| Farnworth | |
|---|---|
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  Farnworth Location withinGreater Manchester | |
| Population | 26,939 (2011 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SD7305 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BOLTON |
| Postcode district | BL4 |
| Dialling code | 01204 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
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Farnworth is atown in theMetropolitan Borough of Bolton,Greater Manchester, England,[2] 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast ofBolton, 4 miles south-west ofBury (7 km), and 8 miles (12.9 km) northwest ofManchester.
Within the historic county ofLancashire, Farnworth lies on theRiver Irwell andRiver Croal. At the2011 Census, it had a population of 26,939.[1]
Farnworth derives from theOld Englishfearn, fern andworth an enclosure.[3] Farnworth was recorded as Farneworth and Farnewrth in 1278 and 1279 and Ffornword in a land survey of 1282.[4]
Farnworth was originally a hamlet inBarton. In the 13th century it was held by the Lords of Barton and Manchester. By 1320 Adam Lever, Richard Hulton and Richard Redford held the manor as tenants. Later the manor was acquired by theHultons ofOver Hulton. In 1666 there were 91 hearths in Farnworth liable to pay tax. The commons were enclosed in 1798. There was awatermill on theRiver Croal.[4]
The town expanded rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries around thecoal mining industry. The collieries were part of an extensive mine complex, theWorsley Navigable Levels whose underground canals stretched from the Delph atWorsley and linked the mines to theBridgewater Canal. Other industry includediron foundries andcotton mills.
The owner of Farnworth Paper mills, T. B. Crompton, patented a continuous-drying process which contributed to the mechanisation of papermaking in 1821.[5]
The adjoining open land of Halshaw Moor became an area for recreation for the town, hosting the annual Halshaw MoorWakes that were described as
a saturnalia which was first celebrated in September, 1827, when bull-baiting, badger-baiting, dog fighting, cock fighting, foot racing in almost a state of nudity, grinning through a horse collar, eating a dishful of scalding hot porridge without milk and feeding themselves with their bare hands, and even the more disgusting exhibition of eating a pound of tallow candles, and stripping the wicks through their teeth for wagers, were amongst the orgies on these occasions.[6]
Lying within the boundaries ofLancashire since the early 12th century, Farnworth constituted atownship andchapelry within theecclesiastical parish ofDeane.[2] In 1837 Farnworth became part of the BoltonPoor Law Union which took responsibility for funding thePoor Law in that area.[7] In 1863, aLocal board of health was established for the township,[8] and in 1866, it also became a separatecivil parish.[9] In 1899, under theLocal Government Act 1894, Farnworth became anUrban District. In 1939, the district was granted by acharter to become theMunicipal Borough of Farnworth.[8][10] In 1974, under theLocal Government Act 1972, the municipal borough was abolished and its area became anunparished area of theMetropolitan Borough of Bolton inGreater Manchester.[2][8] Farnworth has two of Bolton Council's 20wards, which each are represented by threecouncillors.[11] At first, the wards were called Farnworth North and Farnworth South,[12] but following name andboundary changes in 1980 the eastern side of the town is covered by the Farnworth ward and the western half side is covered by theHarper Green ward.[13][14]
Under theRedistribution of Seats Act 1885, theRadcliffe-cum-Farnworth constituency was established with oneMember of Parliament (MP).[15] The constituency was abolished in 1918 with Radcliffe becoming part of theHeywood and Radcliffe constituency,[16] and Farnworth having its own Parliament constituency. TheFarnworth constituency[17] continued until it was abolished in 1983 and became part of theBolton South East constituency.[18]
Farnworth measures about two miles from east to west, and one from north to south with an area of 1,502 acres (608 ha) on land sloping towards the north-east by theRiver Croal which forms the boundary. Will Hill Brook forms the northern boundary. The underlying rocks are thecoal measures of theManchester Coalfield. Districts in Farnworth include Dixon Green andNew Bury. The town has grown along theManchester to Bolton road, theA666 and theA575 road toWorsley andEccles. Plodder Lane, theB6199, goes west past theRoyal Bolton Hospital.[4]
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At the2011 UK census, the usual resident population for Farnworth had 26,939 inhabitants, of which 13,155 (48.8%) were male and 13,784 (51.2%) were female.[1] The 2011 census recorded a total of 11,961 dwellings in Farnworth, of which were 663detached houses, 5,345semi-detached houses, 3,982terraced houses, 1,701 purpose-builtflats, 168 in part of a converted or shared house (includingbedsits), 102 in a commercial building, and 19caravans (or other mobile or temporary structure).[1]
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Farnworth's Carnegie Library on Market Street is one of the manyCarnegie libraries in Europe established by the industrialist and philanthropistAndrew Carnegie. The library was built in 1911 and is constructed of red brick with ashlar sandstone dressings, and flat roofed areas surrounding a central dome. It was designated as a Grade IIlisted building on 29 September 1999 and celebrated its centenary on 11 April 2011.[24]
Farnworth Little Theatre, established in 1948, is an amateur theatre group and is situated on Cross Street.[25]
The town has two leisure centres. The first is Farnworth Leisure Centre with a swimming pool and is located on Brackley Street.[26] The second one is Harper Green Community Leisure Centre and is located on Harper Green Road.[27]
Farnworth has a number of parks and recreation grounds.[28] The largest is Farnworth Park, close to the town centre, has undergone redevelopment as part of Bolton Council's Children's Strategy.[28] There is also Ellesmere Park on the west side of the town centre, Bradford Street Recreation Ground in New Bury, and Doe Hey Playing Fields in Harper Green.[28]
Royal Bolton Hospital (formerly known as theFishpool Institution, Townleys Hospital, andBolton General Hospital) is in Farnworth. AnEmergency Department was added whenBolton Royal Infirmary in Bolton closed in the early 1990s and moved to the Farnworth site.
St Gregory's Catholic Club in Farnworth was used to film television comedyPhoenix Nights.
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Farnworth is north of junctions 3 and 4 of theM61 motorway. The main roads run through the town are theA666 (Farnworth and KearsleyBy-Pass), theA575 (Egerton St/Albert Rd/Worsley Rd), the A5082 (Buckley Lane/Long Causeway), the A6053 (Bolton Rd/Market St/Manchester Rd), and the B6199 (Plodder Lane).
Farnworth andMoses Gate railway stations are served byNorthern which operates services on theManchester to Preston Line.
Farnworth has nine primary schools and three secondary schools.Harper Green School is home to theAlan Ball Sports Hall,[30] as well as thePeter Kay Theatre.[31] In 2006, Peter Kay filmed a music video at Harper Green with the Scottish bandTexas.[31]
| School | Type/Status | OfSTED |
|---|---|---|
| All Saints' C of E Primary School | Primary | 105238 |
| Highfield Primary School | Primary | 105182 |
| Our Lady of Lourdes' RC Primary School | Primary | 105245 |
| Queensbridge Primary School | Primary | 133925 |
| St. Peter's C of E Primary School | Primary | 105239 |
| St Gregory's RC Primary School | Primary | 105244 |
| St James's C of E Primary School | Primary | 105208 |
| The Ferns Primary Academy (formerly known as Plodder Lane Primary School) | Primary | 105183 |
| The Orchards Federation (Green Fold Special School, Cherry Tree Primary School and The Orchard's Nursery) | Primary | 105187 |
| Harper Green School | Secondary | 105257 |
| Mount St Joseph School | Secondary | 105263 |
| St James's C of E School and Sports College | Secondary | 105266 |
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TheAnglican Diocese of Manchester has three active places of worship in Farnworth. The oldest is theParish Church of St John the Evangelist on Church Street and was consecrated in 1826.[32] The two other active Anglican churches in Farnworth are St Catharine'sLEP Church, Highfield Road, Dixon Green, which is shared with theMethodist Church, and St George's Church, Daisy Avenue, just off Plodder Lane.[33]
There had been other Anglican churches in the town but have closed: St Thomas' Church, Church Walk, Dixon Green, opened in 1878 and closed in 1996 but reopened by Farnworth Christian Fellowship in 2008;[34] All Saints' Church,Moses Gate, opened in 1909 and closedc. 2007; St Peter's Church, Bradford Street, New Bury, opened in 1886, closed in 2007, and demolished in 2012; St James' Church, New Bury, opened in 1864/5 and closed in 2013.[35][36]
TheRoman Catholic Diocese of Salford has only one church in Farnworth, Our Lady of Lourdes' Church on Plodder Lane.[37] There had been another, St Gregory the Great's Church on Presto Street, but it closed in 2004.[37]
Other Christian places of worship in the town include Farnworth Christian Fellowship on Church Walk,[38] Trinity Methodist Church on Market Street,[39] FarnworthBaptist Church on Trafford Street,[40] theUnited Reformed Church on Albert Road,[41] and theSalvation Army Citadel on Brackley Street.[42]
The Sughra Mosque on Granville Street, the onlymosque in Farnworth, serves theMuslim community.[43]
Farnworth F.C. is a youth football club that plays its home games at Darley Park, with winter training taking place at Harper Green School.[44]
Farnworth Cricket Club, founded in 1870, plays its home games at Bridgeman Park. It participates in theBolton Cricket League, as do Farnworth Social Circle.[citation needed]
Farnworth's Harper Green playing field also hosts the home games of Bolton Hockey Club men's section.[citation needed]
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