Littleborough from Cleggswood Hill
LITTLEBOROUGH's HISTORY
Historic Houses, Leisure, Churches, Chapels & Schools
Large Houses
Town House pictured left known originally as Ton House, is the oldest recorded location dating from 970 AD during the Anglo-Saxon period. Archaeological excavations have, however, discovered traces of stone age , nomadic people with some traces of Roman and early medieval activity. Ton House, ie the House in the Clearing, Ton House is thus earlier than Clegg Hall built by Bernulf de Clegg in the 11/12th Centuries and predated the Parish church by almost 500 years. Town House was reconstructed numerous times over the years but the present building results the changes required by Gordon and Ernst from early 20th-century modifications by Gordon and Ernst Harvey to meet their needs as successful mill owners and politicians.
See History Trail No 7 which passes by this house.
Windy Bank pictured middle left is another ancient house with records indicating Henry de Windebonk resided there as early as 1335. Approximately two centuries later, the property passed to the Butterworth family of Ealees, who oversaw a significant reconstruction in 1611. The house features a prominent date stone marked 'IB 1635' from John Butterworth's tenure. Over the years Windy Bank used by more than one family but it later returned to single occupancy. Thus, whilst the outside exhibits the older features much of the inside is relatively new. The early Pack Horse Road passed through its front garden which was replaced by the Blackstone Edge Turnpike. In the mid 1700s the Turnpike road was diverted to run at a lower level to the north of Windy Bank, to take an 'easier' route to Gatehouse now known as Blackstone Edge Old Road. A public footpath still passes through the garden.
See Industrial History booklet No 7 and History Trails Nos 4 and No 5
Stubley Old Hall pictured bottom left was first recorded in 1277 when Nicholas de Stobbeley witnessed a local charter. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the hall housed a private Catholic Chapel. It was home to the Holt family for generations, with Robert Holt rebuilding the structure as evidenced by a 1528 date stone. In the mid-19th century, the Schofield's owned the Hall and near the end of their tenure the hall accommodated refugees from Belgium displaced by the first World War. When they moved out their place was taken by wounded soldiers. The Schofield's sold the house and land being owned by a rubber factory, later a Rayon mill before by a bought by a Jewish family being who escaped from Germany prior to World War II. They converted the Rayon Mill into the Tannery. it briefly functioned as a public house before returning to being a private domestic residence.
See Industrial History booklets Nos 3 and 4 and History Trail No 2
LEISURE
Hare Hill Park (Right top) was originally the private grounds of Hare Hill House built by the Newall family. In 1900 the house and grounds were acquired by Littleborough Urban District Council as their offices with the grounds becoming a public park in 1901. The Bandstand was presented by Mr J Cryer - King Edward VII Coronation - DS 1902 both the Carnegie Free Library and Bowling green were opened in 1903. over the years numerous changes have taken place with boating lake and putting green being removed. The tennis courts have been replaced by a playground for younger children with a skate-park and playground provided for older children and youths. The park remains popular with residents and a Friends group helps its maintenance. Littleborough also has indoor sports facilities in the former High School buildings and Littleborough Cricket Club Founded in 1859. Its first ground was at Will Hill but it later moved its current location. Mr Henry Newall was its 1st club president. Beyond the park the Pennine Moors and Rochdale Canal offer ample opportunities for leisuractivities. Industrial History No 5 includes a section detailing the restoration of Hare Hill House.
Hollingworth Lake, (the Weavers Seaport), bottom right was constructed by the Rochdale Canal Company in the early 1800s to supply water to their Canal located downhill to the north. However, it soon became a popular spot for local residents. Its popularity increased with the arrival of the railway at Littleborough Station and later withe opening of Smithy Bridge station brought visitors from afield which encourage the development of more hotels often with their own dancing stages. A large diving stage was also built with rowing boats and steamers arriving in 1856. An article in the local press reported on a Manchester Group who dined at the Lake Hotel (located on the far side of the lake) who took the ferry boat both ways. When supper ended a telegraph call brought the ferry giving ample time to walk to Smithy Bridge station. 1862 saw the Rowing club set up accompanied with a Rowing Regatta. Wider interest in the is illustrated by the Liverpool Model Yacht Club holding a regatta in 1884. Coal miners and other association of held meetings at the lake with large numbers arriving and staying in local hotels and presumably local houses, such was the numbers. With the availability of cars and coaches the lake's popularity diminished but for some years now, visitor numbers have increased - See History Trails Nos 3, 9 & 10 and the 'Weavers Seaport' booklet.
Many History Trails pass by and include details of the Churches and Chapels especially No 15
Churches and Chapels
Holy Trinity Parish Church top left, was the first church in Littleborough built in 1471. It was located just to the south of where the present church now stands. The tower and nave was built between 1818 and 1820 with the new chancel added 1890. As Littleborough grew in size and population, additional Anglican churches were built to cater for a growing congregation including St Andrew’s in Dearnley in 1880 and St James Calderbrook in 1865 and Shore in 1901. St Andrews began services in a 'Tin' church before the existing building opened in 1894 Holy Trinity, St Andrews and St James established their own school and a school was built in Shore for £1,500 (instigated by Rev Salts, vicar of Holy Trinity Parish Church). With growing demand for their own church Hollingworth Church bought and refurbished St Mary's 'Tin' church which opened in 1931 being split into two to create meeting room. Hollingworth Church was administered from Milnrow. Hollingworth church has now closed and the church is in a poor state of repair. The Catholic congregation original went to Rochdale for service but eventually met in a room in Littleborough. Determined to have their own buildings, St Mary’s combined school and Church opened 1882. With an increasing congregation St Mary's obtained a 'Tin' Church within which service start in 1910. The congregation later decided to have a more permanent structure which opened in 1930.
Non-conformism increased Littleborough and Todmorden with the open air preaching of John Wesley and others. Initially meeting in private or public houses, congregants determined to have their own chapels with the earliest being the Methodical Piazza Pictured left middle, of 1805 next to Littleborough Bridge and the road to the canal. With the building of the railway in the 1830s the new viaduct dominated the chapel which eventually closed in 1861. Most parishioners eventually moved to the Victoria St Chapel which opened in 1869. Another early chapel was Mount Gilead in Smithy Nook which opened in 1818. Summit saw its own chapel on Temple Lane in 1839. Over the next 30 years or so more chapels opened until eventually there were some 16 non-conformist chapels across Littleborough. Today, only three of these sixteen original spiritual centres remain, Victoria Congregational Church, Dearnley Methodist, and Smithy Bridge. As with St Andrews and St Mary's. Durn Baptist started with a 'Tin' chapel (pictured bottom left) in 1867/8 which was replaced in 1886.
Before the 17th century, formal education in Littleborough was sparse, with only two minor schools operating in Ealees and Hollingworth. The landscape shifted in 1814 when the Holy Trinity Parish Church school opened, marking the start of education for most local children. Other early venues included the Methodist Piazza, which likely served as a Sunday School, and Temple School, which launched in 1839 alongside Ebenezer’s. These non-conformist chapels originally focused on religious instruction on Sundays before expanding into general weekday studies. As various Anglican and Catholic churches—such as St Andrew's, St James, and St Mary's—established themselves, they too provided schooling for the children of their parishioners. The late 19th century saw a significant expansion in the number of schools available to the community. By the end of the 1800s, after overcoming initial resistance from religious authorities, Littleborough established its own School Board. This board assumed control of Temple School around 1894 (pictured bottom right) and replaced aging facilities in Peel Street with modern educational structures. New Board Schools were constructed, including Smithy Bridge in 1896 and Stansfield in 1897. The final addition was the Littleborough Central School in 1902, which consolidated pupils from Victoria and Peel Street. This central hub served the town until the mid-1990s, when students transferred to the former Littleborough High School site. In the early 2020s, the new Littleborough Community Primary (pictured top right) was completed, leading to the demolition of most of the High School building, which had operated from 1956 to 1990. Additionally, St James school merged with Stansfield during the 19th century.
Various History Trails explore these educational landmarks; for those specifically in Summit, refer to History Trail No 15.
Schools
