Alexandra Park, Oldham
Encyclopedia
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 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...
, England. It was created in response to the Lancashire Cotton Famine of 1861–1865 as an attempt to keep local textile workers employed. The park is located in the Glodwick
Glodwick
Glodwick is an area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It is south-east of Oldham town centre.Glodwick is a multi-ethnic residential area in the south of the Oldham, home particularly to a large community of Pakistanis and British Pakistanis....
area of Oldham.
Oldham was hit hard by the Lancashire Cotton Famine of 1861–1865 when supplies of raw cotton from the United States were cut off. Wholly reliant upon the textile processing industry, the economy of Oldham strained as the cotton famine created chronic unemployment in the town. By 1863 a committee had been formed and with a loan from central government, land at Swine Clough was purchased from Reverend John Cocker of Shaw and Crompton
Shaw and Crompton
Shaw and Crompton is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Beal at the foothills of the South Pennines, north of Oldham, southeast of Rochdale, and to the northeast of the city of Manchester...
whom made it a condition that local unemployed cotton workers were employed to construct the park which opened on 28 August 1865.
John Thomas Cocker, Esq., of New-bank Heyside purchased the estate of Swine Clough in 1850 from the Ogden Family. This family enjoyed this estate for several generations. It was sold to Adam Ogden the elder in 1670 by Edmund Assheton, Esq., of Chadderton, Swine Clough was an ancient farm a short distance to the west of Glodwick.
Opened by Josiah Radcliffe, the then Mayor of Oldham, the park was named to commemorate the marriage of Albert, Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
to Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
. During its history it has had a "refreshment room", a boating lake (constructed in 1903) and been the site of statues honouring local Oldhamers of eminence.