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Early Woodhouses

The Woodhouses we see today is a semi-rural village on the fringe of Failsworth. It is surrounded by the greenbelt, with Daisy Nook and Lords Brook providing a much needed break from the urban sprawl of Manchester. Today Woodhouses is a popular neighbourhood which sits in Failsworth. It has good access to countryside, yet is only 10 minutes or so from Manchester City Centre, and around 15 minutes to Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne. The village has grown from a handful of homes and farmsteads to accommodate around 500 people. It is thought that the name Woodhouses related to it's literal meaning of a house in the wood. Early historians suggest that this house as actually a hunting lodge following the discovery of papers dating back to 1377 when John de Assheton was given permission to fence the area to prevent game escaping.

It was from this that the area known as 'Woodheyes' ('hay' meaning an enclosure) surrounded by woodland which eventually became known as Woodhouses, the name still used today. Around the 18th century the thick woodlands surrounding the little hamlet were cleared and turned into fields.

Local traditions

Throughout the history of Woodhouses it has always held a strong connection to the arts and in particular music. For many years the village was isolated from other areas because of it's poor transport links, and so had to rely on itself for entertainment. Local historians report the village being infamous in the 18th and 19th century for live outdoor music, most notably gaining popularity with The 'Cat Alley Band'. Today  this continues with the amateur dramatics group in the village.

According to local researchers all the children in the village, regardless of creed where taught at the village school. Each year sermons would take place and were locally known as the Woodhouse Wakes.

In days gone by, the villagers would have hosted an annual fair known as Fan-Tas. Young men from the village would go from door to door collecting food for the annual feast, which was usually held at a local public house. It was a traditional affair with games , music and dancing. It is suggested that could have been to origins of the annual Daisy Nook Easter Fair.

Although Woodhouses no longer holds an annual fair, local businesses and residents take part in the Failsworth Carnival each summer.

Today Woodhouses has a strong sporting connection with the local cricket club which boasts one of it's outturns as former England Cricket Captain Michael Atherton. Woodhouses is also home to horse riding stables and a golf club.

Buildings of interest

Political Struggles

Woodhouses, like much of Manchester has seen some strong political characters, in 1831 a member of the Woodhouses Reform Union, John Andrew was accused of being a government spy by other members. This not thought to be the case, as he was later found to have 24 pikes during a search by the 85th regiment and taken before the justices.

One of Manchester's most infamous political clashes, in recent times at least, was the Peterloo Massacre which took place at St. Peters Field in Manchester City Centre. Peterloo was intended to be a peaceful meeting to call for parliamentary reform. Whilst groups were gathering in Failsworth and other surrounding districts local villager Joseph Hulme was preparing as a Colonel in the Manchester Yeomary and was present at the massacre in 1819. Joseph Hulme was a wealthy local landowner who lived in Medlock Hall, Daisy Nook and owned the area of 200 acres we call Medlock Valley today. He also owned the Medlock Printing company which employed around 40 local people.

Peterloo is well document and times were hard in 1819, there was little work and families were going hungry. Soldiers mistook the mood of crowd and charged towards them, slashing their swords at the crowd of men, women and children. Some local people were killed at Peterloo, and many more injured.

There is currently a campaign group fighting for Peterloo to be recognised as a massacre, rather than as a disturbance.

Local Government in Woodhouses

Woodhouses was formally recognised as an administrative area by the Local Government Act 1894 in which the village became a new Township in it's own right with an elected parish council which held meetings at the new British School on Medlock Road. The council was responsible for minor works such as lighting, highways and libraries. The first Chairman of the Woodhouses Parish Council was Charles Cliff, who sat with eight other elected members. Woodhouses Parish Council was allocated representation on the Limehurst Rural District Council which dealt with wider issues such as education and health.

In 1954 the Limehurst Rural District Council, and the Woodhouses Parish Council were abolished and Woodhouses, along with small parts of Bardsley (Oldham) and Littlemoss (Droylsden) were incorporated in the Failsworth Urban District Council. This was the largest administrative growth of the Failsworth UDC for hundreds of years. Failsworth UDC was responsible for parks, libraries and highways with health and education being administered by Lancashire County Council in Preston.

In 1974 the Failsworth Urban District Council was amalgamated with six other districts to create the Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. As a metropolitan council OMBC is responsible for all local services received by it's residents including housing, health (social services), education parks and cemeteries to name but a few. Today Woodhouses lays within the Failsworth East ward, represented by three councillors.

David Heyes, Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne currently lives in Woodhouses Village.

To be updated soon!