Grotton
Grotton is an residential area in Saddleworth, a civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. Grotton is a suburb of the town of Oldham, 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 Grotton's west.
Grotton should not be confused with the fictional, coastal gambling resort which has the same name but is based in an entirely different location, or the former Soviet military facility гроттон.
Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Grotton was anciently a rural hamlet close to the boundary with Lancashire, and was centred on Grotton Hall, a former manor house. Although some buildings date from the 17th and 18th century, the urbanisation of Grotton broadly took place following the Industrial Revolution; Grotton became a large suburb of Oldham following a residential building boom in the 1930s. The 1930's housing being brick built are in stark contrast to the millstone grit farm houses dotted around the hamlet.
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. During the 30's new leisure buildings were constructed. Some still prominently featured, such as the grade 2 listed Grotton pub built in 1938, now converted to a Co-op a long with a Lido and tennis courts added in 1935 to serve the leisure needs of the burgeoning community. However, these were closed in 1939. The former railway line to Oldham Mumps railway station closed in 1962, has been converted into a linear country park, providing a largely traffic-free walk for most of the way into Oldham. The old Grotton and Springhead railway station is also 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 by the former British Railways Property Board in order to prevent subsidence.
