Freehold, Greater Manchester

The derelict Hartford Mill. Picture taken from Freehold Community School.
Freehold
Freehold
 Freehold shown within Greater Manchester
OS grid referenceSD911041
Metropolitan boroughOldham
Metropolitan county Greater Manchester
RegionNorth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town OLDHAM
Postcode district OL9
Dialling code 0161
Police Greater Manchester
Fire Greater Manchester
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK ParliamentOldham West and Royton
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester

Coordinates: 53°32′04″N 2°08′07″W / 53.534326°N 2.13531°W

Freehold is an area of Werneth in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.

Freehold is centred on Oxford Street and lies between Werneth Park and Oldham's border with Chadderton at Block Lane with which is it contiguous.[1]

The area was partly redeveloped as part of the government's Housing Market Renewal Initiative – the Werneth Freehold Masterplan – comprising Freehold and adjacent parts of north Werneth and south Chadderton, however some parts of Freehold have remained derelict since the early 2000s following loss of funding for the initiative.[2][3]

Freehold Metrolink station opened in 2012 at the Oldham/Chadderton boundary at Block Lane, and serves both the Freehold area of Oldham and the Cowhill district of Chadderton. The station is partially located in both areas.[4]

Freehold Community School was built in 1982 on the site of Blackridings Mill which was demolished in 1975.[5]

The Hartford Mill is a Grade II listed building in the area dating from 1907, ceasing cotton production in 1969. The mill, however, has fallen into dereliction and an application to have the building de-listed and demolished has been approved by the owners and the local authority.[6]

History

Main article: History of Oldham

Previously a coal mining area, industrial expansion in the Werneth area in the mid-19th century led to the construction of Oxford Street in the early 1860s along what was a footpath linking Manchester Road (now the A62) at Werneth to the ancient road and hamlet of Block Lane.[7]

The driving force for expansion was Platt Brothers industrial complex around Werneth Station in the northern part of the area. Platts were for a time the largest manufacturers of machinery for the cotton industry in the world employing some 15,000 people.[1]

The opening of Oxford Street led to the construction of side streets linking to Manchester Road and Block Lane and by 1914 the area had been completely covered by rows of terraced housing for workers of Platts, Black Ridings Mill and industries to the south.[1]

Freehold had a number of public houses only one of which remains. The Royal Oak, Manchester Road, dates back to 1825.[8]

Religion

Freehold is part of the parish of Christ Church (Church of England), which lies on Freehold's border with Chadderton at Block Lane.

Freehold's increasing population in the mid 19th century saw Cowhill Methodist Church expand its ministry into this area and a decision was made to build a chapel in Rutland Street, Werneth, half a mile away from Cowhill, and in 1861 the foundations where laid for one of the largest churches in Oldham, Brunswick Wesleyan Methodist church which opened in 1862. The church closed in 1954.[9] Cowhill became prolific at building churches. Two more building projects including a new school for Brunswick, on Oxford Street, opened in January 1890.[10]

The congregation moved to Edward Street Methodist Church (500 yards from Rutland Street) which itself dates back to 1861. That church closed in 1967 when it amalgamated with several other local churches, including Cowhill Methodist Church, to form South Chadderton Methodist Church at Butler Green.[11]

Freehold is home to a large Muslim population and three mosques serve the area, The Werneth Jamia Masjid, Manchester Road, The Markazi Mosque (capacity 1600), Suffolk Street and Jamia Islamia Ghamkolia Mosque on Warwick Street.

Werneth Jamia Masjid was the first masjid to be established in the Werneth area of Oldham. The building was previously used as a grocery store and was purchased in 1976 to be converted into a much needed place of worship. The local community helped raise the £7,200 required to purchase the property through donations.[12][13][13]

Transport

First Greater Manchester operate bus services 81, 81a and 83 linking Freehold with Derker, Holts Estate and Sholver via Oldham town centre and with Manchester City centre, via Moston and Failsworth.

Manchester Community Transport operates bus services 159 to Oldham via Chadderton town centre and to Middleton via Hollinwood, Woodhouses, Failsworth and New Moston plus service 419 providing links to Ashton-U-Lyne and to Middleton via Chadderton town centre .[14][15][16]

Freehold Metrolink station provides direct tram links to Manchester and beyond and to Rochdale Railway Station and town centre.[17]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://media.urbed.coop.ccc.cdn.faelix.net/sites/default/files/Oldham%20Beyond%20Werneth.pdf|Urbed - Werneth Freehold Action Plan
  2. ↑ "Werneth Freehold Masterplan | Urbed". Urbed.coop. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
  3. ↑ http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/84366/custombuilt-homes-a-key-to-regeneration
  4. ↑ http://www.metrolink.co.uk/stationinfo/Documents/freehold.pdf|Freehold Metrolink Station Information
  5. ↑ P53 Gurr, Duncan; Hunt, Julian (1998), The Cotton Mills of Oldham, Oldham Education & Leisure, ISBN 0-902809-46-6
  6. ↑ http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/90598/final-curtain-for-derelict-mill
  7. ↑ Chadderton Pubs And Their Licencees 1750 - 1999, Magee Rob (1986) ISBN 978 185216 134 7
  8. ↑ P61 Inns and Alehouses of Oldham and their licencees, Rob Magee. ISBN 1 85216 073 X
  9. ↑ http://www.genuki.org.uk/cgi-bin/churchentry?CCC=LAN,ID=4326,FT=Werneth%20Brunswick%20Rutland%20Street%20Wesleyan%20Methodist| Genuki Brunswick, Werneth- Wesleyan Methodist retrieved 11/08/2013
  10. ↑ http://www.southchad.org.uk/Cowhill.html| History of Cowhill Methodist Church - Retrieved 11/08/2013
  11. ↑ http://www.southchad.org.uk/EdwardSt.htm
  12. ↑ http://www.wernethjamiamasjid.org.uk/
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 http://mosques-map.muslimsinbritain.org/maps.php#/mosque/2034
  14. ↑ "Transport for Greater Manchester - Journey Planning - Network Maps". Transport for Greater Manchester. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  15. ↑ "Service 152 Chadderton - Firwood Park". Stagecoach Manchester. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  16. ↑ http://www.tfgm.com/buses/Pages/service_changes.aspx
  17. ↑ http://www.metrolink.co.uk/stationinfo/Pages/Freehold.aspx
Neighbouring localities.
Cowhill Cowhill Westwood
Nimble Nook Werneth
   Freehold  
Butler Green Block Lane Top of Hollinwood

External links

Werneth Freehold Masterplan http://www.urbed.coop/projects/werneth-freehold-masterplan

Werneth and Freehold Community Development Project http://wfcdp.com/

Freehold Community School http://www.freehold.oldham.sch.uk/welcome-page

Werneth Jamia Masjid http://www.wernethjamiamasjid.org.uk/