Whitegate, Greater Manchester

Two primary schools serve the area, Yew Tree Community School and Whitegate End School and Infants.

A secondary school, The Collective Spirit Free School (CSFS) opened in September 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/78662/feelings-run-high-over-free-school-plan|title=Feelings run high over free school plan|website=www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk}} The Department of Education, however, closed the school in July 2017 after it was classed as failing and placed in special measures by the education watchdog Ofsted.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/104490/council-demands-land-be-given-back|title=Council demands land be given back|website=www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk}}

The school site was previously occupied by the area's long-standing secondary school, South Chadderton School which has relocated to neighbouring Hollinwood following amalgamation with the Kaskenmoor School and is now known as Oasis Academy Oldham.

Prior to 1964, the area around Whitegate End was served by Butterworth Lane County Primary School.{{Cite web|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3694795|title = Catalogue description Chadderton, Butterworth Lane County Primary School}}

File:Whitegate Lane (geograph 1947698).jpg

File:Ace Mill, Chadderton - geograph.org.uk - 216383.jpg

File:Boat & Horses (1), Broadway, Chadderton near Oldham (geograph 3113880).jpg

File:Gorse Mill - geograph.org.uk - 905806.jpg

File:Broadgate, Broadgate Business Park - geograph.org.uk - 1157293.jpg

Whitegate is located in what was previously an isolated rural part of Chadderton archaically known as Hale Moss, which was an extensive common lying between Hollinwood and White Moss in the south of the township. During the Middle Ages much of this area was a constituent part of the archaic district known as Theale Moor ('The Hale Moor'), which extended into the township of Moston to the south.{{Cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol5/pp115-121|title=The parish of Prestwich with Oldham: Chadderton | British History Online|website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}

Records mentioning Whitegate date from 1556.P28 Chadderton Chapters (1972), Lawson M, {{ISBN|0 9502475 0 2}}

1801 saw the opening of the Rochdale Canal through Whitegate. The stretch of the canal through Slacks Valley was one of the most difficult sections to build as it had to cross two streams. Work at Slacks Valley actually began in 1795 but it took six years to overcome the problems there.P8. McPhillips, K. (1977), Oldham: The Formative Years, Neil Richardson, {{ISBN|1-85216-119-1}}

1750 saw the opening of the Boat And Horses public house, making this Chadderton's oldest licensed premises, a distinction shared with the Dog inn at Cowhill. In its early years the pub was known as The Crown. During the Rochdale Canal's construction, a new inn had been built alongside, together with a wharf and small warehouse. It was given the name the Pleasure Boat Inn, but was also known as the Boat House for a few years, until in 1826 it received its present name. The construction of the M60 motorway in the late 1990s, caused substantial damage to the foundations of the Boat and Horses and it had to be completely rebuilt. During this work, a travel lodge was added to the scheme, which also included a restaurant and pleasant canal side terrace.{{cite web |url=http://www.chadderton-historical-society.org.uk/currentewsletters.html |title=Current Newsletters |website=www.chadderton-historical-society.org.uk |access-date=25 October 2018}}

The author and local historian James Butterworth, writing in 1817 described Whitegate End as 'a noted ancient residence, lying near to the boundary of the township west'.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/historicaldescri00butt/historicaldescri00butt_djvu.txt|author= James Butterworth|title=An historical and descriptive account of the town and parochial chapelry of Oldham, in the county of Lancaster|year=1817|via=archive.org}} Although now partly hidden among twentieth century housing, the farmhouse of Owler Lane Farm still stands and is believed to date back to 1700.P16 Lawson, Michael; Johnson, Mark (1997), Images of England: Chadderton, Tempus, {{ISBN|0-7524-0714-7}} |Retrieved 8 June 2016

The early part of the 20th century saw the growth of a substantial cotton mill district at Whitegate, with the Gorse, Rugby, Ram and Ace mills all built between 1907 and 1913. All of the mills survive with the exception of the Rugby which was demolished in January 2014.{{Cite web|url=http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/15096-oldham-mill-makes-way-for-new-development.html|title=Place North West | Oldham mill makes way for new development|date=21 January 2014}}

The arterial road Broadway (A633) was constructed in 1925.Lawson, Michael; Johnson, Mark (1997), Images of England: Chadderton, Tempus, {{ISBN|0-7524-0714-7}}. The same year also saw the construction of the first Chadderton Power Station built in the Slacks Valley close to Whitegate. Hollinwood Avenue (A6104) was also constructed during this period.

1933 saw exchanges of land between Chadderton Urban District and Manchester City Council (18 acres) in the Whitegate and New Moston area. Land lying between Owler Lane and the railway line was transferred to Chadderton with a similar sized area lying south of Hollinwood Avenue being transferred to Manchester.{{cite web| url = http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10186780| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930200939/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10186780| archive-date = 2007-09-30| title = Chadderton UD Lancashire through time {{!}} Local history overview for the Local Government District}}

The Whitegate public house opened in 1937 at the junction of Broadway and Hollinwood Avenue.P.63 Chadderton Pubs And Their Licensees 1750–1999 by Rob Magee {{ISBN|978-1-85216-134-7}}

South Chadderton (later Broadway) Library opened in 1953 in commemoration of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II but the library was closed and subsequently demolished in 2009 following an unsuccessful campaign to have the building listed.{{cite web|url=http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news/24540/save-our-little-bit-of-history |title=Oldham News | News Headlines | Save our little bit of history - Chronicle Online |publisher=Oldham-chronicle.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2013-06-29}}

Yew Tree Junior and Infants Schools opened in 1954 on the site of the former Yew Tree Farm. The main farm house still stands just off Long Lane, having been converted into a residential home for the elderly.{{cite web| url = http://www.yewtree.oldham.sch.uk/about-us-1/general-school-info| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220343/http://www.yewtree.oldham.sch.uk/about-us-1/general-school-info| archive-date = 2016-03-03| title = Yew Tree Community School - General School Info}}

The area's sub post office, named Whitegate, was closed down as part of the Post Office's restructuring of services during 2008/9.

File:Bowling Green, St. Georges Square, Chadderton (geograph 1675882).jpg

Moston Park was a late 19th-century sports and recreation ground situated off Mough Lane and Owler Lane. St Georges's Square now stands in this area.

It was owned by a James Taylor and was used for horse racing, dog racing, wrestling, rabbit coursing and other events and was popular with Manchester residents due to its close proximity to Moston railway station.

A hotel and occasional public house, The Railway Hotel, served the park. The hotel was located on the corner of Owler Lane and what is now Hollinwood Avenue.

The park and hotel were not universally popular in the district.

In 1878, when opposing the application for a beer licence for The Railway Hotel, the rector of Moston, the Rev Thomas Wostencroft, stated that 'Frequenters of Moston Park were a rough lot and it was not fit for any female or even for respectable men to travel in third class carriages on the railway from Moston when there was anything special going on at the grounds kept by Mr Taylor. It was feared that, if he got his way, Moston Park would become like Belle Vue'.P.44 Chadderton Pubs And Their Licensees 1750–1999 by Rob Magee {{ISBN|978-1-85216-134-7}}

File:St Georges Church, Chadderton (geograph 2247968).jpg

St George's was originally built as a daughter church to the Emmanuel Parish Church at Chestnut Street in the Coalshaw Green area which was consecrated in 1911.

A growing population and new post war housing around Whitegate End saw the need for a daughter church to be planted there, on the site of what had come to be known as the 'hut'.

The foundation stone for St George's was laid on Whit Sunday 9 June 1957, and opened on 27 April 1958 by the Bishop of Middleton.

St George's became Chadderton's newest parish in October 2014.

The church was consecrated by Mark Davies, Bishop of Middleton, 57 years after the foundation stone was laid.

The M60 split the parish, and St George's took on greater significance, eventually superseding its closed parent church which was subsequently demolished in May 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/99/chadderton-extra/88555/by-george-church-is-newest-parish-after-57-years|title = By George, church is newest parish — after 57 years}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.emmanuelwithstgeorges.org.uk/aboutus.htm|title = Emmanuel with St. George's}}

Throughout the Tudor period from the time of Henry VII to the close of Elizabeth's reign, a violent dispute was waged locally between the manorial lords of Chadderton, Foxdenton and Werneth on one hand and the incumbent of Nuthurst Manor (Moston) on the other. It all concerned the rights of pasturage on the open moors. The dispute first emerged with Edmund Chadderton, who held Little Nuthust Hall, claiming exclusive grazing rights on the unenclosed moorland (Theale Moor) which divided his manor from Chadderton and Hollinwood.

The feud was handed down from generation to generation. In 1526, Nuthurst bailiffs chased the Chadderton livestock off the moors. Retaliation from Chadderton soon followed with 200 armed farmers and labourers descending across Theale Moor where they were met by the Nuthurst men and bailiffs. A miniature battle ensued and the quarrel became more violent as time went on. The feud was only finally resolved at the end of the sixteenth century when boundary stakes were set up on the common moors.{{cite journal|url=https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/files/10662238/In_the_Labyrinth_John_Dee_and_Reformation_Manchester.pdf|title=In the Labyrinth: John Dee and Reformation Manchester|first1=Stephen|last1=Bowd |journal=Manchester Region History Review|year=2008|volume=19|pages=15-43}}

Samuel Collins (1802–1878) was a 19th-century poet and radical. He was known as the Bard Of Hale Moss and lived in a cottage in the Butterworth Lane area.{{Cite web|url=https://richardjohnbr.blogspot.com/2007/08/chartist-lives-samuel-collins.html|title=Looking at History: Chartist Lives: Samuel Collins|first=Richard|last=Brown|date=3 August 2007}}

File:Broadway (A663), Chadderton (geograph 2247981).jpg

First Greater Manchester operate the following bus services in the Whitegate area:

181/182 to Manchester City Centre via New Moston and Newton Heath and to Rochdale via Chadderton town centre, Shaw and Milnrow.

81 to Manchester City Centre via Moston and Harpurhey and to Oldham with some evening and weekend services provided by Stagecoach Manchester extending to Derker.

149 to Cheetham Hill via Higher Blackley and to Oldham via Hollinwood.{{cite web| url = http://www.traveline-northwest.co.uk/cms/content/welcome.xhtml| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110710013420/http://www.traveline-northwest.co.uk/cms/content/welcome.xhtml| archive-date = 2011-07-10| title = Welcome to Traveline North West}}

Stagecoach Manchester also operate service 49 to Manchester via Higher Blackley and to Oldham via Hollinwood.

The area is also served by Moston railway station on Hollinwood Avenue which lies adjacent to the common boundary of Chadderton and Manchester at New Moston.

List of mills in Chadderton

{{Reflist}}

Whitegate End School and Nursery: [http://whitegateend-oldham.co.uk/index.asp ]

Yew Tree Community School: [http://www.yewtree.oldham.sch.uk/ Yew Tree Community School - Home]

St Georges Chapel: [http://www.emmanuelwithstgeorges.org.uk/stgeorges.htm Emmanuel with St. George's]

Pictures of St Georges Chapel, Whitegate: [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Chadderton/StGeorge.shtml Genuki: St George, Chadderton, Church of England, Lancashire]

{{Geographic Location

|title = Neighbouring localities.

|Northwest = Foxdenton

|North = Nimble Nook

|Northeast = Butler Green

|West = Greengate

|Centre = Whitegate

|East = Coalshaw Green

|Southwest =New Moston

|South = Failsworth

|Southeast = Hollinwood

}}

Category:Areas of Chadderton