Click on the thumbnail right for an index map for the Manchester area maps in our
Lancashire series.
By the end of the 19th century Oldham was the world's leading cotton town. There were over 300 cotton mills, and the population had risen from 12,024 in 1801, 52,818 in 1851 (making it the 12th largest town in England), to 147,483 by 1911. The latter stages of growth had come through share ownership, and Oldham was sometimes called 'Shareopolis'. Apart from its mills, Oldham was also the centre of a major engineering industry, making machinery for the mills, and Platt Brothers great New Hartford Works (largely split between our Chadderton and Oldham SW maps) was at its peak in 1906-8. Chadderton was then separate and at one time aspired to become a borough but became part of Oldham MBC in 1974.
Click on the thumbnail right for an index map for the Manchester area maps in our
Lancashire series.
The following maps cover the Oldham area. Apart from the mills, so many of which have since been demolished, we can explore the housing, churches, chapels and parks of a major town, as well as its tramways and railways, though the stations - Werneth and Oldham Mumps - were never worthy of a town this size. The incline up to Werneth (see Chadderton map) was the steepest in regular passenger use. Each map includes an introduction to the history of the area, and most include extracts from an early directory; further information on individual maps is in ourOn-line Mapshop.
Click on the thumbnail right for a sample extract
from the Chadderton map (159k).
We also publish a series of smaller scale Inch to the Mile maps. For details of this series visit the One Inch page. Much of the area is covered by the following map:
Most maps in the Godfrey Edition are taken from the 25 inch to the mile map and reduced to about 15 inches to the mile. They cost just £ 2.25 each. For a full list of Lancashire maps, return to the North West page
You can now order maps direct from our On-line Mapshop.