Shaw and Crompton
Population Expression error: "21,721 (2001 Census)" must be numeric 
OS grid reference SD938090
• London 166 miles (267 km) SSE
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town OLDHAM
Postcode district OL2
Dialling code 01706
Police Greater Manchester
Fire Greater Manchester
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester

Shaw and Crompton is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England.[1] It lies 8.7 miles (14.0 km) to the northeast of the city of Manchester, 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north of Oldham, and 3.6 miles (5.8 km) southeast of Rochdale.

Historically a part of Lancashire, Shaw and Crompton rose to prominence during the Industrial Revolution as a major centre of cotton spinning and textile manufacturing in the 19th century. According to the national press, it had more millionaires per capita at its zenith than any other town in the world.

Today, Shaw and Crompton, which covers 4.5 square miles (11.7 km2), is a predominantly residential town of mixed affluence with a population of 21,721. The legacy of its industrial past can be seen in its six surviving cotton mills, all of which are home to large distribution companies, among them Littlewoods Shop Direct Group's Shaw National Distribution Centre, which is a major employer in the area.

Contents

History[edit]

Toponymy[edit]

The name Shaw is Anglo-Saxon in origin, coming from the word sceaga, meaning "wood". The name Crompton is also of Anglo-Saxon derivation, from the words crom/crumb, meaning "crooked", and ton, for "hamlet or village".[2] A local historian stated that "this name aptly describes the appearance of the place, with its uneven surface, its numerous mounds and hills, as though it had been crumpled up to form these ridges."[3]

Early history[edit]

A map of Shaw and Crompton from 1851. Although this map demonstrates how rural the area was at this time, there is evidence of cotton mills and heavy industry. Many features, such as place names and roads exist to this day.

The first evidence of human activity in the area comes from Iron Age artefacts discovered on Crompton Moor by local archaeologists. A Roman road was built through the area leading from the Roman fort Rigodunum in neighbouring Saddleworth. The path of the road still exists and crosses Buckstones Road on the way to Grains Bar.[4]

In 1076, following the Norman Conquest, the area was given to Roger de Pictaventis, the maternal nephew of William the Conqueror. The first recorded use of the name Crompton for the township was discovered in legal documents dating from the early 13th century, when Gilbert de Notton was granted the estate from descendants of the Norman conquerors.[5] Some decades later, the de la Legh family—again of Norman descent—acquired the land.

Until the Industrial Revolution, Crompton was a township made up of scattered woods, farmsteads, moorland, and swamp with a small community of families.[6] The manufacture of wool in the area can be traced back as far as 1474, and to ensure that trade was kept buoyant, a law existed from 1675 to 1814 to encourage Shaw and Crompton's wool production. It required that everyone was to be buried in woollen garments.[7] However, as technologies developed and demand increased, the manufacture of cotton in Crompton became more important than wool, and by 1792 the woollen industry had died out, replaced by cotton milling.[8]

Crompton family[edit]

Crompton first appears as a family name in the 13th century, when the principal landowner, Hugh de la Legh, decided to change his family name to "de Crompton" (of Crompton), the town which he and his family both owned and lived in. The Crompton family has a well-documented history and can be traced back to the time of Magna Carta, appearing in the Assize Roll for 1245. The family was a prosperous landowner in the area and collectively had private ownership of most of Shaw and Crompton's land from its medieval acquisition, right through to the early 20th century. The family owned a large manor by the name of Crompton Hall, on the site of Crompton Fold (more commonly known now as Buckstones). Crompton Hall first appears in historical records as early as 1442, owned by Thomas de Crompton and his family.[5]

The original "medieval" Crompton Hall was demolished around 1848.[5] A second Crompton Hall, set in its own prominent forested grounds, was erected by the family—by then an influential and affluent investor in the local cotton industry—but following the death of the last remaining family members, the site was sold and, in 1952, the manor was demolished to make way for an exclusive development of bungalows.[5] Some of the original forested grounds of Crompton Hall remain in the Buckstones area today, as a small but popular wood. The legacy of the Cromptons is apparent in the area and Crompton House Church of England High School still bears the family name.

Industrial Revolution and cotton[edit]

Shaw and Crompton owes much of its history to the Industrial Revolution, in particular to 19th century cotton spinning, which brought rapid expansion, prosperity, and economic growth. By 1913, Shaw and Crompton had one sixth of the spindles of the Oldham Parliamentary Borough (nearby Oldham, which lay within this borough, was the largest and most productive cotton spinning town in the world.[9]) In the post-war boom of 1919–20, investors did not have the time to build new mills and so were prepared to pay vastly inflated sums for shares in existing companies. Many mills were refloated at valuations of up to GB£500,000, or five times what they had cost to build before the war,[6] resulting in the town being nicknamed "The Golden City" as the scramble for shares intensified.[6] Because of this highly profitable share dealing, it was reported in the national press that Shaw and Crompton had more millionaires per capita than any other town in the world.[2][10][11]

Shaw and Crompton's damp climate provided the ideal conditions for cotton spinning to be carried out without the cotton drying and breaking, and newly developed 19th century mechanisation optimised cotton spinning for mass production for the global market. Together with Oldham, at its peak the area was responsible for 13% of the world's cotton production.[12]

The global demand for cotton goods led to a local expansion in both industry and population. In 1801, Shaw and Crompton had a population of 3,482, but by 1911 that had increased to 14,750. The number of cotton mills in the township peaked at 36 in 1920.[11] However, events following World War II, and competition from abroad, led to a severe depression in the British cotton industry. Production declined and eventually came to a halt; the final cotton was spun in Shaw and Crompton in 1989, in Lilac and Park mills.[13]

Mills[edit]

No less than 48 separate textile mills have graced the Shaw and Crompton skyline over the past three centuries. Today, only six of them still exist with, four of those having survived for over a century; the oldest is the Duke Mill, which has remained firm on its foundation stone since 1883. Below is a table outlining all the documented mills built in Shaw and Crompton since the mid-18th century.[9]

File:Dawn mill1.jpg
Dawn Mill, (built 1901), was typical of Shaw and Crompton's red brick cotton mills. The structure was demolished in late 2006.


Name Architect Location Built Demolished Served
(Years)
Ash Wild & Collins Jubilee Street 1883 1984 101
Beal UNKNOWN Beal Lane c.1832 c.1875 43
Beal Joseph Stott George Street 1889 1933 44
Briar P.S. Stott Beal Lane 1906 N/A 0+
Brook /
Crompton Fold
UNKNOWN Buckstones Road c.1790 c.1852 c.62
Cape P.S. Stott Refuge Street 1900 1993 93
Clough UNKNOWN Mark Lane 1800 1990 190
Clough UNKNOWN Mark Lane 1835 1934 99
Cocker /
Diamond Rope Works
UNKNOWN Cocker Mill Lane <1832 1994 >162
Cowlishaw /
Victoria
UNKNOWN Scowcroft Lane <1789 1940 >151
Dawn P.S. Stott Eastway 1901 2006 105
Dee P.S. Stott Cheetham Street 1907 1984 77
Duchess Wild & Collins Duchess Street 1884 1960 76
Duke Joseph Stott Refuge Street 1883 N/A 0+
Elm /
Newby
Joseph Stott Linney Lane 1890 N/A 0+
Fern Joseph Stott Siddal Street 1884 1983 99
Greenfield UNKNOWN Greenfield Lane 1776–1778 1945 169
Hawk A. Turner Store Street 1908 1991 83
Laneside UNKNOWN Grains Road 1817 >1875 >58
Lilac P.S. Stott Beal Lane 1918 N/A 89+
Lily G. Stott Linney Lane 1904 N/A 0+
Lily (No.2) G. Stott Linney Lane 1918 N/A 0+
Lyon UNKNOWN High Street <1852 1929(BD) 77
Moorfield Joseph Stott Durden Street 1876 1974 98
Moss Hey /
Ivor
UNKNOWN Beal Lane <1789 1972(BD) 183
New Mill UNKNOWN Rochdale Road 1846 1884 38
New Mill (Rebuilt) UNKNOWN Rochdale Road 1884 1926(BD) 42
Old Brox UNKNOWN Rochdale Road 1789 1819(BD) 30
Old Brox (Rebuilt) UNKNOWN Rochdale Road 1819 1906 87
Oak /
Tom Taylors
UNKNOWN Moor Street 1863 1937 74
Park UNKNOWN Milnrow Road 1834 1991 157
Rutland F.W. Dixon & Son Linney Lane 1907 1993 86
Sandy Lane UNKNOWN Rochdale Road >1863 1975 >112
Sandy Lane (No.2) UNKNOWN Rochdale Road >1878 1975 >97
Shaw Edge UNKNOWN Oldham Road >1818 <1845 c.27
Shaw Lane UNKNOWN High Street >1844 1900 c.56
Shaw Mill UNKNOWN Newtown 1820 >1890 >70
Shaw Spinning J. Wild Salts Street 1875 1972 97
Shaw Side /
Irk
UNKNOWN Oldham Road <1832 >1980 c.148
Smallbrook J. Wild Nolan Street 1875 1964 89
Springhill UNKNOWN Thornham Road 1846 1938 92
Trent F.W. Dixon & Son Duchess Street 1908 1967–1969 61
Vale /
Crompton Spinning Co.
UNKNOWN Beal Lane 1861 1934 73
Woodend UNKNOWN Smallbrook Road >1838 1920 (BD) 82
Wye A. Turner & Son Napier Street 1914 1974 60
Wye (No.2) A. Turner & Son Napier Street 1925 1974 49

'<' = Earlier Than, '>' = Later Than 'c.' = Circa (About), 'BD' = Burnt Down

Two cottage mills, named Holebottom and Millcroft, are also known to have existed.[13] Little is known about them except that Holebottom was built in the mid-17th century and was not demolished until around 300 years later.

Governance[edit]

Civic history[edit]

File:ShawandCromptonEmblem1.png
The Shaw and Crompton Parish Emblem is found on the parish border markers, as well as some street furniture.

Crompton was recorded in 1212 as being part of the thegnage estate of Kaskenmoor, which was held on behalf of King John by Roger de Montbegon and William de Nevill.[14] The Shaw and Crompton area later formed a township within the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham, in the hundred of Salford.[14] From 1894 to 1974, Shaw and Crompton formed its own local government district, Crompton Urban District, and lay within the administrative county of Lancashire.[15]

Under the Local Government Act 1972, the town's independent Urban District status was abolished, and Shaw and Crompton has, since 1 April 1974, formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, within Greater Manchester.[1][16] Since 1987, Shaw and Crompton has had civil parish status, and its own parish council, giving it some limited local government autonomy from that of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, particularly for the granting of planning permission.[17] The parish council comprises 14 locally elected members, including three who also act as councillors to the wider Oldham local authority. The parish council is consulted in planning applications that affect the area.[8] Shaw and Crompton does not have a mayor, but does have a town crier,[18] a purely ceremonial role.

Parliamentary representation[edit]

Shaw and Crompton forms part of the parliamentary constituency of Oldham East and Saddleworth, and is represented in the House of Commons by Phil Woolas, a member of the Labour Party.[19] From 1832 until 1950, the town lay within the parliamentary constituency of Oldham,[20] which was represented in the House of Commons by Winston Churchill between 1900 and 1906.[21] Churchill once stayed at Crompton Hall, and letters written by him describe how peaceful and tranquil he thought the area to be.[22]

Geography[edit]

The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, highlighting Shaw and Crompton in red.

At 53°34′39″N 2°5′32″W / 53.57750°N 2.09222°W / 53.57750; -2.09222Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (53.5777, -2.0928) Shaw and Crompton lies along the eastern edge of the ancient Lancashire border; West Yorkshire and the Pennine hills are close to the east. The larger towns of Rochdale and Oldham lie to the northwest and south respectively; Royton is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) west-southwest. There are no motorways in Shaw and Crompton, though a heavy rail line bisects the town from north to south.[23] The town has a post office under the Oldham post town. The territory of the civil parish is given as 4.5 square miles (11.7 km2). For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Shaw and Crompton forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area,[24] with Manchester City Centre itself 8.7 miles (14.0 km) southwest of Shaw and Crompton.

Described in Samuel Lewis's A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848) as located in "a bleak situation",[25] Shaw and Crompton is in the valley of the River Beal, which runs northward through the town towards the village of Newhey. The land to the east of the town steadily rises, reaching a height of 1,283 feet (391 m) at the summit of Crompton Moor. To the west, the land reaches around 699 feet (213 m) at High Crompton, and from these two highpoints the surface slopes away in all directions. The River Irk rises on Shaw and Crompton's western boundary with Royton.[14] The soils of the town are broadly sterile.[25]

Shaw and Crompton's built environment is somewhat unremarkable, broadly following the urban structure of most towns in England, consisting of residential dwellings centred around a High Street in the town centre, which is the local centre of commerce.[26] There is a mixture of low-density urban areas, suburbs, semi-rural and rural locations in Shaw and Crompton, but overwhelmingly the land use in the town is residential. Generally, property in the centre, west, and south of the town is older and smaller in contrast to that found in the east and north.

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.

Divisions and suburbs[edit]

Shaw was originally a sub-district of Crompton,[27] and appears to have its origins as the centre of Crompton because of the siting of a small chapel there dating back to around the 16th century.[6] In 1835, Shaw was noted as a chapelry within the township of Crompton.[28] The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica describes Shaw as a populous village within the Crompton district.[20] However due to the urbanisation of the Shaw area, and the establishment of a post office in Shaw itself,[13] the two areas and names merged to form the present day "Shaw and Crompton". The area of Shaw and Crompton is often called Shaw by local communities (and increasingly in maps and literature); this is in contrast to former times when the area was broadly known as Crompton. This contrast can be seen on the markings of prominent historical structures, which only bear the name "Crompton".

Shaw and Crompton contains two separate political wards, appropriately named "Shaw" and "Crompton" (to the east and west respectively),[29] and residential suburbs, including High Crompton, Rushcroft, Buckstones, Clough, Jubilee, Shaw Side, Wrens Nest, Cowlishaw, Low Crompton, Nook, Goats, Wood End and Shore Edge.

File:PMBShawVista.JPG
View of Shaw and Crompton from Dog Hill, Buckstones Road with the areas of Cowlishaw, High Crompton and Ruscroft in the distance and Clough, East Crompton and Buckstones itself in the foreground. The former cotton mills belonging to Fulfilment Logistics and Littlewoods Shop Direct Group respectively, can be seen in the foreground.

Demography[edit]

Shaw and Crompton compared
UK Census 2001 Shaw and Crompton Oldham (Met. District) England
Total population 21,721 217,273 49,138,831
Foreign born 3.2% 8.2% 9.2%
White 96% 86% 91%
Asian 2.0% 12% 4.6%
Black 0.3% 0.6% 2.3%
Christian 84% 73% 72%
Muslim 1.7% 11% 3.1%
Hindu 0.2% 0.1% 1.1%
No religion 6.8% 8.9% 15%
Over 65 years old 15% 14% 16%
Unemployed 2.4% 3.7% 3.3%

According to census data, in 2001 Shaw and Crompton had a total resident population of 21,721,[30] with a population density of around 4,692 people per square mile (1,811 per km²), and an average age of 39.[31][32] Around 3% of Shaw and Crompton's population is from a black and minority ethnic background (which includes a small but long established community of Bangladeshi heritage), the rest broadly being of white background.[8]

Of the residents in the combined electoral wards of Shaw[31] and Crompton[32] (which are coterminus with the town) 41.7% were married, 9.2% were cohabiting couples, and 9.7% were lone parent families. Forty percent of households were made up of individuals and 14% had someone living alone at pensionable age.

The ethnicity of the town was given as 96% white, 0.5% mixed race, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% black and 0.2% Chinese or other.

The place of birth of the town's residents was 96.8% United Kingdom (including 95.13% from England), 0.6% Republic of Ireland, 0.5% from other European Union countries, and 2.1% from elsewhere in the world. Religion was recorded as 84% Christian, 1.7% Muslim, 0.2% Hindu, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.05% Jewish and 0.02% Sikh. Some 6.8% were recorded as having no religion, 0.14% had an alternative religion, and 5.6% did not state their religion.

The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 45% in full-time employment, 12% in part-time employment, 7% self-employed, 2.4% unemployed, 2% students with jobs, 3% students without jobs, 13% retired, 4% looking after home or family, 7% permanently sick or disabled, and 2% economically inactive for other reasons. This was roughly in line with the national figures. Of the town's residents aged 16–74, 15% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 20% nationwide.

Dwellings[edit]

Alfred Street is an archetypal Victorian terraced Shaw and Crompton street. Much (but by no means all) of the area's property has remained as such since the 19th century, indicating the area's history as a Mill town. Note the Pennine terrain of the locality, and the mills in the valley behind.

The town has 9,274 residential dwellings, of which one third are Victorian terraces,[33][34] built for the cotton mill workers of former times. It is considered a popular residential area of relative prosperity,[35] with a variety of housing types to suit families, couples, individuals and professionals.[36] The Buckstones and Rushcroft areas contain modern housing estates and are amongst the most affluent suburbs of the town. They were built as part of an agreement made in the 1950s between the then Crompton Urban District and the County Borough of Oldham councils, to alleviate Oldham's chronic shortage of quality housing.[37]

Population change[edit]

Below is a table outlining population growth of the area since 1901. Earlier records show that the area had a population of 7,032 in circa 1871,[38] and a century earlier consisted of just "six families".[3]

Year 1901 1911 1921 1931 1939 1951 1961 1971 1991 2001
Population 13,427 14,750 14,917 14,764 12,796 12,559 12,708 17,026 21,093 21,721
Source:A Vision of Britain through Time

Economy[edit]

Shaw National Distribution Centre: A major employer of the local and wider communties.

Shaw and Crompton has become a base for distribution companies as a result of the town's good transport links, its supply of large, disused mill properties, and its situation between Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire.[13] It is home to the Littlewoods Shop Direct Group's Shaw National Distribution Centre, which is a major employer of the local and wider community. The company occupies three former cotton mills and state-of-the-art purpose-built storage and sorting facilities on a 20-acre (8.1 ha) complex within the town. In 2007, the site became the retail company's only packing and distribution centre for non-bulk items.[39] It employs nearly 1,000 staff, making it the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham's largest private employer.[40] Children's toy distributors Toy Options and bakers Warburtons also have distribution centres in the town.

Warburtons has had one of its 11 major bakeries in Shaw and Crompton since 1965. The "Pennine" bakery produces around 500,000 loaves a week and distributes them to major multiples and independent retailers throughout Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. Located on Glebe Street, it employs around 200 staff and produces a wide range of Warburtons bread products.[41] Until the 1990s, Shaw and Crompton was the home of Osram, the multinational lightbulb manufacturer, which occupied Duke Mill and was a significant employer in the area. Production has since been moved away from the United Kingdom.

Trent Mill Industrial Estate, on the edge of the town near Rushcroft, takes its name from the mill that was once found there. The business park is home to several small industrial companies. It was partially destroyed by a fire that started in a plastics factory in the early hours of April 28, 2007.[42][43]

On August 6, 2007 a 35,000-square-foot (3,252 m2) ASDA supermarket opened on the site of the former Dawn Mill.[44] A derelict row of houses on Eastway was demolished as part of this development. Two houses on Greenfield Lane were also demolished, allowing the existing ALDI store to expand—possibly to help it to compete with the new ASDA store. The original planning application was put to a public vote in 2005, and included proposals for 316 parking spaces, improved bus facilities, pedestrian routes linked to Market Street, junction improvements to nearby streets, and the relocation of a local tyre-fitting company.[45] The supermarket cost GB£20million to construct, and is the first ASDA store in the United Kingdom to use environmentally friendly construction techniques, which Wal-Mart intends to use as a blueprint for all its new ASDA supermarkets.[44] It incorporates a sustainable timber frame and an energy-saving ventilation system, which together have eradicated the need for 500 tonnes of steel and 450 tonnes of carbon emissions.[44]

Landmarks[edit]

Despite its comparatively small size, Shaw and Crompton has several landmarks, including a large war memorial.

Crompton War Memorials[edit]

First and Second World Wars[edit]

Crompton War Memorial.

The main Crompton War Memorial, located on the High Street, consists of a Scottish granite plinth surmounted by a large bronze statue flanked by two Rolls of Honour containing the 346 names of those from Shaw and Crompton who fought and died in World War I. Panels listing the Roll of Honour from World War II were added and unveiled on November 12, 1950 by Councillor H. M. Turner.[46] Commissioned by the Crompton War Memorial Committee, the statue was conceptualised in 1919 by Richard Reginald Goulden, and unveiled on April 29, 1923 by General Sir Ian Hamilton. The original cost for the memorial alone was GB£4,000, but the total cost, including site and layout, was about GB£6,067.[46]

The inscription on the memorial reads:

"IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF CROMPTON WHO FOUGHT AND GAVE THEIR LIVES TO FREE MANKIND FROM THE OPPRESSION AND BRUTAL TYRANNY OF WAR,. 1914–1919."

The symbolic memorial depicts a group in which the central figure is a man defending the future generations, represented by young children, against foreign aggression, represented by a beast. The memorial is also a time capsule. Inside it is a lead casket containing coins, a copy of the local newspaper, three cops of spun cotton, and a length of cloth manufactured in the local area.[2]

Second Boer War[edit]

A second, smaller war memorial is located in Jubilee Gardens. It is dedicated to the soldiers who fought in the Second Boer War. It consists of a plaque built into a stone wall that is located between two large bushes.

Its inscription reads:

"IN MEMORY OF THE CROMPTON MEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 1899–1902

It then lists eight men: four who were "killed in action", two who "died of wounds", and two who "died of disease".[47]

Crompton Moor[edit]

Pingot quarry at Crompton Moor features an un-named waterfall.

Spanning approximately 160 acres (0.6 km2), and reaching an elevation of 1,282 feet (391 m), Crompton Moor is one of the largest open spaces run by Oldham Countryside Service.[48] It is a registered common of Greater Manchester,[49] and, since 2003, a designated Site of Biological Interest.[50]

Brushes Clough and Pingot are former coal and sandstone quarries set amongst Crompton Moor.[51] During the 1970s, quarrying was halted, the land was reclaimed, and thousands of pine trees were planted. The area has since been used for recreation, including hiking, orienteering, and mountain biking.[51][48] Brushes Clough Reservoir was constructed in the 19th century using stone quarried from this site. The area is now managed by United Utilities.[51]

An un-named waterfall (provisionally called Crompton Waterfall) cascades off Crompton Moor into the now unused Pingot Quarry forming the "Old Brook", a tributary of the River Beal.[48][51][52]

Big Lamp[edit]

The Big Lamp as seen in 2006. Crompton Moor can be seen in the background.

The Big Lamp was a six-sided gas-powered public street lamp standing 20 feet (6 m) high at the original cross-road junction of Manchester Road, Oldham Road, High Street, and Church Road. It was pulled down on June 17 1925, when electric lighting was introduced.[2] Its absence was so evident that the adjacent public house, then known as The Kings Arms, was renamed The Big Lamp.[53]

During the 1990s, the junction was redeveloped to accommodate the new Crompton Way bypass. A large roundabout was built, and a scaled-down replica of the original Big Lamp was erected in its centre. The new Big Lamp is electrically powered and stands about 6 feet (2 m) high. Once the new lamp appeared, the roundabout became known as the Big Lamp Roundabout, and the public house reverted to its original name.[53]

Transport[edit]

Shaw and Crompton has had a rail transport line and station since 1863, when it was used mostly for haulage.[54] Today Shaw and Crompton railway station is used by passenger trains running between Rochdale and Manchester on the Oldham Loop railway line.

After initially being rejected, plans to turn the line into part of the Manchester Metrolink were accepted by the government on July 6, 2006. Work is expected to start in 2008.[55] The conversion will be likely to result in the decommissioning of the conventional heavy rail service on this line, with trams running along most of the existing line, which it is planned to re-route into Oldham town centre.

The bus company First Manchester provides frequent services to Oldham and Rochdale, with buses running on to the Trafford Centre and the suburbs of Rushcroft, Wrens Nest, and Buckstones. There is also a 'Shaw Circular' route, bus 403, which is run by Swan's Travel, which serves the smaller roads of Shaw and Crompton.[56] GMPTE co-ordinates the bus routes in the area. Services which run in the Shaw and Crompton area are:

Shaw and Crompton is located south of Junction 21 of the M62 motorway, which connects the town with other parts of Greater Manchester, as well as counties of England as far as Merseyside and South Yorkshire.

Education[edit]

Almost every suburb of Shaw and Crompton is served by a school of some kind, including some with religious affiliations. All the schools in the town perform either at or above the national average for test results. Crompton House, a secondary school for 11- to 16-year-olds, also has a sixth form college of further education for 16- to 18-year-olds on the same site.[57]

School Type/Status Results Website
Beal Vale Primary School Primary school Ofsted www.beal-vale.oldham.sch.uk
Buckstones Primary School Primary school Ofsted -
Crompton House Church of England High School Secondary school Ofsted www.crompton-house.oldham.sch.uk
Crompton Primary School Primary school Ofsted www.crompton.oldham.sch.uk
St George's CofE School Primary school Ofsted www.stgeorgesprimarysch.ik.org
St James CofE School Primary school Ofsted www.st-james.oldham.sch.uk
Farrowdale House Independent school Ofsted www.farrowdale.co.uk
Royton and Crompton School Secondary school Ofsted www.roytoncrompton.oldham.sch.uk
Rushcroft Primary School Primary school Ofsted www.rushcroft.oldham.sch.uk
St Joseph's R.C. Primary Primary school Ofsted www.st-josephs.oldham.sch.uk
St Mary's CofE Primary School Primary school Ofsted -

Template:FnbRoyton and Crompton School is located just inside the border of the Crompton electoral ward, however its official street address is part of neighbouring Royton town. It was specifically built to serve both areas.

Religious sites[edit]

East Crompton, St. James Church. Established 1847, this is one of Shaw and Crompton's parish churches, in the Diocese of Manchester.

Shaw and Crompton has three Anglican ecclesiastic parishes (although other denominations exist in the area): Shaw, High Crompton, and East Crompton.[3] There are churches representing a number of Christian denominations, primarily Church of England, and a considerable Methodist presence.[28][38] The earliest church buildings date from the 19th century, although their architectural style makes them look older. The following is a table of the churches presently in Shaw and Crompton, as of 2007. Others have existed, but have been demolished.[3]

Church Denomination Founded
[28][38]
Website
East Crompton, St James Church of England
1847
www.ecsj.org.uk
East Crompton, St Saviours Crompton Fold, Church of England
1908
www.ecsj.org.uk
Shaw, Holy Trinity Church of England
1871
www.holytrinityshaw.org.uk
St Mary's High Crompton Church of England
1872
-
Shore Edge Methodist Church Methodist
1873
-
St Andrew's Methodist Church Methodist
-
-
St Paul's Shaw Methodist Church Methodist
1863
-
Shaw United Reformed Church Non-conformist
1885
Shaw & Heyside United Reformed Church
St Joseph Roman Catholic Church Roman Catholic
1870
-
Salvation Army Church Salvation Army
1896
www.salvos.com

Most of the above churches participate in Shaw's annual Whit Walks event, when congregations, choirs, and brass bands parade through the streets from their respective churches before taking part in one large, communal, inter-church service.

The town centre is also home to a small mosque.

Community facilities[edit]

Crompton Pool, near the town centre, is a public swimming pool built in 1899, under the supervision of Crompton Urban District Council.

Shaw and Crompton has many communal areas and public facilities, including public parks, sporting establishments, and playing fields. Public houses in the centre of the town include The Blue Bell, Duke of York, Coach and Horses, and Pineapple.[53] There are many outlying public houses, including The Kings Arms at the Big Lamp, Royal Oak at Cowlishaw, and the Park Inn at Buckstones Road.[53]

Crompton Library is a purpose-built library housing over 36,000 items including books, CDs, and DVDs that can be borrowed by anyone who lives in the Oldham borough.[58] It has communal Internet facilities. The library was built in the early 1990s after the original 1907 building, which exists now as apartments on Beal Lane, became too small.

There are three main public parks in Shaw and Crompton. Dunwood Park lies alongside the Oldham Loop Railway Line and has a children's play area, bowling green, and over a mile of wooded pathways along the base of a forested hillside.[59] The land that forms Dunwood Park was presented to Crompton Urban District Council by Captain Abram Crompton J.P. on the 22 June, 1911, and opened as a park by him on the 14 September, 1912.[60] High Crompton Park is in High Crompton and is home to a tennis court, bowling green, children's play area, and gardens. Jubilee Gardens are found in the centre of Shaw and Crompton town centre, behind the Crompton War Memorial. Shaw and Crompton has large areas of land reserved for sporting and communal events; these are located off George Street, Edward Road, and Rushcroft Road respectively.

Shaw Market, located on Westway, is open to market retailers and customers every Thursday, and Saturday morning.[61] At other times most of the market area becomes a public car park. The market area has been used occasionally for fun fairs and other events. Shaw and Crompton town has several public sporting establishments. Crompton Pool is a swimming pool built in 1899 on Farrow Street in the town centre,[62] and Crompton Cricket Club, is located on Glebe Street in the town.

"Playhouse2" is a 156 seat theatre in the heart of Shaw and Crompton town centre. It has been the home of the 'Crompton Stage Society' (an amateur theatre company) since 1966. A wide variety of entertainment, professional as well as amateur, is produced each year.[63]

Future developments[edit]

Shaw and Crompton town centre is the subject of controversy due to a successful application to convert a local venue into a lapdancing club, despite its close proximity to a primary school, nursery, and a youth club. Although the proposals caused concern, there were no formal complaints from local residents, the police, or the local council’s child protection unit during the application period.[64] However, what was described as a legally watertight argument from the applicant, as well as assurances about security arrangements, were enough to secure licensing for the venue.[65]

Crompton Health Centre is also subject to a development scheme intended to improve NHS facilities in the town.[66]

Filmography[edit]

File:FredDibnahStory01.JPG
Title image of The Fred Dibnah Story, showing Fred himself scaling Briar chimney in front of a backdrop of Shaw and Crompton centre. Circa 1978.

Shaw and Crompton has been featured in several British-made television programmes and films:

Notable people[edit]

People from Shaw and Crompton are called "Shaytonians" or "Cromptonians".[3] The town is the home of Oldham-born actress Shobna Gulati,[68] former Oldham Athletic player and manager Andy Ritchie,[68] and is the hometown of Kevin O'Toole, a founding member of dance act N-Trance. Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball also live locally;[68] Ball owns farm property that overlooks the area. Philip Gilbert Hamerton, an acclaimed etcher, painter, and art critic was born in the area in 1834.[69]

Although a native of Rochdale, television and movie actress Anna Friel was a pupil at Crompton House Church of England High School, which lies in the area.[70]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Anon (2003-07-31). "A select gazetteer of local government areas, Greater Manchester County". Greater Manchester County Records Office. Retrieved 2007-06-20.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Stott, Frances (1996). The Changing Face of Crompton. Oldham Education & Leisure. ISBN 0-902809-38-5. 
  3. ^ a b c d e Allen, Rev. G (1907). Shaw Church in By-gone Days. Coultas & Volans, York. 
  4. ^ Crompton Library (N.D). Physical evidence of the road. Oldham Education & Leisure.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d Crompton, R (2003-09-24). "Crompton: From the Normans to the Tudors". Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d Hunt, Julian (1988). Looking Back at Crompton. Oldham Education & Leisure. ISBN 0-902809-17-2.  Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ visitoldham.co.uk. "Heritage; The Oldham Boroughs; Crompton". Retrieved 2006-06-22. 
  8. ^ a b c Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (January 2004). "Shaw and Royton Area Plan" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-06-21. 
  9. ^ a b Gurr & Hunt (1998). The Cotton Mills of Oldham. Oldham Education & Leisure. ISBN 0-902809-46-6. 
  10. ^ Anon (2005-06-05). "Shaw". Oldham Advertiser. Retrieved 2007-06-21.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ a b Spinning the Web. "Oldham Towns; Shaw". Manchester City Council. Retrieved 2006-12-07. 
  12. ^ visitoldham.co.uk. "Heritage; The History of Oldham; Oldham History". Retrieved 2006-06-22. 
  13. ^ a b c d "Oldham Borough Official Guide; The Borough's Districts". British-publishing.com. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  14. ^ a b c Brownbill, J (1911). A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5. Victoria County History. pp. 108–12. ISBN 978-0712910552.  Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ A Vision of Britain through Time. "A vision of Crompton UD". Retrieved 2007-06-15. 
  16. ^ HMSO. Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70.
  17. ^ Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. "Know Your Councillors". oldham.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-07. 
  18. ^ Ciara Leeming (2007-05-04). "Peter cries foul over picture on BNP leaflet". Retrieved 2007-07-09.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Phil Woolas MP". Communities.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 
  20. ^ a b "Crompton". 1911encyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  21. ^ The Churchill Centre. "Churchill and...Politics; All the Elections Churchill Ever Contested". winstonchurchill.org. Retrieved 2007-07-07. 
  22. ^ Greer, S. (2006-06-15), "More housing will make lives a misery", Oldham Advertiser, p. 24  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ GMPTE. "Park & Ride - Shaw and Crompton rail station". gmpte.com. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  24. ^ Office for National Statistics (2001). "Census 2001:Key Statistics for urban areas in the North; Map 3" (PDF). statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-09. 
  25. ^ a b Lewis, Samuel (1848). A Topographical Dictionary of England; 'Crofton - Cropthorne'. Institute of Historical Research. pp. 729–33. ISBN 978-0806315089. 
  26. ^ Ordnance Survey (2006). "Shaw and Crompton Town Centre Masterplan" (PDF). Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  27. ^ Hanyes, H (2004). Rochdale Photographic Memories. Francis Frith Collection. ISBN 1-85937-846-3. 
  28. ^ a b c "Shaw". GENUKI. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  29. ^ "Interactive Planning Map". Oldham.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 
  30. ^ United Kingdom Census 2001. "Shaw and Crompton CP (Parish)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-03-18. 
  31. ^ a b United Kingdom Census 2001. "Shaw (Ward)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  32. ^ a b United Kingdom Census 2001. "Crompton (Ward)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  33. ^ United Kingdom Census 2001. "Shaw (Ward);Household Spaces and Accommodation Type (KS16)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  34. ^ United Kingdom Census 2001. "Crompton (Ward);Household Spaces and Accommodation Type (KS16)". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  35. ^ Greater Manchester Police (2006-01-01). "Description of Royton & Shaw". gmp.police.uk. Retrieved 2006-12-15.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ Homesearch (2003-05-21). "Spotlight on Shaw, Oldham". manchesteronline.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ Crompton Urban District Council (1959). Crompton Urban District: Official Guide and Traders' Directory. Jones & Brooks Limited. 
  38. ^ a b c "Crompton". GENUKI. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  39. ^ Tran, Mark (2006-05-09). "Littlewoods sheds 1,200 staff". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ Anon (2006-11-22). "Littlewoods pledges 400 new jobs". Oldham Advertiser. Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ "Warburtons Bakeries; North West; Pennine". Warburtons Virtual Press Office. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  42. ^ "Firefighters tackle factory blaze". BBC News. 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2007-04-28.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ Hooton, Richard and Torr, Martyn (2007-04-30). "Inferno wrecks plastics factory". Oldham Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-04-30.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ a b c Anon (2007-04-24), "Green store shooting up", Oldham Evening Chronicle, p. 25  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "ASDA Shaw - Your views count" (Press release). Dialogue. February 2005. 
  46. ^ a b Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (2003-06-16). "Crompton War Memorial". Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ "Crompton South African War Memorial". Roll-of-Honour.org. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 
  48. ^ a b c Steve Duthie (August 2007), "Moors to life", Fourmost magazine, HKR magazines, p. 18 
  49. ^ "The Common Lands of Greater Manchester; A Biological Survey" (pdf). Rural Surveys Research Unit. Retrieved 2007-08-13. 
  50. ^ Oldham Evening Chronicle (2007-06-28). "Northwest Riders (N.W.R.); Revamped outdoor gem relaunched". try-cycles.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-08-13.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  51. ^ a b c d "Crompton Moor Walking Trails" (PDF). 2003-06-16. Retrieved 2007-06-20.  Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  52. ^ "Crompton Moor History Trail" (PDF). 2003-06-16. Retrieved 2007-06-20.  Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  53. ^ a b c d Magee, Rob (1998). A History of Crompton and Shaw Pubs. Neil Richardson. ISBN 1-852160-30-6. 
  54. ^ Wells, Jeffrey (2002). The Oldham Loop part one: Manchester Victoria to Shaw and Crompton. Foxline Publishing. ISBN 978-1-870119-68-9. 
  55. ^ Anon (2006-07-06). "Metrolink extension is announced". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  56. ^ "Oldham local transport public forum" (PDF). GMPTE. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 
  57. ^ "Crompton House School". crompton-house.oldham.sch.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-26. 
  58. ^ "Oldham Libraries; Crompton Library". oldham.gov.uk. Retrieved 2007-04-03. 
  59. ^ "Dunwood Park". dunwoodpark.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  60. ^ "Dunwood Park". shawcam.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  61. ^ "Markets North West England; Greater Manchester". funforall.co.uk. 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-26. 
  62. ^ "Shaw and Royton Area Plan" (PDF). Oldham.gov.uk. January 2004. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 
  63. ^ "Playhouse2". playhouse2.com. Retrieved 2007-07-27. 
  64. ^ Appleton, Dave (2006-10-23). "Parishioners Join the Fight Against Lap Dancing Club". Oldham Advertiser. Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  65. ^ Greer, Stuart (2006-10-09). "Lapdancing a Shaw Thing". Oldham Advertiser. Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  66. ^ "First Schemes to be Developed - Crompton". NHS. 2005-11-17. Retrieved 2007-04-25.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  67. ^ Dibnah, Fred (Presenter), Haworth, D. (Director) (1986). The Fred Dibnah Story (TV Series). Shaw and Crompton. 
  68. ^ a b c Greer, Stuart (2007-05-03). "Coming soon - Shaw TV!". ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-20.  Check date values in: |date= (help)
  69. ^ Hamerton, P. G. (2004). Philip Gilbert Hamerton: an Autobiography, 1834–1858. Kessinger Publishing. 
  70. ^ "Anna Friel". avaxhome.ru. 2006-12-24. Retrieved 2007-04-03.  Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links[edit]