Saddleworth | About the Area
The civil parish of Saddleworth is part of the metropolitan borough of
Oldham in Greater Manchester. Saddleworth comprises of several hamlets
and villages, such as Uppermill, Greenfield, Delph and Diggle.
Saddleworth is located to the east of Oldham and has a dispersed
population of nearly 25,000, making it one of the largest civil parishes
in the United Kingdom. The area of Saddleworth makes up 52% of the
borough of Oldham and the majority of the area remains rural.
Set within the beautiful but rugged moorland landscape, Saddleworth
borders Yorkshire and Lancashire and more of half the area is 1000ft
above sea level. Improved communications in recent years means that
Saddleworth is not a remote as it used to be and is in fact it is easily
accessible by most of its northern conurbation, which includes as far
as Liverpool and Leeds.
There is evidence to suggest that Saddleworth dates back to possibly the
Stone Age and there is further evidence of past Roman occupation, which
is evident by the roman road that runs the length of the district and
the roman fort of Castleshaw based in the parish.
Similar to other areas, Saddleworth was at the centre of the industrial
revolution, mainly specialising in woollen cloth production and then
later moved into cotton spinning and weaving during the 18th and 19th
Century. This boom in production brought about improved transport links
to the area such as the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, the Saddleworth
Viaduct and several railway lines.
Much of the architecture that remains in Saddleworth dates back to the
days of textile manufacturing, which dramatically declined during the
20th century when the textile industry saw a massive increase in
importing cheaper cotton goods from overseas. Most of Saddleworthâs
buildings were made from stone and not the usual Accrington red brick
that was commonly used in the surrounding borough.
Saddleworth still remains an idyllic friendly area, which still has its
main traditional centres despite the increase in new builds over the
last twenty years, making it an attractive place especially for people
who are looking to buy a new property in the Oldham Borough.
Transport links
In commuting distance to the A663 and A627, which is linked to the M62
via Junction 21 and 20. The public transport in the area is co-ordinated
by Great Manchester Transport Executive.
Rail
There is no railway station in Saddleworth; the nearest railway station
is located in Greenfield (1 mile from Saddleworth), where there are
services to Huddersfield, Manchester Victoria, Slaitwaite, Marsden,
Mossley, Stalybridge and Ashton-under Lyne.
Bus
Saddleworth has two main bus routes that serve the area. These routes
connect Uppermill to Manchester, Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and
Huddersfield, not forgetting other local villages in the area.
First Manchester and First Calderdale & Huddersfield provide these services
Local Services
Details of local services in Saddleworth
Saddleworth Parish Council
Lee Street
Uppermill
Oldham
01457 876665
www.parishcouncil.saddleworth.org
Library
The nearest library to Saddleworth is Uppermill Library
Uppermill Library
High Street
Oldham
OL3 6HS
01457 872777
Police Station
The nearest police to Saddleworth is Uppermill Police Station.
Uppermill Police Station
Police Station
Buckley Street
Uppermill
Oldham
OL3 6B
Hospital
There is no Hospital in Saddleworth but the area does have a medical practise, The Saddleworth Medical Practise.
Saddleworth Medical Practise
The Clinic
Smithy Lane
Oldham
OL3 6AH
01457 872228