Harpurhey
Encyclopedia
Landmarks
Harpurhey Edwardian Swimming Baths, situated on Rochdale Road was built between 1909-10 by Henry PriceHenry Price (architect)
John Henry Price – more commonly referred to as Henry Price – was the first person to hold the office of 'City Architect' in Manchester Corporation's newly created City Architect's Department of 1902...
, Manchester's first City Architect. Listed grade II in(1994), the baths were closed to the public in 2001 after serious defects were discovered and the entrance building is currently being restored as part of the college. The women's pool hall and laundry have now been replaced by the MANCAT's sixth form college and community library.
Bernard Manning's "World Famous Embassy Club", situated on Rochdale Road was bought by Bernard Manning
Bernard Manning
Bernard John Manning was an English comedian and nightclub owner. He was born and raised in Manchester in northwest England....
in 1959. Previous to its purchase by Manning, the Embassy Club was Harpurhey's Temperance Billiard Hall.
Queen's Park, was one of Britains first municipal parks created in 1846; designed and laid out by Joshua Major in 1845. The park was originally arranged around Hendham Hall, home of the Houghton family however this was demolished in 1884. The park incorporated a labyrinth, sheds and greenhouses however by 1930, these had been removed from the park. Today the park has a children's play area, rose gardens and hosts a variety of community events.
Transport
Harpurhey is served by a number of bus services on the main Rochdale Road (A664) corridor, as well as non-radial services to and from Salford Shopping Precinct and OldhamOldham
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...
.
Services Include:
First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
Services 17,51,52,64,123/124,163,164
JPT
JP Travel
JP Travel, sometimes known as JPT or Jpt Bus Company, is a bus company based at Middleton in Greater Manchester, England. The company is owned by Janet and Peter Walsh and runs local services in the North Manchester area. The JP in JP Travel forms the initials of their first names.-History:The...
Services 17/113 (From 7 September 2009) 118
Bluebird Bus Services 77, 112, 188
Additionally when the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
light rail tram system is installed on the Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham Line
Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham Line
The Oldham Loop Line was a local railway route in Greater Manchester, England, used by trains that ran from Manchester Victoria station to Rochdale railway station...
railway line, two stations are proposed close to Harpurhey - one at Monsall and one at Central Park (North Manchester Business Park, which borders 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....
).
Religion
| Religion | Percentage of population |
|---|---|
| Christian Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings... |
75.8% |
| No religion | 12% |
| Not stated | 9.7% |
| Muslim Islam Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~... |
1.7% |
| Buddhist Buddhism Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th... |
0.38% |
| Other | 0.2% |
There are a number churches in the district of varying denominations. The church affiliated to the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
is Christchurch Harpurhey, built in 1838. St Stephen's was founded in 1899 and closed in 1985, where is merged with Harpurhey Unitied Church which became Harpurhey Community Church.
Other churches include Park View Christ the Vine and Deeper Life.
Harpurhey is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford, and the Church of England Diocese of Manchester.
Manchester General Cemetery in Harpurhey was founded in 1837 and is still open to existing grave-owners. Although now a municipal cemetery, it is believed that Harpurhey cemetery was originally a private undertaking which was taken over by the municipal authority in 1868. Harpurhey Cemetery became the final resting place of Hannah Beswick (in 1868), the Manchester Mummy
Manchester Mummy
Hannah Beswick , of Birchin Bower, Hollinwood, Oldham, England, was a wealthy woman who had a pathological fear of premature burial...
. and Benjamin Brierley
Benjamin Brierley
Benjamin Brierley , English weaver and writer in Lancashire dialect, was born in Failsworth, the son of humble parents, and started life in a textile factory, educating himself in his spare time...
(1825–1896).
Education
There are three schools situated in the local area and they cater for children aged between the age 3-11. They are Harpur Mount Primary School, Mount Carmel RC Primary School & Holy Trinity CofE Primary School.The new Manchester Communication Academy is situated at the junction of Queens Road and Rochdale Road in Harpurhey. It is ran in conjunction with BT
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
, Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
and The Manchester College
The Manchester College
The Manchester College is a further education college in Manchester, England. It opened on 1 August 2008 as the result of a merger between City College Manchester and Manchester College of Arts and Technology to form a 'supercollege'...
catering for 11-18 year olds.. There are many other schools in the neighbouring wards catering for 11-16 year olds including North Manchester Boys School, North Manchester High School for Girls and St Matthew's RC High School.
Sports
North City Family and Fitness CentreNorth City Family & Fitness Centre is a centre combining leisure facilities with a Sure Start Centre
Sure Start
Sure Start is a UK Government initiative applying in England, originating with HM Treasury, with the aim of "giving children the best possible start in life" through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support, with an emphasis on outreach and community development...
, situated just off Rochdale Road next to the North City Shopping Centre and Market.
The centre includes a 25 metre, five lane swimming pool with a movable pool floor designed to help young, elderly and disabled people.
There is a health suite which includes spa pool, sauna and steam rooms, and a gymnasium.
The Centre also offers an exercise studio with a programme of fitness classes and martial arts for people of all ages.
Public services
Policing in Harpurhey is provided by Greater Manchester PoliceGreater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
have a part time station which is located on Moston Lane and comes under the command of North Manchester (A) Division. The opening times are 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (Monday to Saturday) and closed on Sunday.
Notable people
The following people were born in Harpurhey:Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
(25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993) was an English novelist, critic, composer, librettist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, travel writer, broadcaster, translator, linguist and educationalist.
Dick Duckworth 6 June 1906 – 9 April 1983 was an English footballer and manager.
Andy Robert Wilkinson (born 1960), better known by his stage name Smug Roberts
Smug Roberts
Andy Robert Wilkinson , better known by his stage name Smug Roberts, is an English stand up comedian and actor. Born in Harpurhey, Wilkinson attended North Manchester High for Boys before taking various jobs such as a relief pub landlord and the coach of a football team in Toronto...
, is an English stand up comedian and actor.
- The Little and LargeLittle and LargeLittle and Large were a British comedy double act comprising straight man Syd Little and comic Eddie Large . They formed their partnership in 1962, appearing as singers in local pubs around the North-West of England...
comic duo started their careers at the Bernard ManningBernard ManningBernard John Manning was an English comedian and nightclub owner. He was born and raised in Manchester in northwest England....
's Embassy Club in Harpurhey alongside another comedy duo, Cannon and BallCannon and BallCannon and Ball are an English comedy double act consisting of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. The duo met in the early 1960s while working as welders in Oldham, Lancashire... - Les DawsonLes DawsonLeslie "Les" Dawson was a popular English comedian remembered for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and jokes about his mother-in-law and wife.-Life and career:...
worked as a butcher in Harpurhey before his comedy career blossomed. - Freddie GarrityFreddie GarrityFreddie Garrity was a singer and actor who was frontman and comical element in the 1960s pop band, Freddie and the Dreamers.-Biography:...
lived in Brewery (now renamed Brewster) Street.