Newton Heath
Encyclopedia
Newton Heath is an urban area
of the city of Manchester
, in Greater Manchester
, England. It is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) east north east of Manchester city centre
and has a population of 9,883.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, Newton Heath was formerly a farming area, but adopted the factory system
following the Industrial Revolution
. The principal industry in the area was engineering, although many were employed in the mining and textiles industries in the thriving areas of Clayton Vale
and Bradford.
Newton Heath takes its name from Old English
and means the 'new town on the heath'. The heath in question formerly stretched from Miles Platting
to Failsworth
, and is bounded by brooks and rivers on all four sides — the River Medlock
, Moston Brook, Newton Brook and Shooters Brook.
Manchester United F.C.
has strong links with the area, having been formed from the Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club.
French Huguenots settled in the area in the 16th century to avoid continental persecution
, and brought cotton
and linen weaving and bleaching skills with them. The arrival of textile mills
saw Newton Heath's cottage industry change forever into a fully mechanised mass production system - in 1825 Newton Silk Mill (which exists to this day) was built and the Monsall Silk Dye Works followed soon afterwards.
The Rochdale Canal
made movement of raw materials and finished products a practical reality. Later came other industries, including a soap works, a match manufacturing factory and rope works as well as engineering
and glass making works. Many small back-to-back low cost houses were built to house the new migrant
work force. Thus was Newton changed irrevocably from a farming area into an industrial one.
The 18th century saw Oldham Road (A62)
turnpiked and a toll bar installed at Lambs Lane; this road still forms the main artery through the district. With the Industrial Revolution
, by the beginning of the 19th century the Rochdale Canal had been constructed and this brought industry and creeping urbanisation to the district. During the 19th century the local population increased nearly 20 fold.
From 10 February 1883 until the slum clearances of the 1970s there was a Salvation Army
corps on Thorp Road.
, Avro
(who manufactured the World War II
bomber, the Avro Lancaster
) and Heenan & Froude (who manufactured the Blackpool Tower
)
Wilson's and Co brewery was situated in Monsall
Road and operated from 1834 until 1987 when production was moved to Halifax
.
. It began life as a football team formed by Frederick Attock
a Liverpudlian, who was a superintendent engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
(L&YR). The team played on a pitch at North Road, and were initially outfitted in green and gold jerseys. By 1892, they had been admitted to the Football League
. The club remained in the area until 1893, when it moved to new premises at Bank Street in nearby Clayton
. The name was changed to Manchester United Football Club in 1902.
Newton Heath FC's biggest successes were its election to the First Division
on its expansion in 1892 and winning the Lancashire Cup
in 1898.
In 1891, a Newton Heath player, Alfred Farman
, scored the first penalty in football history during the match between Newton Heath and Blackpool
in the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup
.
which the club intended to move into in time for the start of the 2012–13 season.
Manchester City Council gave planning permission for the stadium on the 25th November 2010. However, due to local government funding cuts, the project was halted at an advanced stage. Manchester City Council were forced to review their offer and the existing Ten Acres Lane site which is now to be developed for other purposes. F.C. United are looking into a partnership arrangement for a similar facility in nearby Moston
with Moston Juniors Football Club.
stands on that land, which is now only remembered in Kirkmanshulme Lane which borders it. The district was incorporated into the city of Manchester in 1890.
Newton Heath is in the parliamentary constituency of Manchester Central
alongside Manchester city centre
, Hulme
, Beswick
, Clayton
, Openshaw
and Moss Side
. The seat is currently (2009) held by the Labour Party
Member of Parliament, Tony Lloyd
. The local Councillors are June Hitchen and John Flanagan, who are Labour Party members, and Damien O'Connor from the Liberal Democrats
.
, New Moston
Failsworth
, Miles Platting
Bradford and Ancoats
. It lies along the south as the A62 (Oldham Road), the main road between Oldham
and Manchester city centre.
The district of Clayton also neighbours Newton Heath. The area between the two districts is called Clayton Vale
; although it was a former centre of industry, the land has since become a rural wilderness.
has a soft drinks factory on Grimshaw Lane. Manchester Abattoir, on Riverpark Road, was the primary source of meat produce for the city but has gradually downsized over recent years.The 50,000 sq ft (4,500 m²) central bakery of Martins Bakery is on Holyoak Street.
The town's main shopping area is on Church Street, where alongside small family run stores you can find Iceland
, Netto
and a Lidl
store. The local market is a local attraction and is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
greens, tennis courts, and a children's play centre. Philips Park was opened on 22 August 1846 at a cost of £6,200 and was the first public park opened in Manchester. The park, covering 31 acres (12 hectares), was named after Mark Philips MP
who was committed to creating parks for the use of the working people of the city.
All Saints church is the oldest remaining structure in the area and can trace its history back to 1556.
Culcheth Hall, which stood alongside the River Medlock in Newton, was owned by the Byron family (of which the poet Lord Byron was a member). Other great houses once lay within the district, including Clayton Hall (owned by the Greaves family), Whitworth Hall and Hulme Hall.
Both Newton Heath
(closed on 3 January 1966) and Park railway station
s (closed on 27 May 1995) were deemed by British Rail
to be surplus to requirements following the decline of the local engineering industry.
Today, Newton Heath was formally served by Dean Lane railway station
, on the Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham line when it closed in October 2009. The station was adjacent to the Newton Heath depot, which maintains diesel unit trains for Northern Rail
. The line is now under construction from conversion from heavy rail to light rail
operation as part of the Metrolink
expansion project. It is estimated that Metrolink trams will serve the area from 2011 or 2012 using the existing the Manchester bound platform of the previously used Dean Lane railway station. A £35.6 million Metrolink station was built in 2005 at Central Park
south of Newton Heath in anticipation of the network extension, but the project was cancelled by the Government due to funding problems until confirmation of the Metrolink conversion in 2007.
s or facilities for further education in the area.
Ten Acres Astro Centre is a council-run sport centre with a full-size outdoor AstroTurf
pitch (marked for Football and Hockey
) and an indoor sports hall (marked out for Netball
, Basket Ball, Volley Ball, Five-a-side football
and Badminton
).
A speedway training track operated in Newton Heath in the early 1950s.
, with a part-time station on Silk Street under the command of North Manchester (A) Division.
Newton Heath Library is on Old Church Street. It lends books and DVDs, and offers public computing facilities. The building is also used for a regular Councillors' Surgery and children's group.
Waste management is co-ordinated by the local authority via the North Manchester Household Waste and Recycling Centre which is the primary refuse depot for north Manchester.
Former England and Lancashire cricket
captain, Michael Atherton OBE
was born in the town and attended Briscoe Lane school before moving to Failsworth and going on to Manchester Grammar School
.
Television talkshow host and journalist Judy Finnigan
was born in the parish and raised in the family home on Amos Avenue and also attended Briscoe Lane.
Journalist, writer and former editor of The Sunday Times
, Sir Harold Matthew Evans
and Alfred Morris, Baron Morris of Manchester
attended the now closed Brookdale Park High School, although Morris was originally from Ancoats
.
Ron Staniforth
, who played in the 1954 World Cup
in Switzerland, was born in the town and went on to play 107 games for Sheffield Wednesday.
Buried in Philips Park cemetery is George Stringer VC
. Stringer was a recipient a number of awards for valour including the Victoria Cross
and the Serbia
n Milosh Obilich Gold Medal for Bravery, and was Mentioned in Despatches. The Newton Heath born soldier earned his awards at the Battle of Es Sinn during the Mesopotamian campaign
of World War I
.
painted a picture of the Mather & Platt's stainless steel foundry entitled Going to Work. The picture is now owned by the Imperial War Museum
in London.
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
of the city of 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...
, 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 2.8 miles (4.5 km) east north 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 has a population of 9,883.
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...
, Newton Heath was formerly a farming area, but adopted the factory system
Factory system
The factory system was a method of manufacturing first adopted in England at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 1750s and later spread abroad. Fundamentally, each worker created a separate part of the total assembly of a product, thus increasing the efficiency of factories. Workers,...
following the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. The principal industry in the area was engineering, although many were employed in the mining and textiles industries in the thriving areas of Clayton Vale
Clayton Vale
Clayton Vale is an area of green space in Clayton, Greater Manchester, through which the River Medlock flows. Redeveloped in 1986, the land has a rich industrial and social history. Today the area is a natural habitat for wildlife.-Natural history:...
and Bradford.
Newton Heath takes its name from Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
and means the 'new town on the heath'. The heath in question formerly stretched from Miles Platting
Miles Platting
Miles Platting is an inner city district of Manchester, England. It is east-northeast of Manchester city centre, along the course of the Rochdale Canal and A62 road...
to Failsworth
Failsworth
At Failsworth lies north-northwest of London. It shares common boundaries with Manchester and Oldham, on its west and northeast respectively. Failsworth is traversed by the A62 road, from Manchester to Oldham, the heavy rail line of the Oldham Loop and the Rochdale Canal, which crosses the...
, and is bounded by brooks and rivers on all four sides — the River Medlock
River Medlock
The River Medlock is a river of Greater Manchester in North West England. It rises near Oldham and flows, south and west, for ten miles to join the River Irwell in the extreme southwest of Manchester city centre.-Source:...
, Moston Brook, Newton Brook and Shooters Brook.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
has strong links with the area, having been formed from the Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club.
History
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
, and brought cotton
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
and linen weaving and bleaching skills with them. The arrival of textile mills
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....
saw Newton Heath's cottage industry change forever into a fully mechanised mass production system - in 1825 Newton Silk Mill (which exists to this day) was built and the Monsall Silk Dye Works followed soon afterwards.
The Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
made movement of raw materials and finished products a practical reality. Later came other industries, including a soap works, a match manufacturing factory and rope works as well as engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and glass making works. Many small back-to-back low cost houses were built to house the new migrant
Migrant worker
The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world. The United Nations' definition is broad, including any people working outside of their home country...
work force. Thus was Newton changed irrevocably from a farming area into an industrial one.
The 18th century saw Oldham Road (A62)
A62 road
The A62 is a major road in Northern England that runs between the two major cities of Manchester and Leeds.The road is approximately 40 miles long. It runs north east from Manchester through Failsworth and Oldham then Saddleworth before crossing the Pennines at Standedge into West Yorkshire...
turnpiked and a toll bar installed at Lambs Lane; this road still forms the main artery through the district. With the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, by the beginning of the 19th century the Rochdale Canal had been constructed and this brought industry and creeping urbanisation to the district. During the 19th century the local population increased nearly 20 fold.
From 10 February 1883 until the slum clearances of the 1970s there was a Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
corps on Thorp Road.
Industrial history
Newton Heath was a major engineering supplier and the home of many companies such as Mather & PlattMather & Platt
Mather & Platt is a large engineering firm, which originated in the Newton Heath area of Manchester, England, where they were formerly a major employer....
, Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
(who manufactured the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
bomber, the Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
) and Heenan & Froude (who manufactured the Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
)
Wilson's and Co brewery was situated in Monsall
Monsall Metrolink station
Monsall Metrolink Station is a future station planned in Phase 3a of the Manchester Metrolink and will serve the district of Monsall in Manchester.-External links:*...
Road and operated from 1834 until 1987 when production was moved to Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
.
Manchester United
The parish was the birthplace of the Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club which was established in 1878 and later became the world famous Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. It began life as a football team formed by Frederick Attock
Frederick Attock
Frederick Attock was the first president of Newton Heath L&YR F.C. . He was born in Liverpool, but moved via Essex to Manchester, where he became the superintendent engineer of the carriage and wagon works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway's Newton Heath depot.Newton Heath L&YR Football Club...
a Liverpudlian, who was a superintendent engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
(L&YR). The team played on a pitch at North Road, and were initially outfitted in green and gold jerseys. By 1892, they had been admitted to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. The club remained in the area until 1893, when it moved to new premises at Bank Street in nearby 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...
. The name was changed to Manchester United Football Club in 1902.
Newton Heath FC's biggest successes were its election to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
on its expansion in 1892 and winning the Lancashire Cup
Lancashire Senior Cup
The Lancashire County Football Association Cup , is a football knockout tournament involving teams from Lancashire, England and surrounding areas. It is a County Cup competition of the Lancashire County Football Association and involves Premier League clubs and Football League clubs...
in 1898.
In 1891, a Newton Heath player, Alfred Farman
Alf Farman
Alfred H. "Alf" Farman was an English footballer who played as a forward. Born in Kings Norton, Birmingham, he played for Birmingham Excelsior, Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers before joining Newton Heath in early 1889. He played in three friendlies before the end of the 1888–89 season, scoring a...
, scored the first penalty in football history during the match between Newton Heath and Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
.
FC United of Manchester
Ten Acres Lane was the proposed site of a new five thousand capacity stadium for F.C. United of ManchesterF.C. United of Manchester
F.C. United of Manchester is an English semi-professional football club based in Bury, Greater Manchester that plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. It was formed in 2005 by Manchester United supporters opposed to American businessman Malcolm Glazer's controversial takeover of the...
which the club intended to move into in time for the start of the 2012–13 season.
Manchester City Council gave planning permission for the stadium on the 25th November 2010. However, due to local government funding cuts, the project was halted at an advanced stage. Manchester City Council were forced to review their offer and the existing Ten Acres Lane site which is now to be developed for other purposes. F.C. United are looking into a partnership arrangement for a similar facility in nearby Moston
Moston, Greater Manchester
Moston is a district of Manchester, in North West England, approximately 3 miles north east of the city centre. Historically a part of Lancashire, Moston is a predominantly residential area, with a population of about 12,500 and covering approximately .-History:The name Moston may derive...
with Moston Juniors Football Club.
Governance
An exclave known as Kirkmanshulme was part of the district. Belle VueBelle Vue, Manchester
Belle Vue is an area of Gorton, in the city of Manchester, England. It lies in the eastern part of the city, close to its boundary with Tameside, and is bordered by the Hope Valley Line on the east and the Glossop Line on the west...
stands on that land, which is now only remembered in Kirkmanshulme Lane which borders it. The district was incorporated into the city of Manchester in 1890.
Newton Heath is in the parliamentary constituency of Manchester Central
Manchester Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester Central is a borough 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. The constituency has always been a safe Labour seat...
alongside 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...
, Hulme
Hulme
Hulme is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. Located immediately south of Manchester city centre, it is an area with significant industrial heritage....
, Beswick
Beswick, Greater Manchester
Beswick is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. The River Medlock and the Ashton Canal both run through it. It neighbours the district of Bradford to the east and the two areas are sometimes referred to as Bradford-with-Beswick....
, 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...
, 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 Moss Side
Moss Side
Moss Side is an inner-city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. It lies south of Manchester city centre and has a population of around 17,537...
. The seat is currently (2009) held by 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...
Member of Parliament, Tony Lloyd
Tony Lloyd
Anthony Joseph 'Tony' Lloyd is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Manchester Central since 1997.-Early life:...
. The local Councillors are June Hitchen and John Flanagan, who are Labour Party members, and Damien O'Connor from the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
.
Geography
Newton Heath is an urban area and is surrounded by Monsall, MostonMoston, Greater Manchester
Moston is a district of Manchester, in North West England, approximately 3 miles north east of the city centre. Historically a part of Lancashire, Moston is a predominantly residential area, with a population of about 12,500 and covering approximately .-History:The name Moston may derive...
, New Moston
New Moston
New Moston is a district of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It lies in the north east corner of Manchester around five miles from Manchester city centre.In New Moston over half of the homes are privately owned....
Failsworth
Failsworth
At Failsworth lies north-northwest of London. It shares common boundaries with Manchester and Oldham, on its west and northeast respectively. Failsworth is traversed by the A62 road, from Manchester to Oldham, the heavy rail line of the Oldham Loop and the Rochdale Canal, which crosses the...
, Miles Platting
Miles Platting
Miles Platting is an inner city district of Manchester, England. It is east-northeast of Manchester city centre, along the course of the Rochdale Canal and A62 road...
Bradford and Ancoats
Ancoats
Ancoats is an inner city area of Manchester, in North West England, next to the Northern Quarter and the northern part of Manchester's commercial centre....
. It lies along the south as the A62 (Oldham Road), the main road between 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...
and Manchester city centre.
The district of Clayton also neighbours Newton Heath. The area between the two districts is called Clayton Vale
Clayton Vale
Clayton Vale is an area of green space in Clayton, Greater Manchester, through which the River Medlock flows. Redeveloped in 1986, the land has a rich industrial and social history. Today the area is a natural habitat for wildlife.-Natural history:...
; although it was a former centre of industry, the land has since become a rural wilderness.
Economy
The town has several well-known businesses, although a number of companies have since relocated to other areas or disbanded. Princes Food & Drink GroupPrinces (company)
Princes Ltd. is a UK-based food manufacturer originally specialising in canned foods and that produces a range of food and drink products. It is the third largest supplier of soft drinks in the UK, and the number one supplier of canned food in the UK...
has a soft drinks factory on Grimshaw Lane. Manchester Abattoir, on Riverpark Road, was the primary source of meat produce for the city but has gradually downsized over recent years.The 50,000 sq ft (4,500 m²) central bakery of Martins Bakery is on Holyoak Street.
The town's main shopping area is on Church Street, where alongside small family run stores you can find Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
, Netto
Netto (store)
Netto is a Danish discount supermarket operating in several European countries. Netto is owned by Dansk Supermarked Group, which in turn is partly owned by A.P. Møller-Mærsk Group.Netto also operates an express version of the store, known as Døgn Netto...
and a Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
store. The local market is a local attraction and is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Landmarks
Two prominent landmarks are Philips Park and cemetery and Brookdale Park. Brookdale Park was formed in 1904 and spans over 44 acres (18 hectares). The park has two bowlingBowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
greens, tennis courts, and a children's play centre. Philips Park was opened on 22 August 1846 at a cost of £6,200 and was the first public park opened in Manchester. The park, covering 31 acres (12 hectares), was named after Mark Philips MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who was committed to creating parks for the use of the working people of the city.
All Saints church is the oldest remaining structure in the area and can trace its history back to 1556.
Culcheth Hall, which stood alongside the River Medlock in Newton, was owned by the Byron family (of which the poet Lord Byron was a member). Other great houses once lay within the district, including Clayton Hall (owned by the Greaves family), Whitworth Hall and Hulme Hall.
Transport
Railways arrived in Newton Heath during the 1840s and the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) laid two main lines across the district. Steam locomotive repair sheds were opened in 1877 at the Newton Heath Motive Power Depot (now Traction Maintenance Depot), which grew to become a major local employer which, by the 1860s, had been expanded to a 40 acre (16 hectare) site with over 2,000 workers.Both Newton Heath
Newton Heath railway station
Newton Heath Railway Station served the district of Newton Heath in east Manchester. It was opened by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway on 1 December 1853 and was closed by British Railways on 3 January 1966...
(closed on 3 January 1966) and Park railway station
Park railway station
Park railway station served the Newton Heath and Philips Park areas of Manchester, England. The station is located on Briscoe Lane. The station was opened on 13 April 1846 by the Ashton, Stalybridge and Liverpool Junction Railway at the same time as their line from to and .The AS&LJ became part...
s (closed on 27 May 1995) were deemed by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
to be surplus to requirements following the decline of the local engineering industry.
Today, Newton Heath was formally served by Dean Lane railway station
Dean Lane railway station
Dean Lane railway station opened on 17 May 1880 and served Newton Heath, Manchester, England. The station was on the Oldham Loop Line 2½ miles north east of Manchester Victoria and was operated and managed by Northern Rail. There were once three stations in Newton Heath: , Dean Lane and...
, on the Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham line when it closed in October 2009. The station was adjacent to the Newton Heath depot, which maintains diesel unit trains for Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
. The line is now under construction from conversion from heavy rail to light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
operation as part of the 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...
expansion project. It is estimated that Metrolink trams will serve the area from 2011 or 2012 using the existing the Manchester bound platform of the previously used Dean Lane railway station. A £35.6 million Metrolink station was built in 2005 at Central Park
Central Park Metrolink station
Central Park Metrolink Station is a future station on the Metrolink light rail network in the Newton Heath area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. The station was constructed in 2005 but is currently unused...
south of Newton Heath in anticipation of the network extension, but the project was cancelled by the Government due to funding problems until confirmation of the Metrolink conversion in 2007.
Education
There are four primary schools, catering for children aged between 3 and 11. There are no secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s or facilities for further education in the area.
Sport
Newton Heath Cricket club, which was established in 1859, is located on Mabel Street and affiliated with the Manchester & District and the Lancashire Cricket Associations.Ten Acres Astro Centre is a council-run sport centre with a full-size outdoor AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitch (marked for Football and Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
) and an indoor sports hall (marked out for Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, Basket Ball, Volley Ball, Five-a-side football
Five-a-side football
thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
and Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
).
A speedway training track operated in Newton Heath in the early 1950s.
Public services
Policing in Newton Heath 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...
, with a part-time station on Silk Street under the command of North Manchester (A) Division.
Newton Heath Library is on Old Church Street. It lends books and DVDs, and offers public computing facilities. The building is also used for a regular Councillors' Surgery and children's group.
Waste management is co-ordinated by the local authority via the North Manchester Household Waste and Recycling Centre which is the primary refuse depot for north Manchester.
Notable people
Notable people of note who were either born and raised in the town include:Former England and Lancashire cricket
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
captain, Michael Atherton OBE
Order 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 the town and attended Briscoe Lane school before moving to Failsworth and going on to Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
.
Television talkshow host and journalist Judy Finnigan
Judy Finnigan
Judith "Judy" Finnigan is a British television presenter and columnist. She has usually co-presented with her husband, Richard Madeley, and the two are collectively known, informally, as Richard and Judy...
was born in the parish and raised in the family home on Amos Avenue and also attended Briscoe Lane.
Journalist, writer and former editor of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, Sir Harold Matthew Evans
Harold Evans
Sir Harold Matthew Evans is a British-born journalist and writer who was editor of The Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981. He has written various books on history and journalism...
and Alfred Morris, Baron Morris of Manchester
Alf Morris
Alfred Morris, Baron Morris of Manchester, AO, QSO, PC is a British Labour Co-operative politician and disability campaigner.-Political career:Morris served as Member of Parliament for Manchester Wythenshawe from 1964 until 1997...
attended the now closed Brookdale Park High School, although Morris was originally from Ancoats
Ancoats
Ancoats is an inner city area of Manchester, in North West England, next to the Northern Quarter and the northern part of Manchester's commercial centre....
.
Ron Staniforth
Ron Staniforth
Ronald "Ron" Staniforth was a former English footballer, described as a tall, cultured full-back. His attacking excursions down the right wing sometimes caused concern to his team's supporters but probably more to his opponents....
, who played in the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
in Switzerland, was born in the town and went on to play 107 games for Sheffield Wednesday.
Buried in Philips Park cemetery is George Stringer VC
George Stringer
George Stringer VC from Newton Heath, Manchester was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:Upon leaving school, George working for a local cloth...
. Stringer was a recipient a number of awards for valour including the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
and the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Milosh Obilich Gold Medal for Bravery, and was Mentioned in Despatches. The Newton Heath born soldier earned his awards at the Battle of Es Sinn during the Mesopotamian campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Cultural references
In 1942, L. S. LowryL. S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road , opposite St...
painted a picture of the Mather & Platt's stainless steel foundry entitled Going to Work. The picture is now owned by the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in London.