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failsworth"

No comments have been added.



Your name:

City:

Country:

Your comments:

Security check *
(Please enter the number into adjoining box)

 

  • Ads

           
eXTReMe Tracker