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Failsworth

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. Failsworth lies within the orbital M60 motorway, which skirts Failsworth's eastern boundary. 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.

History

The name Failsworth derives from the Old English fegels and worth; it probably means an "enclosure with a special kind of fence".^[3] 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 of England.^[3][4] 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.^[4]

Little more than 300 years ago its population was over just 1,000^{[citation needed][citation needed]}; today it is about 20,555^{[citation needed]}. 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^{[citation needed]}, Oldham Road.

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

Governance

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][5] 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

At 53°30′37″N 2°9′27″W / 53.51028°N 2.1575°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. Failsworth 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.^[6]

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 pusuits.

Economy

Failsworth was once a centre for the production of hats^{[citation needed]} 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.

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 ^{[10][11][12][13]} It was intended that Tesco's arrival would be a catalyst to attract other stores, bars and restaurants to Failsworth.^[14]. The only other large store in the Failsworth boundary is a brach of Morrisons which is situated in the converted Marlborough Mill ^[15]

Housing Units Ltd is located on Wickentree Lane and is a large home furnishing store which has been in operation since 1947 ^[16].

Landmarks

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.^[17]

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 2000 people ^[18]. The annual Remembrance parade is led by 202 Field Squadron, RE (TA) ,^[19] 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.^[20]

Religious sites

^[33]

Transport

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

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.

Failsworth railway station is located on Hardman Lane and is situated on the Oldham Loop Line. The un-manned station is managed by Northern Rail and allows passengers to transit to Manchester Victoria or Rochdale via Oldham ^[41].

The proposed Phase 3a extension of the Manchester Metrolink would see the railway station being converted into the new Failsworth Metrolink station ^[42].

Notable people

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.^[44]

joe smith.

In the field of politics, Sir Elkanah Armitage was a 19th century industrialist, Liberal Party politician and former Lord Mayor of Manchester ^[45][46]. In the modern era, David Heyes MP, represents the Ashton under Lyne 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.^[47][48] Dale Longworth is a musician and music producer with the electronic music group, N-Trance, who found fame with the record Set You Free.^[49] 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 band have charted in the Top 40 on a number of occasions and have large fanbase throughout Greece.^[50]

Broadcaster, journalist and retired cricketer, Michael Atherton, was raised in the Lord Lane area of the town. The former Lancashire and England Captain has a road, Atherton Close, named after him and is located in opposite the cricket club in the Woodhouses area of the town where Michael played in his youth.^[51][52][53] Boxer, Anthony Farnell, is a former WBU Middleweight champion who was known as the Woodhouse Warrior.^[54][55] 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 (BBBoC Light welterweight champion), Anthony Crolla (2006 ABA Lightweight champion)^[56] and Frankie Gavin (2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships gold medal winner).^[57] Former Manchester United footballer, Ronnie Wallwork, resides in Woodhouses. The former Failsworth School pupil gained notoriety for an on-field incident whilst on loan at Royal Antwerp in 1999 which led to an extended ban ^[58][59]

Supermodel Agyness Deyn was raised in the area before her family re-located to Ramsbottom.^[60]