Failsworth

Failsworth, Greater Manchester

Failsworth Pole
Failsworth, Greater Manchester
 Failsworth, Greater Manchester shown within Greater Manchester
Population 20,680 (2011 CensusWards)
OS grid referenceSD895015
   – London  163 mi (262 km) SSE 
Metropolitan boroughOldham
Metropolitan county Greater Manchester
RegionNorth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town MANCHESTER
Postcode district M35
Dialling code 0161
Police Greater Manchester
Fire Greater Manchester
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK ParliamentAshton-under-Lyne
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester

Coordinates: 53°30′37″N 2°09′27″W / 53.5102°N 2.1575°W / 53.5102; -2.1575

Failsworth is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England.[1] It is 3.7 miles (6.0 km) east-northeast of Manchester city centre and 2.9 miles (4.7 km) south-southwest of Oldham. Failsworth lies within the orbital M60 motorway, which skirts Failsworth's eastern boundary. The total population of the 2 Wards in Failsworth (East & West) at the 2011 census was 20,680.[2][3]

Historically a part of Lancashire, until the 19th century Failsworth was a small agricultural township linked, ecclesiastically, with the parish of Manchester.[4] 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 village of Woodhouses is 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.

History

The Parish Church of St John was founded in 1845

Failsworth derives from the Old English fegels and worth; it probably means an "enclosure with a special kind of fence".[5] Unmentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, Failsworth does not appear in records until 1212, when the name was recorded as Fayleswrthe and the settlement 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.[5][6] 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.[6]

Little more than 300 years ago its population was over just 1,000. 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 Bull's Head public house.[7]

In 1914 the regular Daisy Nook Easter Fair ceased due to the outbreak of war, but reopened in 1920. On 8 June 2007 a 1946 work by L.S. Lowry entitled "Good Friday, Daisy Nook" depicting the Easter Fair was sold for £3,772,000, the then highest price paid for one of his paintings at auction.[8] Another painting by Lowry from 1953 titled ‘Fun Fair at Daisy Nook’, sold for £3.4 million in 2011.[9]

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, Failsworth during the Middle Ages formed a township in the parish of Manchester, and hundred of Salford.[1]

Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, Failsworth 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] Failsworth 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 Failsworth 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][10] 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 Angela Rayner MP, a member of the Labour Party.

Geography

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.
Moston
(Manchester)		 New Moston
(Manchester)		 Chadderton, Hollinwood (Oldham)
Moston
(Manchester)		 Ashton-under-Lyne (Tameside)
   Failsworth  
Newton Heath, Clayton
(Manchester)		 Droylsden (Tameside) Ashton-under-Lyne (Tameside)
Further information: Geography of Greater Manchester

At 53°30′37″N 2°9′27″W / 53.51028°N 2.15750°W / 53.51028; -2.15750 (53.5102°, -2.1575°) Failsworth lies 163 miles (262 km) north-northwest of London. Failsworth is the southernmost tip of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. It shares common boundaries with Manchester (from the north to the southwest) and Tameside (from the south to the east). Failsworth is traversed by the A62 road, from Manchester to Oldham, the former 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.[11]

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

Failsworth has a large country park, Daisy Nook, located on its eastern border, on land mostly belonging to the National Trust. The undulating, wooded land is a popular destination for visitors wishing to participate in walking, horse riding, fishing and many other outdoor pursuits.

Demography

Population change

Population growth in Failsworth since 1901
Year 1901 1911 1921 1931 1939 1951 1961 1981 1991 2001
Population 14,152 15,998 16,973 15,726 17,505 18,032 19,819 20,951 20,160 20,007
Source: A Vision of Britain through Time[12][13][14]

Economy

The new Tesco supermarket viewed from Ash Street

Failsworth is a centre for the production of hats, manufacture began as a cottage industry before the firm of Failsworth Hats was set up in 1903 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.[15] 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 Metrolink tram service from Failsworth Metrolink station on the Oldham & Rochdale Line.

In the July 2007, the Tesco supermarket chain opened one of their 24-hour Extra branches on the banks of the newly regenerated wharf. The move has not been welcomed by small shop owners who have claimed that they have lost customers to the new store and may be forced to close.[16][17][18][19] It was intended that Tesco's arrival would be a catalyst to attract other stores, bars and restaurants to Failsworth.[20] The only other large store in the Failsworth boundary is a branch of Morrisons which is situated in the converted Marlborough Mill.[21]

Oldham Caravans, a subsidiary of Glossop Caravans have an outlet on Oldham Road in Failsworth.

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.[22]

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 2,000 people.[23] The annual Remembrance parade is led by 202 Field Squadron, RE (TA),[24] 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 Failsworth School, which moved to a new building in 2008 (previously two separate buildings known as the Upper School and the Lower School) which caters for children aged between 11–16 years of age. The £28 million project allowed secondary schooling in the town to come under one roof as opposed to the previous Lower and Upper schools on Partington Street and Brierley Avenue. The school has specialist Sports College status.[25]

Religious sites

Name Denomination Leader Location Reference
The Holy Family Church of England Fr Antony James Mills 53°29′53″N 2°09′27″W / 53.497918°N 2.157408°W / 53.497918; -2.157408 [35]
St John's Church of England 53°30′42″N 2°09′16″W / 53.511781°N 2.154473°W / 53.511781; -2.154473 [35]
Woodhouses Church Church of England 53°30′18″N 2°07′59″W / 53.504885°N 2.133061°W / 53.504885; -2.133061 [36]
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Fr Patrick John McKeown 53°30′17″N 2°09′27″W / 53.504623°N 2.157416°W / 53.504623; -2.157416 [37]

[38]

Hope Methodist Church Methodist 53°30′55″N 2°09′04″W / 53.515147°N 2.151141°W / 53.515147; -2.151141 [39]
Roman Road Independent Methodist Church Independent Methodist Clifford Ward 53°30′40″N 2°08′59″W / 53.511163°N 2.149825°W / 53.511163; -2.149825 [40]
New Life Church Assemblies of God Elijah Boswell (Pastor)
Jack Kenyon
Andrew Black
David Newberry 		53°30′40″N 2°09′14″W / 53.511237°N 2.153803°W / 53.511237; -2.153803 [41]
Dob Lane Unitarian Chapel Unitarianist 53°30′15″N 2°10′37″W / 53.504194°N 2.176965°W / 53.504194; -2.176965 [42]
Macedonia United Reformed Church Rev Sheila Coop 53°30′31″N 2°08′37″W / 53.508652°N 2.143494°W / 53.508652; -2.143494 [43]
Zion Old Baptist Union 53°30′07″N 2°09′48″W / 53.501869°N 2.163218°W / 53.501869; -2.163218 [44]
Faithworks Evangel 53°30′23″N 2°10′01″W / 53.506373°N 2.166806°W / 53.506373; -2.166806 [44]
Failsworth Salvation Army Community Church The Salvation Army Lieutenants Simon & Victoria Rowney 53°30′48″N 2°09′09″W / 53.513441°N 2.152605°W / 53.513441; -2.152605 [45]

Transport

The M60 motorway from Cutler Hill, Failsworth

Failsworth's main thoroughfare is Oldham road (A62) which links Manchester and Oldham. The M60 is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester with access gained via junction 22. The motorway's completion in the Failsworth area around 1995-2000 saw the installation of a huge graded junction amongst other notable changes to the A62 and the implementation of the motorway itself, meaning a large proportion of rows of buildings around the junction that ran down the A62 were demolished.

There are frequent buses running through Failsworth between Manchester city centre and Oldham on First Greater Manchester's 83 overground service. There is also a frequent service running to Manchester city centre and to Huddersfield/Saddleworth via Oldham 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.

Failsworth Metrolink station, located on Hardman Lane is a tram station on Manchester's Metrolink network. Trams run every 12 minutes towards East Didsbury via central Manchester and towards Rochdale via Oldham. Previously it was an un-manned rail station managed by Northern and allowed passengers to transit to Manchester Victoria or Rochdale via Oldham.[46] It closed in October 2009 for conversion to Metrolink under the phase 3a extension of the Manchester Metrolink.[47]

Twin town

Country Place County / District / Region / State Originally twinned with Date
Germany Germany Landsberg am Lech Bavaria Failsworth Urban District 1974[48]

Notable people

Benjamin Brierley statue at Failsworth

The weaver, poet, essayist and writer, Benjamin Brierley, was born in Failsworth and was famed for his work in the Lancashire dialect. A statue was erected of him in 1898 in Queens Park, Manchester. A bronze statue is in the public gardens by The Pole.[49]

In the field of politics, Sir Elkanah Armitage was a 19th-century industrialist, Liberal Party politician and former Lord Mayor of Manchester.[50][51] In the modern politics, Jim McMahon MP, the former leader of Oldham Council represents the Oldham West and Royton parliamentary constituency for the Labour Party.

Gary Mounfield is a musician who was a member of the internationally renowned band, the Stone Roses during the Madchester period and later joined the Primal Scream.[52][53] Dale Longworth is a musician and music producer with the electronic music group, N-Trance, who found fame with the record Set You Free.[54] James Mudriczki, Lowell Killen, Kevin Matthews, Tony Szuminski (and former member Neil McDonald) make up the line-up for the Alternative rock band Puressence. The group have charted in the Top 40 on a number of occasions and have large fanbase throughout Greece.[55]

Broadcaster, journalist and retired cricketer, Mike Atherton, was brought up in the Lord Lane area of the town. The former Lancashire and England captain has a road, Atherton Close, named after him opposite the cricket club in Woodhouses where he played in his youth.[56][57][58] Boxer, Anthony Farnell, is a former WBU Middleweight champion who was known as the Woodhouse Warrior.[59][60] Retiring at the age of 25, Farnell has since become a fight trainer and owns a gym (Arnie's Gym) in nearby Newton Heath where he has tutored David Barnes (BBBofC Light welterweight champion), Anthony Crolla (2006 ABA Lightweight champion)[61] and Frankie Gavin (2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships gold medal winner).[62] Former Manchester United footballer, Ronnie Wallwork, lived in Woodhouses. Supermodel Agyness Deyn was brought up in the area before her family moved to Ramsbottom.[63]

Athlete Mike Coogan is twice European Masters Athletics Champion at 400m (Poland-2015, Italy 2016), also taking bronze in the 200m. At the 2015 World Athletics Championships Mike took bronze in the 400m and was also part of Team GB's World Championship gold medal winning 4x400m relay team (France-2015). Mike lived in Failsworth whilst attending St Bede's College and is currently competing on behalf of East Cheshire Harriers.[64][65]

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Greater Manchester Gazetteer". Greater Manchester County Record Office. Places names - D to F. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  2. ↑ "Oldham Ward/Failsworth West Ward population 2011". Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Oldham Ward/Failsworth East ward population 2011". Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Lewis 1848, pp. 206–209.
  5. 1 2 Mills, A.D. (2003). A Dictionary of British Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-852758-6. (subscription required)
  6. 1 2 Brownbill & Farrer 1911, pp. 273–274.
  7. ↑ "Welcome to the award winning". Failsworth.info. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "Lowry work fetches record £3.8m". BBC News. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  9. ↑ John Stevens (17 November 2011). "Lowry's Piccadilly Circus equals £5.6m record at Christie's | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  10. ↑ HMSO. Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70.
  11. ↑ Office for National Statistics (2001). "Census 2001:Key Statistics for urban areas in the North; Map 3" (PDF). statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  12. ↑ "Census 2001 Key Statistics - Urban area results by population size of urban area". ons.gov.uk. Office for National Statistics. 22 July 2004. KS01 Usual resident population . Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  13. ↑ "Greater Manchester Urban Area 1991 Census". National Statistics. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  14. ↑ "1981 Key Statistics for Urban Areas: The North Table 1". Office for National Statistics. 1981.
  15. ↑ "Failsworth hats". failsworth-hats. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  16. ↑ "Tesco's killing us say small traders". Oldham Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  17. ↑ Conn, David (25 July 2007). "Supermarket sweep-up". The Guardian. London.
  18. ↑ Richardson, Anne (12 November 2003). "Tesco target Failsworth". Oldham Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  19. ↑ Akbor, Ruhubia (6 February 2008). "Failsworth's £30m new look". Oldham Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  20. ↑ Conn, David (8 October 2008). "Buying into it". The Guardian. London.
  21. ↑ "Chingford Store details". Morrisons. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  22. ↑ J. McMahon and J. Crompton, The History of Failsworth Pole and the Ben Brierley Statue published June 2006.
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ http://www2.army.mod.uk/royalengineers/org/75regt/index.htm
  25. ↑ Archived 25 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  26. ↑ "Failsworth School". School Finder. OfSTED. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  27. ↑ "Woodhouses Voluntary (Controlled) Primary School". School Finder. OfSTED. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  28. ↑ "South Failsworth County Primary School". School Finder. OfSTED. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  29. ↑ "Higher Failsworth (Stansfield Road) Infants School". School Finder. OfSTED. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  30. ↑ "St. John's C of E Junior School". School Finder. OfSTED. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  31. ↑ "St. Mary's R.C. Primary School". School Finder. OfSTED. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  32. ↑ "Mather Street Primary School". School Finder. OfSTED. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  33. ↑ "Hardman Fold Community Special School Oldham: Read Parent Reviews & Rankings". Schoolsnet.com. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  34. ↑ Ferguson, James (3 November 2004). "Pupils return to troubled school". Oldham Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  35. 1 2 "Oldham Deanery - The Church of England Diocese of Manchester". Manchester.anglican.org. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  36. ↑ Archived 12 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  37. ↑ Cooke, Fr. Michael; Fr. Francis Parkinson (2008). Salford Diocesan Almanac 2009. Salford: Gemini Print (Wigan). p. 232.
  38. ↑ "The Roman Catholic Parish of Holy Souls". Holysouls.freeserve.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  39. ↑ "Hope Methodist Church, Failsworth". Findachurch.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  40. ↑ "romanroadchurch". Romanroadchurch.googlepages.com. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  41. ↑ http://www.newlife-church.co.uk/
  42. ↑ "The Manchester District Association of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches". Unitarian.org.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  43. ↑ Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  44. 1 2 "Zion Old Baptist Union, Failsworth, Lancashire genealogy". GENUKI. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  45. ↑ "Failsworth". The Salvation Army. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  46. ↑ Archived 6 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  47. ↑ Tony Williams LRTA Manchester Area Officer. "Manchester Metrolink — Oldham and Rochdale Line". Lrta.org. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  48. ↑ Greer, Stuart (30 October 2007). "Twins separated". Oldham Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  49. ↑ "Ben Brierley statue". John Cassidy. 14 June 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  50. ↑ John Moss (2005). "Politicians, Law & Social Reformers (10 of 12)". Manchester Politicians & the Northwest of England. Papillon (Manchester UK) Limited. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  51. ↑
    • Hampson, Charles Phillips (1930). Salford Through the Ages: The "Fons Et Origo" of an Industrial City. Manchester: E J Morton.
  52. ↑ Taylor, Steve (2004) The A to X of Alternative Music, Continuum, ISBN 0-8264-7396-2
  53. ↑ Madchester. Allmusic.com. Retrieved on 18 February 2009.
  54. ↑ "Turn on, tune in, and shop out". The Independent. London. 23 June 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  55. ↑ Sue, David (16 July 2004). "Puressence look to break through again - News - News and Reviews - Greater Manchester's CityLife". Citylife.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  56. ↑ "Sports & Recreation". Buzzle.com. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  57. ↑ http://www.cricketfundas.com/michaelatherton.html
  58. ↑ McHugh, Steve (24 July 2008). "Local cricket preview and fixtures". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media.
  59. ↑ "Anthony Farnell - Boxer". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  60. ↑ "Latest Boxing News". BritishBoxing.net. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  61. ↑ "Anthony Crolla - Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  62. ↑ "Medal hope Gavin out of Olympics". BBC Sport. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  63. ↑ Oliver, George (5 December 2007). "Tomboy Agyness is Britain's top model". Oldham Advertiser. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  64. ↑ "European Masters Athletics Championships 2016 Footage". Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  65. ↑ "Athlete Profile: Mike Coogan". Retrieved 4 January 2016.

Bibliography

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