ROYTON
has the distinction of being the world's first
town where a cotton mill was built - at Thorp
in 1764. It was also the town where Britain's
last mill - the Elk - hailed as the most modern
in the world was built in 1926. It was finally
demolished in 1999. Indeed Royton was a significant
element of the local cotton industry with 30
mills in production in the heyday of spinning.
In 1863 Royton became a local government district
and assumed urban district council status in
1894.
The area is based on three hamlets - Thorp and
Heyside and the area where St Paul's Church
now stands - and was held by Sir Baldwin de
Tyas and his daughter and son-in-law John de
Byron during the 13th century and remained in
the Byron family until the early 17th century.
Royton is also noted as a coal mining area producing
about 400 tonnes a week in the early 18th century.
Flooding at Lea Pit and Royton Pit, below Royton
Park, in the late 19th and early 20th century
put paid to this industry.
Modern-day industry has now taken over, mainly
thanks to improved access to motorways, and
like Crompton, is under the control of Oldham
Borough Council.
CROMPTON'S
wool manufacturing heritage can be traced back
to the late 1400s and by the late 16th century
two mills were recorded in the town, at Holebottom
and Millcroft.
By the late 18th century the woollen industry
had died and cotton manufacture was beginning
to take a hold. The industry expanded with innovation
and improved communications but suffered a set-back
in the early 1860s when the American Civil War
stopped supplies to the mills.
The Crompton Local Board was formed in 1864
(the name of the main village of Shaw did not
come into general use until some years later
when postal services were introduced) to help
create more employment and there followed growth
and expansion for the area culminating in a
peak of 36 mills by 1920.
The industry's decline saw the last cotton being
spun in Crompton at Lilac Mill in 1989 with
Park Mill closing at the end of that year. Several
former mills are now used as centres for mail
order companies such as Littlewoods and JD Williams,
taking full advantage of Crompton's proximity
to the motorway network and the M62.
Source :
www.rochdaleobserver.co.uk
71 Church St, Littleborough 
