Other historic buildings

Saddleworth has a rich and varied heritage which is reflected in the buildings that make up the district, its villages and hillsides.
Heritage is much more than listed buildings and conservation areas. It is the larger number of nationally unlisted historic and architecturally accomplished buildings that reinforces local distinctness and sense of place.

The local list is a list of all buildings and other structures considered as having special local architectural or historic merit. They are considered to be of significance to the local community and to contribute to the environmental, social and cultural heritage of the borough.

Oldham Council, under the auspices of Greater Manchester Archaelogical Unit have embarked on a programme to identify and catalogue these heritage assets in the form of a Local List of those heritage assets not covered by the national list.
The creation of local lists will involve the application of the same criteria that is used by the Government and Historic England for buildings that are on the statutory list, but from a local perspective.

Age

  • Up to 1870 most buildings which are recognisable as belonging to historic periods will Qualify.
  • From 1870 to 1918 more selectivity is required because of greater numbers surviving.
  • From 1918 to 1945 even greater selectivity is required.
  • After 1945 only extremely good examples will be included.
    Architectural quality
  • Builders and architects using either characteristic or unusual architectural styles or materials.
  • The use of essentially local or vernacular materials and details.
  • How the form of buildings relate to specific functions.
  • Buildings illustrating the work of local or other architects.
  • Buildings whether detached, semi-detached or in terraces may have group value based on uniformity or with formal variations .
  • Buildings may contribute to the landscape or streetscape for instance by containing or enclosing attractive spaces or by responding to a particular location in terms of their setting.
    Historical Interest
  • Rural settlement patterns including farms, hamlets and villages and the evolving pattern relating to agricultural improvement and the transformation of villages to suburbs or commuter settlements.
  • The buildings may define and illustrate periods of growth in the district; and the associated form and layout of built development.
    Buildings and structures representing the industrial archaeology of Saddleweorth, e.g. factories, early mills, mill ponds, weirs, water courses.
  • Buildings also illustrate the evolving forms of housing for different social groups especially in relation to size, layout, external spaces and decoration. e.g. council housing.
  • Various buildings are associated with the evolving patterns of local administration and services and entertainment.
  • The form, layout and details of farm buildings also evolved in relation to farming practices and estate policies, e.g. model farms.
  • Buildings associated with particular local people of note or historic events.

Degree of alteration

The significance of alterations for interest will vary between building types and locations. Often the form and fundamental character of buildings remains recognisable despite considerable changes.

Building types

Typical building types can be recognised for a range of uses.

Houses

Types include rural and urban vernacular houses, architect designed detached, semi-detached and terrace houses aimed at the middle and working classes with a range of three dimensional forms and levels of architectural quality and group character.

Industrial

The areas long association with the woollen industry has left a large number of buildings reflecting the change from the domestic woollen industry to early water mills and later large factories. These chart the progress of the industrial revolution from the later years if the eighteenth century through to its decline in Saddleworth in the mid nineteenth. The construction of scribbling mills in the last two decades of the eighteenth has left a legacy of many former mill ponds, even though the mills they serviced are now long gone.

Transport

The industrial development of the district as well as the emergence of the villages was fuelled by network of turnpike road second to none. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal played a similar role until its eclipse by the railways. They have left a legacy of fine buildings, milestones, canal locks and bridges.

Farm buildings

These evolved from threshing barns, hay barns, stables, cow shippons to cart and shelter sheds as transport and technology evolved in the nineteenth century. Barn doors on laithe houses or seperate agricultural buildings tell a story of this evolution.

Shops

Shops appeared as the Saddlewrth villages were established in the eighteenth century shops. The Co-operative mvement had a major impact n most villages. Historic shop fronts are of special interest.

Religion and Education

Churches and chapels appeared in every village during the eighteenth and ninteenth centuries. Education was largely provided by Church and Chapel during the nineteenth century. Mechanics Institutes provided adult education as well as social activities.
Graveyards provide a wealth of information about social conditions in the past, social structure and mortality as well as fine examples of stone carving and calligraphy. Saddeworth has a wealth of historic church and chapel graveyards, with monuments dating as far back as the seventeenth century.

Liesure

Public Houses often trace their origins to the new turnpikes of the eighteenth century, many inns serving the stage coach traffic.

The significance of alterations for interest will vary between building types and locations. Often the form and fundamental character of buildings remains recognisable despite considerable changes.

Building types

Typical building types can be recognised for a range of uses.

Houses

Types include rural and urban vernacular houses, architect designed detached, semi-detached and terrace houses aimed at the middle and working classes with a range of three dimensional forms and levels of architectural quality and group character.

Industrial

The areas long association with the woollen industry has left a large number of buildings reflecting the change from the domestic woollen industry to early water mills and later large factories. These chart the progress of the industrial revolution from the later years if the eighteenth century through to its decline in Saddleworth in the mid nineteenth. The construction of scribbling mills in the last two decades of the eighteenth has left a legacy of many former mill ponds, even though the mills they serviced are now long gone.

Transport

The industrial development of the district as well as the emergence of the villages was fuelled by network of turnpike road second to none. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal played a similar role until its eclipse by the railways. They have left a legacy of fine buildings, milestones, canal locks and bridges.

Farm buildings

These evolved from threshing barns, hay barns, stables, cow shippons to cart and shelter sheds as transport and technology evolved in the nineteenth century. Barn doors on laithe houses or seperate agricultural buildings tell a story of this evolution.

Shops

Shops appeared as the Saddlewrth villages were established in the eighteenth century shops. The Co-operative mvement had a major impact n most villages. Historic shop fronts are of special interest.

Religion and Education

Churches and chapels appeared in every village during the eighteenth and ninteenth centuries. Education was largely provided by Church and Chapel during the nineteenth century. Mechanics Institutes provided adult education as well as social activities.
Graveyards provide a wealth of information about social conditions in the past, social structure and mortality as well as fine examples of stone carving and calligraphy. Saddeworth has a wealth of historic church and chapel graveyards, with monuments dating as far back as the seventeenth century.

Liesure

Public Houses often trace their origins to the new turnpikes of the eighteenth century, many inns serving the stage coach traffic.

 

 

 

Area 1

Area 2

Area 3

Area 3 – continued

Area 4