Saddleworth: Pennine Parish of Stone Villages on the Edge of Greater Manchester and the Moors
Saddleworth is a group of villages in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, sitting on the western slopes of the Pennines about 10 miles east of Manchester city centre. The collective population is around 25,000, spread across Uppermill, Greenfield, Delph, Dobcross, Diggle, and several smaller settlements. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Saddleworth was transferred into Lancashire and then Greater Manchester by successive boundary changes, a source of ongoing local resentment. The villages are built from dark gritstone and have a distinctly Pennine character quite different from lowland Manchester. The Saddleworth and District Whit Friday Band Contest, held annually, is one of the largest brass band competitions in the world, with bands marching and playing through each village.
Uppermill is the largest village, with a High Street running along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The Saddleworth Museum on the High Street covers local textile and social history. The canal, which passes through the Standedge Tunnel (the longest, deepest, and highest canal tunnel in the country) to reach Huddersfield, has been restored for leisure boating. Greenfield station is on the Trans-Pennine line between Manchester and Huddersfield, with services to Manchester Piccadilly in about 25 minutes. The A62 and A670 cross the area. The M62 runs along the southern edge. For those considering adult companionship in the east Manchester and Pennine area, Saddleworth's rail link to Manchester and M62 access connect to the wider region on both sides of the Pennines.
Show more
Saddleworth is a group of villages in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, sitting on the western slopes of the Pennines about 10 miles east of Manchester city centre. The collective population is around 25,000, spread across Uppermill, Greenfield, Delph, Dobcross, Diggle, and several smaller settlements. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Saddleworth was transferred into Lancashire and then Greater Manchester by successive boundary changes, a source of ongoing local resentment. The villages are built from dark gritstone and have a distinctly Pennine character quite different from lowland Manchester. The Saddleworth and District Whit Friday Band Contest, held annually, is one of the largest brass band competitions in the world, with bands marching and playing through each village.
Uppermill is the largest village, with a High Street running along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The Saddleworth Museum on the High Street covers local textile and social history. The canal, which passes through the Standedge Tunnel (the longest, deepest, and highest canal tunnel in the country) to reach Huddersfield, has been restored for leisure boating. Greenfield station is on the Trans-Pennine line between Manchester and Huddersfield, with services to Manchester Piccadilly in about 25 minutes. The A62 and A670 cross the area. The M62 runs along the southern edge. For those considering adult companionship in the east Manchester and Pennine area, Saddleworth's rail link to Manchester and M62 access connect to the wider region on both sides of the Pennines.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
