Droylsden
Encyclopedia
Droylsden is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside
, in Greater Manchester
, England. It is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) to the east of Manchester city centre
, and 2.2 miles (3.5 km) west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne
, it has a population of 23,172.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, Droylsden grew as a mill town
around the cotton mill
s established in the mid-19th century, and the Ashton
and Peak Forest
canal
s. Beginning in the early 1930s, Droylsden's population expanded rapidly, as it became a housing overflow area for neighbouring Manchester
.
Since 1785, the Fairfield area of Droylsden has been home to the Fairfield Moravian Church
, a Moravian community which continues to function in Droylsden today.
Droylsden was settled around 900AD.
Before Droylsden became a part of Greater Manchester, it was popularly referred to by Mancunians as "The Silly Country". One suggestion as to the source of that nickname is that once a year, some of the town's folk used to watch an annual carnival
by bringing a pig and sitting it on a wall to watch the passing entertainment with them. The Pig on the Wall public house
, converted from a farm in 1978, takes its name from that story.
The first machine woven towel in the world – the terry towel – was produced by W.M. Christy and Sons Ltd, of Fairfield Mills, in Droylsden, in 1851. William's son, Henry, had brought back a looped towel from Turkey
in the 1840s, which Christy's managed to copy on an adapted loom. Their Royal Turkish towels became famous, with Queen Victoria having a regular order. The mill closed at the end of the 1980s, and in 1997 Tesco opened a supermarket on the site.
Construction of a marina
began in March 2007, it is expected to be complete in 2012. The marina will have 92 three and four bedroom houses, and 291 one and two bedroom apartments as well as waterside offices, restaurants, and shops.
, Openshaw
and Newton Heath
.
was approved by Tameside Council. This was conditional on the Secretary of State signing an Academy Funding Agreement by 30 April 2009 for the two schools to be replaced by Droylsden Academy. The co-educational Academy, sponsored by Tameside College
, opened on 1 September 2009, and is currently based in the existing buildings of the two former schools. A new Academy building for 1200 students aged 11–18 will be constructed on the girls' school site, scheduled for completion in 2011. Fairfield High School for Girls
was unaffected by these changes and has been granted Specialist Science College
status.
Tameside College also operates a Local Learning Centre for adult learners in Droylsden.
, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire. It became an urban district
of the administrative county
of Lancashire under the Local Government Act 1894
, and was granted its arms on the 16th October 1950. In 1974, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972
, Droylsden became a part of the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside within the metropolitan county
of Greater Manchester.
Droylsden was once a large township
, including Big Droylsden, Little Droylsden, and Clayton
. In 1889 Little Droylsden was subsumed into Openshaw, and in 1890 Clayton was ceded from Droylsden's control to become part of Manchester.
From 1918 until 1950, Droylsden was represented by the parliamentary constituency of Mossley
. Manchester's expansion to the east and the increase in the electorate, resulted in the seat being divided in the 1950 boundary change. The areas adjacent to Manchester, including Droylsden, formed the new Droylsden
constituency, with the remainder forming part of Ashton-under-Lyne
. The Droylsden constituency was abolished in 1955, when Droylsden itself became part of the Ashton-under-Lyne constituency.
David Heyes
MP has represented the constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne since 2001. He is a member of the Labour Party
.
Robertson's Jam
was a significant employer in the area. The factory was established in 1891, on the banks of the Ashton Canal, on Ashton Hill Lane. At its peak it employed around 1,000 workers; that number was reduced to around 400 before closing during 2008. The factory was demolished during the early part of 2010.
who won the Conference North
league in 2006–07, gaining promotion to the Conference National
for the 2007–08 season, although they were relegated back to Conference North for 2008–09.
Droylsden is one of a number of locations which are promoted as the birthplace of speedway
racing in the UK. Britain's first ever Speedway meeting was staged in Droylsden on 25 June 1927, billed as dirt track racing.
, was born in Droylsden in 1921.
Harry Pollitt
, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain
was born in the town.
Other famous people who grew up in the town include pop stars Peter Noone
of Herman's Hermits
, 10cc
's Eric Stewart
, Howard Donald
of Take That
, The Monkees
' Davy Jones
, cult author Jeff Noon
, actress Stephanie Bishop who starred in the Ken Loach
movie Looking for Eric
, professional boxer Prince Arron
, singer & actor Damian (musician)
and Manchester United Forward Daniel Welbeck.
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
, in 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 is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) to the east of Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, and 2.2 miles (3.5 km) west-southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, it has a population of 23,172.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire 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. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Droylsden grew as a mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
around the cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
s established in the mid-19th century, and the Ashton
Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in North West England.-Route:The Ashton leaves the Rochdale Canal at Ducie St. Junction in central Manchester, and climbs for through 18 locks, passing through Ancoats, Holt Town, Bradford-with-Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw, Droylsden,...
and Peak Forest
Peak Forest
Peak Forest is a small village on the main road the from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Chesterfield in England.The village grew from the earlier settlement of Dam at the conjunction of Perrydale and Damdale. There is an inn, a village shop and a Primary School...
canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s. Beginning in the early 1930s, Droylsden's population expanded rapidly, as it became a housing overflow area for neighbouring Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Since 1785, the Fairfield area of Droylsden has been home to the Fairfield Moravian Church
Fairfield Moravian Church
Fairfield Moravian Church and its surrounding settlement was founded in 1785 by Benjamin La Trobe as a centre for evangelistic work in the Manchester area. Numbers 15, 28 and 30 Fairfield Square are Grade II listed buildings...
, a Moravian community which continues to function in Droylsden today.
History
Before Droylsden became a part of Greater Manchester, it was popularly referred to by Mancunians as "The Silly Country". One suggestion as to the source of that nickname is that once a year, some of the town's folk used to watch an annual carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
by bringing a pig and sitting it on a wall to watch the passing entertainment with them. The Pig on the Wall public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, converted from a farm in 1978, takes its name from that story.
The first machine woven towel in the world – the terry towel – was produced by W.M. Christy and Sons Ltd, of Fairfield Mills, in Droylsden, in 1851. William's son, Henry, had brought back a looped towel from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in the 1840s, which Christy's managed to copy on an adapted loom. Their Royal Turkish towels became famous, with Queen Victoria having a regular order. The mill closed at the end of the 1980s, and in 1997 Tesco opened a supermarket on the site.
Construction of a marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
began in March 2007, it is expected to be complete in 2012. The marina will have 92 three and four bedroom houses, and 291 one and two bedroom apartments as well as waterside offices, restaurants, and shops.
Geography
Droylsden is located at 53°28′58"N 2°9′30"W (53.4826, −2.1582), about 4 miles (6 km) to the east of Manchester city centre, close to Ashton-under-Lyne, ClaytonClayton, Greater Manchester
Clayton is a suburb of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is situated about 3 miles east of the city centre, on Ashton New Road. Clayton takes its name from the Clayton family who owned large parts of land around the area, including Clayton Vale, through which the River Medlock flows...
, Openshaw
Openshaw
Openshaw is a ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, North West England. It lies about two miles east of Manchester city centre. Historically a part of Lancashire, Openshaw was incorporated into the city of Manchester in 1890. Its name derives from the Old English Opinschawe, which...
and Newton Heath
Newton Heath
Newton Heath is an urban area of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is east north east of Manchester city centre and has a population of 9,883....
.
Education
In January 2009, the closure of Droylsden School Mathematics and Computing College for Girls and Littlemoss High School for BoysLittlemoss High School
Littlemoss High School for Boys is a comprehensive school located in Littlemoss, Droylsden, Tameside, England. It educates about 550 boys...
was approved by Tameside Council. This was conditional on the Secretary of State signing an Academy Funding Agreement by 30 April 2009 for the two schools to be replaced by Droylsden Academy. The co-educational Academy, sponsored by Tameside College
Tameside College
Tameside College is a further education college located in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England.The college offers a range of courses for students from Ashton-under-Lyne and the surrounding area. These courses include NVQs, BTECs, Apprenticeships and Access courses...
, opened on 1 September 2009, and is currently based in the existing buildings of the two former schools. A new Academy building for 1200 students aged 11–18 will be constructed on the girls' school site, scheduled for completion in 2011. Fairfield High School for Girls
Fairfield High School for Girls
Fairfield High School for Girls, is an all-girls' secondary school in Droylsden, Greater Manchester.-Admissions:There are around 950 girls and over 50 teachers....
was unaffected by these changes and has been granted Specialist Science College
Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
status.
Tameside College also operates a Local Learning Centre for adult learners in Droylsden.
Governance
Droylsden was anciently a chapelry in the parish of ManchesterManchester (ancient parish)
Manchester was an ancient ecclesiastical parish of the hundred of Salford, in Lancashire, England. It encompassed several townships and chapelries, including the then township of Manchester...
, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire. It became an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and 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....
of the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The 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...
, and was granted its arms on the 16th October 1950. In 1974, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The 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....
, Droylsden became a part of the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside within the metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
of Greater Manchester.
Droylsden was once a large township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
, including Big Droylsden, Little Droylsden, and Clayton
Clayton, Greater Manchester
Clayton is a suburb of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is situated about 3 miles east of the city centre, on Ashton New Road. Clayton takes its name from the Clayton family who owned large parts of land around the area, including Clayton Vale, through which the River Medlock flows...
. In 1889 Little Droylsden was subsumed into Openshaw, and in 1890 Clayton was ceded from Droylsden's control to become part of Manchester.
From 1918 until 1950, Droylsden was represented by the parliamentary constituency of Mossley
Mossley (UK Parliament constituency)
Mossley was a parliamentary constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament....
. Manchester's expansion to the east and the increase in the electorate, resulted in the seat being divided in the 1950 boundary change. The areas adjacent to Manchester, including Droylsden, formed the new Droylsden
Droylsden (UK Parliament constituency)
Droylsden was a parliamentary constituency in the historic county of Lancashire in the North West of England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
constituency, with the remainder forming part of Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne (UK Parliament constituency)
Ashton-under-Lyne is a constituency centred on the town of Ashton-under-Lyne that is 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...
. The Droylsden constituency was abolished in 1955, when Droylsden itself became part of the Ashton-under-Lyne constituency.
David Heyes
David Heyes
David Alan Heyes is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Ashton under Lyne since 2001.-Early life:...
MP has represented the constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne since 2001. He is a member of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
Population change
| Population growth Population growth Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement.... in Droylsden since 1801 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 2001 |
| Population | 1,552 | 2,201 | 2,855 | 2,996 | 4,933 | 6,280 | 8,798 | 8,973 | 8,679 | 9,482 | 11,087 | 13,259 | 13,878 | 13,274 | 25,279 | 26,363 | 25,461 | 24,167 | 23,172 |
| Source:A Vision of Britain through Time | |||||||||||||||||||
Economy
During the 1930s, Droylsden's population expanded rapidly, as it became a housing overflow area for Manchester. Today the area is predominately occupied by employed home owners.Robertson's Jam
Robertson's
Robertson's is a UK brand of marmalades and jams that was owned by RHM until that company's takeover by Premier Foods in March 2007. It produces the "Golden Shred" marmalade among other products....
was a significant employer in the area. The factory was established in 1891, on the banks of the Ashton Canal, on Ashton Hill Lane. At its peak it employed around 1,000 workers; that number was reduced to around 400 before closing during 2008. The factory was demolished during the early part of 2010.
Sports
Droylsden is home to Droylsden F.C.Droylsden F.C.
Droylsden F.C. is an English football club based in Droylsden, near Manchester. As of the 2011–12 season, they play in the Conference North.-History:...
who won the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
league in 2006–07, gaining promotion to the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
for the 2007–08 season, although they were relegated back to Conference North for 2008–09.
Droylsden is one of a number of locations which are promoted as the birthplace of speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
racing in the UK. Britain's first ever Speedway meeting was staged in Droylsden on 25 June 1927, billed as dirt track racing.
Notable people
England's rugby union captain from 1956 to 1958, Eric Evans MBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, was born in Droylsden in 1921.
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
was born in the town.
Other famous people who grew up in the town include pop stars Peter Noone
Peter Noone
Peter Noone is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group Herman's Hermits.-Early life:...
of Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
, 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
's Eric Stewart
Eric Stewart
Eric Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer most known for his tenure with The Mindbenders in the 1960s, and 10cc from 1972 to 1995....
, Howard Donald
Howard Donald
Howard Paul Donald , is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist, dancer, DJ and house producer. He is a member of English pop band Take That. As well as working with Jason Orange as band choreographers, he sang lead vocals on one of the band's many number one singles first time round, "Never...
of Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
' Davy Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
, cult author Jeff Noon
Jeff Noon
Jeff Noon is a novelist, short story writer and playwright whose works make extensive use of word play and fantasy. Noon's speculative fiction books have ties to the works of writers such as Lewis Carroll and Jorge Luis Borges...
, actress Stephanie Bishop who starred in the Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
movie Looking for Eric
Looking for Eric
Looking for Eric is a 2009 French/Belgium/British film about the escape from the trials of modern life that football and its heroes can bring for its fans. It was written by screen writer Paul Laverty and directed by English director Ken Loach...
, professional boxer Prince Arron
Prince Arron
Prince Arron is an English professional boxer fighting in the light middleweight division. He was the winner of the tenth Prizefighter tournament featuring boxers in the light middleweight category...
, singer & actor Damian (musician)
Damian (musician)
Damian is an English pop musician and actor, who was briefly successful in the late 1980s. He is best known for his 1989 hit, "The Time Warp", a cover version of the original track from The Rocky Horror Show...
and Manchester United Forward Daniel Welbeck.