Glodwick

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.53712
longitude= -2.08446
official_name= Glodwick
population=
metropolitan_borough= Oldham
metropolitan_county= Greater Manchester
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Oldham East and Saddleworth
constituency_westminster1= Oldham West and Royton
post_town= OLDHAM
postcode_district = OL1-OL2, OL4
postcode_area= OL
dial_code= 0161
os_grid_reference= SD944045
static_

static_image_caption=Glodwick, with the Pennines in the background

Glodwick (pronounced "Glod-ick") is an area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It is immediately south of Oldham Town Centre.

Glodwick is a multi-ethnic residential area in the south of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, home particularly to a large community of people of Pakistani heritage. There is also a considerable but much smaller community of people of Bangladeshi and African heritage.

Glodwick is marked architecturally by Oldham's history with the Industrial Revolution, particularly cotton spinning. Much of Glodwick's housing remain as red-brick terraces, built originally as dwellings for Oldham's many cotton mill workers.

History

Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Glodwick, one of the oldest parts of Oldham, was recorded in 1212 as being one of five parts of the thegnage estate of Kaskenmoor, which was held on behalf of King John by Roger de Montbegon and William de Nevill.cite book|title=A Centenary History of Oldham|date=1949|publisher=Oldham County Borough Council|first=Hartley|last=Bateson|isbn=5-00-095162-X] cite book |last=Brownbill|first=J|coauthors=William Farrer|title=A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5|publisher=Victoria County History|date=1911|pages=92–108|isbn=978-0712910552] The other parts of this estate were Crompton, Oldham, Sholver, and Werneth.cite book | last=Ballard |first=Elsie |title=A Chronicle of Crompton |publisher=Burnage Press Limited| location= Royton |date= 1986 |origyear=1967 |isbn= 5-00-096678-3 |edition= 2nd ] Glodwick later formed part of the township of Oldham within the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham, in the hundred of Salford.

In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, Glodwick provided a base for many of the cotton mills that made Oldham the most productive mill town in the world. Spinning companies like Samuel Milne, James Collinge & Sons and Bagley & Wright brought employment to the area. [Gurr, D. and Hunt, J. The Cotton Mills of Oldham, edition 3, ISBN-10: 0902809466]

William Joyce, fascist politician and Nazi propagandist was a short-term resident of Glodwick. [ [http://www.oldhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/509590_oldham_drinkers_were_hanging_on_alberts_every_word Oldham drinkers were hanging on Albert’s every word - News - Oldham Advertiser ] ]

Riots

In May 2001, Glodwick was the centre of controversy as it was at the heart of the "Oldham Riots" - large scale rioting said to be fuelled by long-term under-lying racial-tensions between local white and South Asian communities. The rioting gained international media coverage, and was said to be the worst racially-motivated riots in the United Kingdom for fifteen years prior, briefly eclipsing the sectarian violence seen in Northern Ireland. [ [http://www.oldhamir.org.uk/OIR%20Report.pdf "The Ritchie Report"] Oldhamir.org.uk, December 11, 2001, URL accessed June 13, 2006]

It has been asserted by both locals and the media that Glodwick is a "no-go area" for White people due to certain sects of the local South Asian population being hostile towards them. However, this remains a myth of preference. [ [http://www.irr.org.uk/2001/august/ak000001.html "The summer of rebellion: special report"] , Independent Race and Refugee News Network, August 1, 2001, URL accessed December 26, 2006]

Landmarks

One of Glodwick's best known features is Alexandra Park. Another prominent and well used buildings is Glodwick Pool (formerly Glodwick Baths) - a purpose built structure administered by Oldham Community Leisure.

Greengate Street Mosque is one Oldham's largest mosque.Fact|date=February 2008

The church of St Mark stands on the hill above Oldham at Glodwick. It is the parish church for the area.

Lowside Brickworks

Close to Glodwick is a disused quarry which has been designated as a Site of special scientific interest (SSSI) known as Lowside Brickworks. The site is only 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres) but has considerable geological interest. It has yielded bivalves from the Carboniferous showing how they interacted with the sediment, which also helps understanding of their morphological variation. Lowside Brickworks is one of 21 SSSIs in the Greater Manchester area. [cite web | title=Lowside Brickworks citation sheet| work=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000782.pdf | accessdate=2006-11-17] [cite web | title=Map of Lowside Brickworks| work=Nature on the Map | url=http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?
]

Transport

There are a few bus services that serve the Glodwick area. First Manchester's frequent 425 service runs through Glodwick to Holts Estate via Abbeyhills and to Fitton Hill via Oldham. First Manchester's 408 service runs an hourly service to Stalybridge via Abbeyhills and Buckstones via Oldham, Royton and Shaw. Bluebird's 410 and 411 services provide a circular service around various parts of east Oldham running along Waterloo Street in Glodwick. During evenings and Sundays, that part of the journey is served by First's 149 service running to Holts Estate via Alt and to Manchester via Oldham, Moston and Cheetham Hill.

The nearest train station is Oldham Mumps, providing links to Manchester and Rochdale.

References