Greenfield, Greater Manchester

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Greenfield Saddleworth






Statistics
Population:
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	SD995061
Administration
Metropolitan Borough:	Oldham
Metropolitan county:	Greater Manchester
Region:	North West England
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Greater Manchester
Historic county:	Yorkshire (West Riding)
Services
Police force:	Greater Manchester Police
Fire and rescue:	Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Ambulance:	North West
Post office and telephone
Post town:	OLDHAM
Postal district:	OL3
Dialling code:	01457
Politics
UK Parliament:	Oldham East and Saddleworth
European Parliament:	North West England

Greenfield is a village in the civil parish of Saddleworth, in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester England, and is approximately four miles east of Oldham. Historically part of Yorkshire, the village is mainly situated on and around two roads in the Chew Valley in the Pennines. One of these roads is the main road from Oldham to Holmfirth.

1 Geography and administration
- 1.1 Physical geography
2 History
3 Landmarks
4 Present day

[edit] Geography and administration

Administration under the West Riding County Council led to problems, as Greenfield came under the administration of Holmfirth for such things as the fire service, despite Holmfirth being significantly further away than Oldham. This was particularly problematic in the winter months, as the roads into the village often become blocked or dangerous due to snow and ice coupled with the village's exposed position on the Pennine moorland.

[edit] Physical geography

Greenfield also contains four reservoirs, three of which are linked to one another: Greenfield, Yeoman Hey, and Dovestones. The fourth is Chew Reservoir at the head of Chew Valley, which is the highest man-made reservoir in the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]} There is a yachting club on Dovestone Reservoir, the largest of these, and a set of walking paths round the first three. A steep walking path also connects Dovestones to Chew Reservoir.

Saddleworth Moor, which rises above Greenfield and leads over impressively barren and disorientating moorlands to Holmfirth was the site used by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, known as the 'Moors Murderers', to bury their child victims in the early 1960's. The sinister nature of the area and the dreadfuness of the crimes were the subject of a Smiths songs in the early 1980's.

Greenfield is also the home of an amateur rugby league side, Saddleworth Rangers, as well as Greenfield and Saddleworth cricket clubs. There are two junior and infant schools, and three churches (one Methodist and two Anglican).

[edit] History

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[edit] Landmarks

Pots and Pans is a locally well known hill ovelooking the village: The monument on top is a war memorial constructed in 1923 and is sighted so that it is visible from all the seven villages that comprise Saddleworth. It is situated approx 1200 feet above sea level^{[citation needed]} and every year on Remembrance Sunday a service is held there.