Hollinwood, Greater Manchester

Heron Mill, Hollinwood

Historically part of Lancashire, Hollinwood in pre-industrial times was a moor or common on the borders of Chadderton and Oldham. The rights to the land were disputed by the townships with Chadderton claiming 8 acres, but a 1713 court settlement stipulated that Hollinwood Moor should be within Oldham.[4] The mid to late 18th century saw Hollinwood develop into a village. Mid 19th century gazetteers described Hollinwood as 'an extensive village in the townships of Chadderton and Oldham'.[5] In 1880 there were further exchanges of land in the Hollinwood area between Oldham Borough and Chadderton township.[1]

James Butterworth (1826) described it as being of 66.5 Cheshire acres (approx. 140 statute acres). It was enclosed by the Oldham Enclosure Acts (42 and 43 George III; May 1802). Hollinwood's mills such as the Heron, Fox, Asia, Wharf, Richmond and Park were later built on what had been the Hollinwood Common. The Chapel Road playing fields is one of the few open spaces remaining in the district. The pitches occupy the site of a former reservoir serving a now-defunct stretch of the Hollinwood Branch Canal.

The Roxy Cinema was demolished in 2007.

Long existing as an industrial district, Hollinwood is today home to the Northern Counties Housing Association,[6] and Mirror Colour Print Ltd; the printing division of the Trinity Mirror group, which prints and distributes thirty-six major newspapers, and employs five hundred staff.[7]

From the late 19th century, the area was largely occupied by workers in Oldham's cotton mills and miners at the large collieries at Oak and Bower, and several smaller ones. Much of Hollinwood's more recent growth was due to the Ferranti factory which produced power transformers in its heyday. Later the factory produced container lifting trucks as the building had the height to do so. The transformer works building, built after the war on the old Bower site, is now used as a newspaper printing plant. A neighbouring, much older, Ferranti factory produced electricity meters. The meter factory was sold to Siemens in the 1980s and became known as FML; Siemens later closed the FML factory.

Hollinwood was struck by an F1/T2 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.[8] The tornado later moved over Oldham town centre, causing further damage.

Until its closure in 2005 Hollinwood was home to the popular Roxy Cinema. The Roxy opened on 20 December 1937 screening the film 'Fire Over England'. Seating was provided in stalls and circle levels for 1,406 and there was a cinema cafe. Saturday matinées for children were extremely popular. In 1978 the cinema was split into two screens, then in 1981 it became a three screen cinema. Further sub-division occurred to create six screens which seated:470, 130, 260, 260 320 and 96. In 1998 a seventh screen was added. In 2002 the Roxy received a £100,000 upgrade. After closure the Roxy was subsequently demolished in February 2007.[9]

Several other cinemas existed in the Hollinwood area during the early to mid 20th century period including the La Scala and The Queens.

There was a very busy Hollinwood market, on Hollins road near to the junction with Oldham Road, one day a week for many years.

This milestone, part of the Smut Inn public house, indicates the distance between Oldham and Manchester Town Hall.

The Bowling Green Inn, Hollinwood

The now closed Smut Inn, Top of Hollinwood

Hollinwood was once a chapelry of the ecclesiastical parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham, in the Hundred of Salford. The Parish Church, St. Margret of Antioch is still under the patronage of the Rector of Prestwich, though this position is currently suspended.

Until local government re-organisation in 1974, part of Hollinwood lay within the Chadderton Urban District in the administrative county of Lancashire. This area is now divided between the Hollinwood and South Chadderton ward districts.

As part of the town of Oldham, Hollinwood forms part of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. Politically, after the 2023 local elections the Hollinwood ward is represented by three Conservative Party councillors, who flipped all three seats of the previously Labour Party held ward.

The boundaries of the Hollinwood ward were changed in 2003 following a Boundary Commission review. The part of Hollinwood lying west of the M60 motorway now lies in Failsworth East ward while part of Oldham St Paul's ward was transferred to Hollinwood. The ward currently comprises the rest of Hollinwood and the adjoining localities of Hollins, Garden Suburb and Limeside (also known as Limehurst Village).

Hollinwood is part of the parliamentary constituency of Oldham West and Royton.

Hollinwood is included in the 5% most economically deprived wards in the United Kingdom.[10]

The Hollinwood Branch Canal used to pass through the district. The last vestiges of the canal in Hollinwood were destroyed by the works for the M60 motorway. Those parts of the branch canal which still exist are not in Hollinwood.

Hollinwood was changed substantially by the M60 motorway (completed in 2000) which passes to the south of Manchester.

Hollinwood tram stop

Hollinwood is linked to Manchester and Oldham via the A62 road. The M60 motorway links the area to Stockport, Manchester Airport and the Trafford Centre.

The area is served by Hollinwood tram stop on the Manchester Metrolink line between East Didsbury and Rochdale. Services generally run every 12 minutes in each direction during the day. The area was previously served by Hollinwood railway station, which was part of the Oldham Loop Line. However, the line closed in October 2009 and the converted line reopened in June 2012.

There are frequent buses running through Hollinwood between Manchester city centre and Oldham on First Greater Manchester's 83 overground service. There is also a frequent services running towards Manchester city centre with services 180 and 184 and to Huddersfield/Saddleworth via Oldham. These were once Limited Stop (Express) services but lost this status in 2004. Other destinations which can be reached from Hollinwood on the bus are Ashton-under-Lyne, Chadderton, Huddersfield and Saddleworth.

British Olympic freestyle swimming champion, Henry Taylor was born in Hollinwood.[17]

Prolific twentieth-century hangman Albert Pierrepoint owned a public house on Manchester Road named "Help the Poor Struggler".[18] This pub however was demolished when work began on the M60 motorway.

Hannah Beswick (died 1785), from Birchin Bower in Hollinwood, had a pathological fear of premature burial. Her fear was such that her will specified her body be kept aboveground, and that once a year, in the presence of two witnesses, the veil was to be lifted from her face, to look for signs of life. This eccentric will made Beswick a celebrity, and her mummified body was donated to the Manchester Museum and put on public display in the entrance hall, with the soubriquet Manchester Mummy.