Grotton

Grotton
Yorkshire West Riding
Grotton
Location
Grid reference:	SD965042
Location:	53°32’3"N, 2°3’6"W
Data
Post town:	Oldham
Postcode:	OL4
Dialling code:	0161
Local Government
Council:	Oldham
Parliamentary constituency:	Oldham East and Saddleworth

Grotton is a relatively wealthy hamlet in Saddleworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Grotton is a suburban area located along the A669 road, and forms a continuous urban area with Austerlands and Springhead, which in turn link to Lees and Oldham, all of which are to the west of Grotton.

Grotton was anciently a rural hamlet close to the boundary with Lancashire, and its heart was Grotton Hall, a manor house. Although some buildings date from the 18th century, the urbanisation of Grotton broadly took place following the Industrial Revolution; Grotton effectively became an upmarket outskirt of Oldham following a residential building boom in the 1930s.

Before the inter-war residential development, Grotton was home to light industry including a brickworks and a couple of textile mills. All of these are now closed and demolished. The former railway line to Oldham Mumps railway station has been converted into a linear country park, providing a largely traffic free walk for most of the way into Oldham and the old Grotton and Springhead railway station is preserved. The platforms are visible, and the buildings are now a private house. East of Grotton, the line ran to join the current trans-pennine railway line at Greenfield railway station but while it is possible to walk east from the station to the western portal of Lydgate Tunnel. The tunnel itself is blocked off and impassable, although it is maintained in order to prevent subsidence.

Grotton has one public house, the Grotton Hotel. There are also a small number of shops in the village including a newsagent, a sandwich shop, a greengrocery, a butcher and a beauty salon. There are no doctors or dental surgeries, nor is there a library, although Oldham's mobile library does make a weekly visit. There are extensive views of fields.