Worsley is a town within the
metropolitan boroughA metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of the
City of SalfordThe City of Salford , is a local government district of Greater Manchester, England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Swinton, Walkden, Eccles, and Irlam which apart from...
, in
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
. The
M60 motorwayThe M60 motorway is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton. Most of the City of Manchester is encompassed within the motorway, except for the...
bisects the area.
HistoricallyThe historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires. They were used for various functions for several hundred years and continue to form, albeit with considerably...
a part of
LancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...
, Worsley has provided evidence of
RomanRoman Britain was those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and about 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia...
and
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon may refer to:* historically, the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people inhabiting parts of England during the Dark Ages** their Anglo-Saxon language, commonly referred to as Old English** anything pertaining to the History of Anglo-Saxon England...
activity, including two
Roman roadThe Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news. The Roman road system spanned more than 250,000 miles of roads, including more than 50,000 miles of paved roads...
s. The completion in 1761 of the
Bridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England that connects Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
allowed Worsley to expand from a small village of cottage industries to an important town based upon cotton manufacture, iron-working, brick-making, and extensive coal mining. Later expansion came after the first and second world wars, when large urban estates were built in the region.
Today, Worsley is under consideration to be made a
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
, including Worsley Delph, a Scheduled Monument. A
conservation areaA conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
covers a significant part of the historic centre of the town.
Toponymy
Worsley is first mentioned in a Pipe roll of 1195–6 as
Werkesleia, in the claim of a Hugh Putrell to a part of the fee of two knights in nearby
Barton-upon-IrwellBarton-upon-Irwell is an area of Eccles, within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:The district is the proposed location of the 20,000-capacity City of Salford Stadium...
and Worsley. There are many variations on the name; Werkesleia, 1195; Wyrkedele, 1212; Whurkedeleye, c. 1220; Worketley, 1254; Worcotesley, Workedesle, 1276; Wrkesley, Wrkedeley, Workedeley, 1292; Wyrkeslegh, Workesley, 1301; Worsley, 1444; and "Workdisley alias Workesley alias Worseley", 1581. The spelling of the name, in early documents, indicates a Saxon origin. "Ge-Weore", the Old English form of the name, means "The cleared place which was cultivated or settled." The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles contain no references to Worsley.
Early history
Two
Roman roadThe Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news. The Roman road system spanned more than 250,000 miles of roads, including more than 50,000 miles of paved roads...
s run through the area. Connecting Mamucium (Manchester) with Coccium (Wigan), one passes through Worsley near Drywood, and over Mosley Common. The present-day
A6 roadThe A6 is one of the main historic north south roads in England. It currently runs from Luton in Bedfordshire to Carlisle in Cumbria, although it formerly started at a junction with the A1 at Barnet....
follows part of the course of another Roman road, which passes through the northern part of the area near Walkden and Little Hulton. In 1947 a hoard of 550 Roman coins was found near a
quarryA quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel...
in
BoothstownBoothstown is a small town on the boundary between the metropolitan districts of Salford and Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.Once known for its mining community, Boothstown is now a mainly residential area, popular due to its classic smalltown charm...
, dated to between
AD , abbreviated as AD or A.D., and Before Christ, abbreviated as BC or B.C., are designations used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
250 and 275, and in 1958 the head of a man was found on Worsley Moss. Named Worsley man, and originally thought to be no more than 20 years old, upon the discovery of
Lindow ManLindow Man, also known as Lindow II and Pete Marsh, is the name given to the naturally-preserved bog body of a Late Iron Age man, discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss, Mobberley side of the border with Wilmslow, Cheshire, northwest England, on 1 August 1984 by commercial peat-cutters...
it was re-examined and dated to approximately the second century AD, in the Romano-British period.
Worsley later fell under the control of the
Anglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
, who controlled much of the area around Manchester and who also defeated the British at the
Battle of ChesterThe Battle of Chester , is generally agreed to have taken place in 616, as first argued by Charles Plummer, although near contemporary annals give a variety of dates. It was fought between the Northumbrians of King Æthelfrith and a number of northern ancient British kingdoms, certainly including...
in AD 615.
Edward the ElderEdward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
rebuilt the fortifications at Manchester, and in AD 924 captured all the land between the rivers
MerseyThe River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
and
IrwellThe River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
, making it
demesneIn the feudal system, demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, that was retained by a lord for his own use - as distinguished from land "alienated" or granted to others as freehold tenants.Initially the demesne lands were worked on...
in the Kingdom of Wessex. During the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
the area was covered with forests and marshlands. Thinly populated by craftsmen and
serfA spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
s, Worsley grew as a settlement adjoining an ancient corn mill, close to the location of the present-day Worsley Road Bridge. Most farms throughout Lancashire were small with their tenants dependant upon secondary employment, however in 1719 a John Kay of Worsley had five stirks, two bulls, 17 cows, "young cattle upon the moors", and a 'cow at hire', all valued at £97 5s.
MarlMarl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
was commonly used as a fertiliser, and is recorded in use in 1719. Wheeler's
Manchester: Its Political, Social and Commercial History, Ancient and Modern (1836) states that about one fifth of the land around Worsley,
AstleyAstley is a large village and part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated eight miles west of Manchester, south of Tyldesley and east of the larger town of Leigh, where it straddles the busy East Lancashire Road, , a major thoroughfare linking Manchester...
and
TyldesleyTyldesley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It occupies an area north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, east-southeast of Wigan and west-northwest of the city of Manchester...
was in
tillageTillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by ploughing, ripping, or turning it. Tillage can also mean the land that is tilled. There are two types of tillage: primary and secondary tillage.-Intensive tillage:...
, lower on average than the surrounding areas.
Bridgewater estates
Worsley was, originally, the largest
manorManorialism or Seigneurialism or Feudal Society was the organizing principle of rural economy and society widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe...
of the seven ancient manors of the Bridgewater Estates. It was created by
William IWilliam I , better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy from AD 1035 and King of England from late 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name...
and held for him by the Barton family in
thegnThe term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly employed by historians to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
age, and for them by a
NormanThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
knightA knight was a "gentleman soldier" or member of the warrior class of the Middle Ages in Europe. In other Indo-European languages, cognates of cavalier or rider are more prevalent suggesting a connection to the knight's mode of transport...
named Elias, who fought in the
crusadesThe Crusades were a series of religiously-sanctioned military campaigns waged by much of Latin Christian Europe, particularly the Franks of France and the Holy Roman Empire. The specific crusades to restore Christian control of the Holy Land were fought over a period of nearly 200 years, between...
. On his death in
RhodesRhodes is a Greek island approximately southwest of Turkey in eastern Aegean Sea...
, the manor remained with Elias' son, whose family had by that time adopted the name of the village as its family name. On 23 June 1311 a substantial part of the Manor of Hulton was granted to the Worsleys. The family held both manors until the late 14th century, whereon they passed to the Massey family of Tatton, and then in the 16th century to the Brereton family of
Malpas, CheshireMalpas is a large village which used to be a market town, and it is also a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish lies on the border with Shropshire and Wales...
. The Brereton family added the Manor of Bedford (a small area of land to the west of Worsley) to the estate. Richard Brereton later married Dorothy Egerton, and upon his death the estates passed into the Egerton family.
In 1617
John EgertonJohn Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater KB, PC was an English peer and politician.The son of the 1st Viscount Brackley and Elizabeth Ravenscroft, he was a Member of Parliament for Callington from 1597 to 1598, and for Shropshire in 1601. Knighted on 8 April 1599, he was Baron of the Exchequer of...
, son of
Sir Thomas EgertonThomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley PC was an English Nobleman, Judge and Statesman who served as Lord Keeper and Lord Chancellor for twenty-one years.- Early life, education and legal career :...
, became
Earl of BridgewaterEarl of Bridgewater is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The holders of the second creation also held the title of Duke of Bridgewater from 1720 to 1803...
. The Egerton family was descended from Sir Richard Egerton of
Ridley, CheshireRidley is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, which lies to the north east of Malpas and to the west of Nantwich. The parish is largely rural with scattered farms and buildings and no significant settlements...
. His illegitimate son, Thomas Egerton, was a prominent lawyer who served as
Master of the RollsThe Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the third most senior judge in England and Wales, after the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Lord Chief Justice...
from 1594 to 1603, and
Lord Keeper of the Great SealThe Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This evolved into one of the Great Officers of State....
from 1596 to 1617 and also as Lord High Chancellor of England. John Egerton succeeded to Worsley in 1639, and died in 1649. He was succeeded by the second and third Earls of Bridgewater. The title of Duke of Bridgewater was first given to
Scroop EgertonScroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater , known as Viscount Brackley from 1687 to 1701 and as the Earl of Bridgewater from 1701 to 1720, was an British peer and courtier...
in 1720. He devised a navigation system for Worsley which was not carried out. His son, the third Duke of Bridgewater
Francis EgertonFrancis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater , known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748, was a British nobleman, the younger son of the 1st Duke...
, was to build the
Bridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England that connects Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
.
The Duke purchased the Manor of
PembertonPemberton is an area of Wigan, and an electoral ward of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Douglas, contiguous to Wigan's town centre, and east of the M6 motorway...
(near Wigan) in 1758, the Manor of
HindleyHindley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. Lying three miles east of Wigan it covers an area of 1044 hectares and is within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire...
in 1765, and the Manor of
CadisheadCadishead is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, Cadishead is the most southwesterly settlement in the city of Salford.-History:...
in 1776. Upon his death in 1803 he was succeeded by
George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of SutherlandGeorge Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as the Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the...
. In 1833 the estate was inherited by Gower's son,
Francis Leveson-GowerFrancis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere KG PC , known as Lord Francis Leveson-Gower until 1833, was a British politician, writer, traveller and patron of the arts.-Background and education:...
who changed his surname to Egerton, and in 1846 became the
Earl of EllesmereEarl of Ellesmere , of Ellesmere in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1846 for the Conservative politician Lord Francis Egerton. He was granted the courtesy title of Viscount Brackley, of Brackley in the County of Northampton, at the same...
. In 1836 he purchased the Manor of Tyldesley. He is recorded as saying that he found Worsley to be "a God-forsaken place, full of drunken, rude people with deplorable morals".
Industrial Revolution
Coal has been mined around Worsley from as long ago as 1376., originally in open-cast pits. The coal seams in the area tend to be fairly thin, slanting downwards from north to south, and so deeper mining became necessary during the 17th century.
With the onset of the
Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
and the growing use of
steam powerA steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.The idea of using boiling water to produce mechanical motion has a long history, going back about 2000 years...
, there was a rapid increase in the demand for coal. The Duke's mines were among those supplying the surrounding districts but transport was both inefficient and expensive, and the mines also suffered from persistent flooding. His solution to these problems was to build a canal from Worsley to Salford, and an underground canal into the mines from Worsley Delph. The canal boats would carry at a time, – more than ten times the amount of cargo per horse that was possible with a cart. The Duke and his estate manager obtained an
Act of ParliamentAn act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is a type of legislation called primary legislation. These acts are passed by the UK parliament in Westminster or the devolved administration in Scotland...
empowering them to begin construction on a planned route directly to Salford, avoiding the River Irwell.
James BrindleyJames Brindley was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century.-Early life:...
was brought in for his technical expertise and suggested varying the route of the proposed canal away from Salford and across the Irwell into Manchester. A second Act was secured for this variance, which included an
aqueductAn aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
to cross the Irwell. This was built relatively quickly for the time; work commenced in September 1760 and the first boat crossed on 17 July 1761. The canal opened in 1761 and along with the stone aqueduct at Barton-upon-Irwell, was considered a major engineering achievement. One writer said that when finished, it "will be the most extraordanary thing in the Kingdom, if not in Europe. The boats in some places are to go underground, and in other places over a navigable river, without communicating with its waters ..."
Worsley Delph, now a Scheduled Monument, was the entrance to the Duke's underground mines. Two entrances, built years apart, allowed access to the Starvationer boats, the largest of which could carry of coal. The entrances allow access to of underground canal on four levels, linked by inclined planes.
The burgeoning village became a hub of commercial activity. The Duke employed craftsmen to service a wide range of industries including boat-making,
plasteringA Plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls...
, Blacksmithing, and mining. A local quarry supplied
LimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
, for which a
kilnKilns are thermally insulated chambers, or ovens, in which controlled temperature regimes are produced. They are used to harden, burn or dry materials...
was constructed at the junction of Barton Road and Stableford Road. A quarry at the Delph supplied building materials for the region, including the stone used to construct Brindley's aqueduct. To accommodate the workers needed for these industries the Duke built extra housing and cottages. In a diary entry of 1773,
Josiah WedgwoodJosiah Wedgwood was an English potter, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin-Wedgwood family...
wrote of the area "We next visited Worsley which has the appearance of a considerable Seaport Town. His Grace has built some hundreds of houses, & is every year adding considerably to their number." Worsley Green became a thriving centre of industry.
With the death of the Duke in 1803, his estates were inherited by his nephew,
George Leveson-GowerGeorge Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as the Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the...
, who later became the
Duke of SutherlandDuke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
. The canal and coal estates were placed under the control of the Bridgewater Trust, and in 1833 the rest of the estates were inherited by the Duke of Sutherland's son,
Francis Leveson-GowerFrancis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere KG PC , known as Lord Francis Leveson-Gower until 1833, was a British politician, writer, traveller and patron of the arts.-Background and education:...
who changed his surname to Egerton, and in 1846 became the
Earl of EllesmereEarl of Ellesmere , of Ellesmere in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1846 for the Conservative politician Lord Francis Egerton. He was granted the courtesy title of Viscount Brackley, of Brackley in the County of Northampton, at the same...
. The mines ceased production in 1887, and with the expiration of the Bridgewater Trust in 1903 the village began to change; the Duke's warehouse and the works on what is now Worsley Green were demolished. Worsley Brook was culverted, and a memorial fountain to the Duke was built from the bricks of the works' chimney.
Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited the area on 6 July 1909. They stayed at Worsley New Hall with the Countess of Ellesmere.
Although much of the industry that dominated Worsley was in decline, in 1937
Sir Montague Maurice BurtonSir Montague Maurice Burton founded Burton, one of Great Britain's largest chains of clothes shops....
opened a clothing factory along the East Lancashire Road. Built in the
Art DecoArt Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film...
style, in 1938 the factory employed 3,000 people.
Modern history
Under the
Housing Act 1919Town and Country Planning is the land use planning system governments use to balance economic development and environmental quality. Each country of the United Kingdom has its own planning system that is responsible for town and country planning devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the...
, large
overspill estateAn overspill estate is a housing estate planned and built for the rehousing of people from decaying inner city areas usually as part of the process of slum clearance....
s were built by the council for veterans of
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, but a larger change to the area came after the end of the Second World War, when the City of Salford was forced to rehouse many of its inhabitants. With little land left, 4,518 new houses were built in the Urban District by the Worsley Project. 18,000 people were rehoused under the scheme, which included new facilities, shops, and schools. Another housing estate was built during the 1970s to the north of Worsley Green.
In 1944, during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a
flying bombA flying bomb is a manned or unmanned aerial vehicle or small aircraft carrying a large explosive warhead, a precursor to contemporary cruise missiles...
landed on a house near Worsley Dam. An Anti Aircraft Operations Room (AAOR) was built in the 1950s. Although unused the building still exists, in wooded land to the west of the town, on the site of the former Worsley New Hall.
Governance
From the 11th century, Worsley was a
townshipIn England, township usually means a village or hamlet. A township may be co-terminous with a chapelry, manor, or other minor area of local administration.-History:...
in the
EcclesEccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
parish of the
hundred of SalfordThe hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
, and
countyThe historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires. They were used for various functions for several hundred years and continue to form, albeit with considerably...
of
LancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Lancashire County Council is based in Preston. However, Lancaster is still considered to be the county town...
. Worsley was originally in
EcclesEccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
ecclesiastical parish, and also in
Barton-upon-IrwellBarton-upon-Irwell is an area of Eccles, within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:The district is the proposed location of the 20,000-capacity City of Salford Stadium...
Poor Law UnionA Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. During this time, the administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their financial resources and requirements...
. The
SwintonSwinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
area of the township was in 1867 included in the Swinton
Local board of healthLocal Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
, which from 1869 became the Swinton and Pendlebury Local Board of Health. In 1892 a small part of the township of Worsley was included in the Borough of Eccles. In 1894, under the
Local Government Act 1894The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, Worsley Urban District was created. A part of the township then within the area of the Swinton and Pendlebury Local Board of Health was formed into Swinton township, becoming part of Swinton and Pendlebury
Urban DistrictIn the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council.-England and Wales:In England...
. In 1907 two small detached parts of Worsley civil parish, then inside Swinton civil parish, were added to Swinton civil parish. A Town Hall was opened on 22 June 1911. Worsley Urban District gained 21 acres of land from Barton-upon-Irwell Civil Parish in 1921, and in 1933 gained the area of Little Hulton Urban District. Parts were added to Eccles Borough and Irlam Urban District. In 1955 Swindon and Pendlebury Borough gained a small part of Worsley Urban District, and under the
Local Government Act 1972The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, in 1974 Worsley's Urban District status was abolished, becoming part of Salford Metropolitan District.
Following its 2006 review of parliamentary representation in
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
, the Boundary Commission for England recommended the creation of a modified
WorsleyWorsley is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
constituency, incorporating a part of
EcclesEccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
. The new constituency will be called Worsley and Eccles South. Worsley is currently represented in the House of Commons by
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
member
Barbara KeeleyBarbara Keeley is the Labour Party Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons for Worsley. She was elected at the 2005 general election, after the retirement of Terry Lewis...
for the
Worsley constituencyWorsley is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
.
Geography
At (53.5000°, -2.3833°), Worsley stands about above sea level. Sheltered at the foot of a middle
coal measureThe Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term used mainly in the British Isles for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
running approximately northwest and southeast across the area, the village lies along the course of Worsley Brook, which cuts through the ridge. The ridge also forms part of the northern edge of the
Irwell ValleyThe Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
. The area is bordered on the north by the
East Lancashire RoadThe A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Manchester and Liverpool and known officially along its entire length as the East Lancashire Road) The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for East Lancashire and Manchester...
, and on the south by the
Liverpool and Manchester RailwayThe Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
and part of the Bridgewater Canal. The larger towns of Swinton and Eccles lie to the east and southeast respectively, and to the west the area is largely bordered by
Chat MossChat Moss is a large area of peat bog that makes up 30% of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of the River Irwell, to the west of Manchester, and occupies an area of about...
, open fields, and forest. The
M60The M60 motorway is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton. Most of the City of Manchester is encompassed within the motorway, except for the...
and
M62 motorwayThe M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
s cut directly through the area.
The underlying measures of coal have proved important for the development of the area; it was around Worsley Delph that the settlement first began to grow. Parts of the area are within an indicated
floodplain||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream or river that experiences occasional or periodic flooding...
. Worsley's climate is generally temperate, like the rest of Greater Manchester. The mean highest and lowest temperatures ( and ) are slightly above the national average, while the annual rainfall and average hours of sunshine (1394.5 hours) are respectively above and below the national averages.
Demography
| Worsley Compared |
| 2001 UK census |
Worsley (ward) |
City of SalfordThe City of Salford , is a local government district of Greater Manchester, England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Swinton, Walkden, Eccles, and Irlam which apart from...
|
England |
| Total population |
9,833 |
216,103 |
49,138,831 |
| White |
9,373 |
96.13% |
90.92% |
| Asian |
115 |
1.39% |
4.57% |
| Black |
10 |
1.12% |
2.3% |
| Other |
|
|
|
| Christian |
8,252 |
76.46% |
71.74% |
| Buddhist |
14 |
0.22% |
0.28% |
| Hindu |
60 |
0.32% |
1.11% |
| Jewish |
28 |
2.4% |
0.52% |
| Muslim |
66 |
1.2% |
3.1% |
| Sikh |
4 |
0.11% |
0.67% |
| Other religions |
13 |
0.15% |
0.29% |
| No religion |
930 |
11.01% |
14.59% |
| Religion not stated |
465 |
8.12% |
7.69% |
According to the
Office for National StatisticsThe Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
, at the time of the
United Kingdom Census 2001A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
, the
wardA ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at subnational level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography ....
of Worsley had a population of 9,833, of which 4,801 were male, and 5,032 female. It is the fifth least populous ward in Salford, and the third least densely populated. The ward has a higher proportion of married couples with and without children than Salford as a whole. Of those over 16 years old, 1,929 were single (never married) and 4,267 married. Worsley's 4,102 households included 632 married couples without children, 818 with dependant children, and 356 with non-dependant children. There were 249 lone-parent households with children. 642 households were occupied by pensioners living alone.
Of those aged 16–74, 1,428 had no academic qualifications, 1,078 had attained a level one qualification, 183 children aged between 16-17 and 242 people aged 18–74 were in full-time education. Worsley ward has the lowest levels of unemployment in Salford, in April 2006 0.9% of the economically active population were unemployment benefit claimants, comparing well to Salford as a whole where the figure is 3.7%. The area is considered to be one of the more affluent parts of Salford.
At 12.6 reported crimes per thousand population, the crime rate in Worsley is lower on average than Salford, which stands at 163.1 per thousand population.
Economy
One of Worsley's early industries was
weavingWeaving is the textile art in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads, called the warp and the filling or weft , are interlaced with each other to form a fabric or cloth...
. A cottage industry, cotton would be spun on
spinning wheelA spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or yarn from natural or synthetic fibers.-History:The earliest clear illustrations of the spinning wheel come from Baghdad , China and Europe , and there is evidence that spinning wheels had already come into use in both China and the Islamic world...
s and hand-operated
loomA loom is a machine or device for weaving thread or yarn into textiles. Looms can range from very small hand-held frames, to large free-standing hand looms, to huge automatic mechanical devices. The ancient Egyptians and Chinese used looms as early as 4000 BC.The basic purpose of any loom is to...
s in people's homes to produce cloth. Merchants would then purchase this cloth, selling it at the Bridgewater Hotel, then known as the Old Grape's Inn.
Worsley now has little industry, and is in the main a tourist destination and
commuter townA commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commute out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
. The area has two large hotels; a
NovotelNovotel is one of a number of hotel chains owned by the French hotel group Accor. Whilst most numerous in France, Novotel hotels are found throughout the world.Novotel has taken comprehensive steps to prove its commitment to the environment...
and a
MarriottMarriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
. Worsley Old Hall is now a public house and restaurant in the
Brewers FayreBrewers Fayre is a chain of around 150 licensed family and casual dining pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread. They are known for serving traditional British pub food, including gammon and steak & ale pie which are among the most popular choices.Nearly all Brewers Fayres are on...
chain.
Landmarks
Worsley Village was in 1969 designated as a
conservation areaA conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
by the former Lancashire county council. Bisected by the A572 Worsley Road,, the area covered about 34.25 acres of land and included 40 listed buildings, such as The Packet House, a telephone kiosk, and the Delph sluice gates, but this list has since increased to 48 listed buildings. Much of the area around the canal and Worsley Delph was restored and landscaped between 1966 and 1967 by the Worsley Civic Trust and the local council, ready for a visit by
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
on 17 May 1968. As the canal passes through Worsley,
iron oxideIron oxides are chemical compounds composed of iron and oxygen. Altogether, there are sixteen known iron oxides and oxyhydroxides.-Oxides:* FeO, iron oxide, * Fe3O4, iron oxide,...
from the mines has, for many years, stained the water bright orange. The removal of this colouration is currently the subject of a £2.5 million remedial scheme.
Wardley HallWardley Hall is an early medieval manor house and a Grade I listed building in Wardley area of Worsley, in Greater Manchester . There has been a moat on the site since at least 1292. The current hall dates from around 1500 but was extensively rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 1894...
is an early
medievalMedieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture popular in Medieval Europe.-Secular and religious architecture:...
manor house and a Grade I
listed building in
WardleyWardley is a district of Swinton near Manchester. It borders the Walkden and Swinton areas.-Road:The A6 road passes through the district with frequent bus services linking Bolton, Farnworth and Walkden with Swinton, Salford and Manchester...
. The current hall dates from around 1500 but was extensively rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Worsley Old HallWorsley Old Hall is off Walkden Road, Worsley, Greater Manchester, England. It is a Grade II listed building. In this building the Bridgewater Canal was planned and its building supervised.-History:...
is a Grade II
listed building near Walkden Road. The
Post MedievalPost Medieval is an archaeological term, meaning anything of a period after the end of the medieval period. In England, this effectively means anything from the Tudor period or after. Some archaeologists consider the Post Medieval period to end around 1750 with a Modern period after this, but...
building is said to have been moated, but no signs of the moat now remain.
Parts of Worsley are currently being considered as
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
s. The area includes Worsley Delph (itself a Scheduled monument), parts of Worsley Green, and the Bridgewater Canal itself.
Transport
Following an Act of Parliament of 1861, in 1864 the Eccles, Tyldesley and Wigan branch line was opened by the
London and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a railway company of the United Kingdom which existed between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three railway companies - the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway. During the late...
, along with a station at Worsley which required the demolition of six cottages. The first sod had been cut by the Earl of Ellesmere. An additional branch line to Bolton was opened in 1870, branching from the Tyldesley line at Roe Green. A station at Monton Green was opened in 1887 to cater mainly for commuters into Manchester. The lines were important thoroughfares for the transport of coal in the area, including Mosley Common Colliery. Both lines were closed under the
Beeching AxeThe Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard Beeching...
in 1969, and have since been partially reclaimed by Salford City Council as recreational pathways.
Early public transport included the Farnworth Horse-bus service, with a terminus at the nearby Stocks Hotel in 1885. An electric Tram service was founded in 1903 by the South Lancashire Tramways Company.
Education
One of the first
Sunday school"Sunday school" is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-Development:The first Sunday school may have been that opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham...
s to be established in England may have been at Worsley. Built in the 1780s in a cottage close to the present-day courthouse, and founded by Thomas Bury (a colliery manager for the 3rd Duke) children were taught by a Luke Lowe, a cooper also in the Duke's employ. In 1785 a further three Sunday schools were established in the area, and by 1788 over 300 children were attending the four schools. Francis Egerton built a day school in 1838, which later became known as St Mark's School. This was demolished during construction of the
M62 motorwayThe M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
, and replaced with a new school on Aviary Road, opened 19 October 1968.
The area of Worsley contains a number of primary schools, including (but not limited to) Christ The King RC Primary School, Hilton Lane Primary School, and Mesne Lea Primary School. Secondary schools include
Bridgewater SchoolBridgewater School, Worsley is a British Independent school, located in Worsley in Greater Manchester.The school's motto is: Sic Donec. -History:...
, Harrop Fold High School, and St George's RC High School.
Salford College has a campus in nearby
WalkdenWalkden is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester....
(once within Worsley Urban District). The College's Worsley Campus, the Learning Resource and specialist Media Centre, caters for 16–18 year olds, and provides access to 50 internet workstations, 15,000 books, and resources for e-Learning. It also has a suite of Hair and Beauty Salons, a Performing Arts Theatre, and a Sports Hall and Fitness Suite.
Religious sites
The first church in Worsley was at Ellenbrook, and was built in 1209 by the Worsley family.
Methodism was first practised in the area in 1784, by the notable preacher Matthew Mayer. Later services were held in various locations around the area, and in 1801 a Methodist chapel was built along Barton Road.
The foundation stone for
St Mark's ChurchSt Mark’s Church at Worsley in Salford, Greater Manchester, England is built on a prominent site formerly known as Cross Field and is a significant local landmark; it is now also a point of reference to the many who pass it on the M60 motorway, which bisects the parish...
was laid on 14 June 1844 by George Granville Francis Egerton, the son of Francis Egerton. Designed by the architect
George Gilbert ScottSir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses....
, the church was consecrated on 2 July 1846 by the Bishop of Chester, John Bird Sumner. The church tower is now home to the mechanism for the Bridgewater Clock, which was once in the area now known as Worsley Green. The clock strikes 13 times at 1pm, originally so that workmen did not miss the end of their dinner break. Many of the gravestones in the church grounds were cut from rock sourced at Worsley Delph. Following a proposed hotel development in 1981 the area around the church and vicarage was designated a Conservation Area.
Sports
Worsley Golf Club was founded in 1894 on part of the Earl of Ellesmere's estate at Broadoak Park. The area has a
clay pigeon shootingClay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, and formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun or any type of firearm....
club, west of the M60. A new
racecourseHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling...
proposed to be built on land to the west of the town is currently the subject of a
public inquiryA Public inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government. A public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more public forum and focuses on a more specific occurrence...
.
Public services
Home OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security and order. As such it is responsible for the police, United Kingdom Borders Agency and MI5. It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs, counter-terrorism...
policing in Worsley is provided by the
Greater Manchester PoliceGreater Manchester Police is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, in North West England....
. The nearest police station is at
Little HultonLittle Hulton is a troubled village—effectively a suburb—within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies south of Bolton, west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
.
Public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
is co-ordinated by the
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport ExecutiveThe Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive is the public body responsible for co-ordinating public transport services throughout Greater Manchester in North West England....
.
Statutory emergency fire and rescue serviceThe fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
is provided by the
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue ServiceThe Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide, statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England....
.
Notable people
Notable people from Worsley include the actress
Helen CherryHelen Cherry was an English stage and film actress.Helen Mary Cherry was born at Thurgarton, Worsley, Lancashire, the daughter of John William Cherry, a works manager then serving as a captain in the 45th Provisional Battalion, and his wife, Annie Nall.Educated in Harrogate, Helen Cherry trained...
, and television commentator
Kenneth WolstenholmeKenneth Wolstenholme DFC & Bar was the football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, responsible, during the closing moments of the 1966 World Cup final, for the sport's most famous commentary phrase....
. Statistician
Harry CampionSir Harry Campion, KCB, CBE was a British statistician and the first director of what was the Central Statistical Office of the United Kingdom. He was also first director of the United Nations Statistical Office...
, who played a leading role in the development of official statistics after the Second World War, was born in Kearsley in May 1905 and raised in Worsley.
Arthur Thomas DoodsonDr. Arthur Thomas Doodson spent much of his life developing the analysis of tidal motions mainly in the oceans but also in lakes, and was the first to devise methods for shallow water as in estuaries. Tide height and current tables are of great importance to navigators, but the detailed motions...
was a mathematician and oceanographer born in
BoothstownBoothstown is a small town on the boundary between the metropolitan districts of Salford and Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.Once known for its mining community, Boothstown is now a mainly residential area, popular due to its classic smalltown charm...
in March 1890.
External links