Transport in Oldham

Oldham is about 4 miles from the major M62 motorway, but is linked to it by the M60 and A627(M). Oldham once had five railway stations but now has two, Werneth and Mumps. It is planned to link the town to Manchester’s Metrolink tram network, but plans are currently in abeyance due to government refusal to meet the escalating costs of the required engineering work. Should the extension be completed, however, Oldham could become the largest town in the United Kingdom not to have a conventional railway station.

Oldham has a newly built central bus station with frequent services to other parts of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

Sport in Oldham

The town is home to a number of sports teams including Oldham Athletic Association Football Club and Oldham Roughyeds Rugby League Club.

In addition the town is host to several league cricket teams with a number of semi-professional league clubs including Oldham CC and Werneth CC in the Central Lancashire League and Saddleworth CC, Austerlands CC, Uppermill CC and Greenfield CC in the Saddleworth & District League.

Nightlife, Art & Music in Oldham

Nightlife

Oldham has a vibrant night life, particularly on a Friday and Saturday night, with several clubs around the Yorkshire Street area in the town centre. Until recently, however, Yorkshire Street had the dubious distinction of being ‘the second most violent street in Europe’. This was not due to any kind of rioting and the street still has relatively high levels of violence which are suppressed by a heavy police presence. It also now has a ‘battlefield hospital’ type triage centre.

Art

Oldham is now home to a newly built art gallery, Gallery Oldham, which was completed in February 2002 as the first phase of a new cultural quarter to the south of the town centre.

Later phases of the development will see the construction of a new library, lifelong learning centre and performing arts centre.

Music

Artists/bands to emanate from Oldham include Barclay James Harvest, Inspiral Carpets, Mark Owen, N-Trance, as well as the composer Sir William Walton.

Tandle Hill Country Park : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
Tandle Hill Road
Royton
Oldham
tel: 0161 627 2608

Description

Tandle Hill is a mixture of magnificent beech woodland and open grassland with a wide panorama of the surrounding countryside. There are several walks around the park and links to Crompton Moor. Cafe in the Visitor Centre.

Strinesdale Centre : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
The Old Waterworks, Holgate Street
Waterhead
Oldham
OL4 2JW
tel: 0161 620 8202
fax: fax0161 624 9741
e-mail: els.rangers@oldham.gov.uk

Description

Strinesdale is a 20 hectare (50 acre) oasis of countryside on the fringe of Oldham’s town centre. Here you will find a surprising array of habitats for wildlife and facilities for outdoor activities to enjoy.

Opening Times

Visitor Centre: 09.00-17.00.

Saddleworth Museum and Art Gallery : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
High Street
Uppermill
Oldham
OL3 6HS
tel: (01457) 874093 (01457) 870336
fax: fax(01457) 870336
e-mail: curator@saddleworthmuseum.co.uk
internet: www.saddleworthmuseum.co.uk

Description

Saddleworth Museum and Art Gallery is housed in a former textile mill. Exhibitions feature local archaeology, handicrafts and customs, from the Romans the present day. There are preserved looms and other items of textile machinery, from some of the many mills in the area. The museum gallery features work by contemporary artists and travelling exhibitions. Guided tours are available by prior request. A shop and Tourist Information Centre provide an opportunity to acquire a souvenir of the visit.

Opening Times

Mar - Nov Mon to Sat 10.00 - 17.00, Sun 12.00 - 17.00 Nov - Mar Winter Hours 13.00 - 16.00

Pennine Moonraker : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
Uppermill
Saddleworth
Oldham
tel: 0161 652 6331 0411 180496

Description

Canal boat trips can be made on the 70 foot long “Pennine Moonraker” at Uppermill. The trip on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal passes through beautiful countryside and under Saddleworth Viaduct. See Huddersfield Narrow Canal entry for details on the canal.

Oldham Museum : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
Greaves Street
Oldham
tel: 0161 911 4657
fax: fax0161 911 4669
e-mail: els.museum@oldham.gov.uk
internet: www.oldham.gov.uk

Description

Situated in a former ‘Friends Meeting House,’ the Museum has a programme of changing exhibitions as well as a permanent display, “Going up Town” where visitors can step back in time to the days when the town was dominated by the cotton industry.

Opening Times

Saturday: 10.00 - 17.00
Sunday: Closed
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10.00 - 13.00
Wednesday: 10.00 - 17.00
Thursday: 10.00 - 17.00
Friday: 10.00 - 17.00

Oldham Coliseum Theatre : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
Fairbottom Street
Oldham
tel: 0161 624 2829
fax: fax0161 624 5318

Description

Oldham Coliseum Theatre has a full programme of repertory theatre and an annual pantomime. The theatre enjoys an enviable reputation for ambitious productions and excellent performances with appearances from many famous actors. Contact the box office for details.

Jubilee Colliery Nature Reserve : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
Milnrow Road
Shaw
Oldham
tel: 01706 842212
fax: fax
e-mail:
internet:

Description

The Jubilee Colliery, near Shaw, was closed in 1932 and has been reclaimed as a nature reserve. It is now a haven for wildlife within the Beal Valley.

Daisy Nook Country Park : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
John Howarth Countryside Centre, Stannybrook Road
Failsworth
Manchester
M35 9WJ
tel: (0161) 308 3909
fax: fax
e-mail: env.daisy.nook@oldham.gov.uk
internet: www.failsworth.info/daily.htm

Description

Daisy Nook is a country park with woodland, canals, river, picnic sites, bird watching, orienteering and fishing. The visitor centre and cafe are open at weekends on on weekday afternoons. In the centre there are changing displays, leaflets, information and a souvenir shop.

Brownhill Countryside Centre : Attraction of Oldham

Contact Details
Wool Road
Dobcross
Oldham
OL3 5PB
tel: (01457) 872598
fax: fax(01457) 820158

Description

Surrounded by dramatic Pennine scenery the centre is situated in the heart of Saddleworth. There is a picnic area and nature garden, information and advice available form the centre as well as changing exhibitions. Please telephone for an events programme.

Opening Times
Saturday: 10.30 - 17.00
Sunday: 10.30 - 17.00
Monday: Open Bank Holidays
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 11.00 - 17.00
Thursday: 11.00 - 17.00
Friday: 11.00 - 17.00

History of Oldham

Oldham’s history originates in the 11th century, but the Industrial Revolution (and cotton in particular) laid the foundations for the town’s prosperity and growth. The town’s proximity to the Mancunian transport links, its damp climate - which lent itself to generally breakage-free pulling and spinning of cotton - and the immediate availabilty of fuel by virtue of its location on the south-east corner of the Lancashire coal field - all contributed to the rapid growth of the Oldham cotton industry.

By the end of the 19th century Oldham had become the most productive cotton-spinning town in the world. At the peak of the town’s cotton industry, over 360 mills operated night and day, with over 10% of the world’s cotton spinning taking place in a single town; the last cotton mill closed in the mid-1990s, and redundant mills (many now split into small, rented industrial units) now comprise a feature of the town’s landscape.

The town also led in the engineering industry - principally in production of cotton-manufacturing machinery, with Platt Brothers exporting equipment throughout the then British Empire and Buckley and Taylor manufacturing prime movers in the form of stationary steam engines.

Oldham was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1849 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835.
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Oldham

Oldham, city (1991 pop. 107,095) and metropolitan district, NW England, located in the Manchester metropolitan area. The city’s industries include papermaking, tanning, food processing, and mail-order distribution. Oldham’s town hall, art gallery, museum, and Alexandra Park are noteworthy. There is also a 17th-century grammar school and the College of Further Education. Winston Churchill was the member of Parliament for Oldham, and the composer William Walton was born there.

Oldham’s countryside is a land of contrasts, from Pennine moorland and wooded river valleys to canals and areas which reflect Oldham’s industrial past .

The varied character of the landscape means that there are many different places to explore and visit. Walkers, horse riders, canal enthusiasts, cyclists, families with young children or those who just want to take it easy, will all find something to interest them.

Oldham Countryside Service has four main centres where friendly staff are on hand to offer advice and information on the countryside and what it has to offer. There is also a yearly programme of guided walks and events most of which are free.
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