Thornham, Greater Manchester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thornham
St John the Evangelist Church, Thornham
Thornham
OS grid reference	SD910096
Metropolitan borough	Oldham Rochdale
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	OLDHAM
Postcode district	OL2
Post town	ROCHDALE
Postcode district	OL16
Dialling code	0161 01706
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Oldham West and Royton Rochdale
List of places UK England Greater Manchester 53°34′59″N 2°08′07″W / 53.583123°N 2.135204°W / 53.583123; -2.135204

Thornham is a suburban area in Greater Manchester, England. It's a place where the towns of Middleton, Royton, and Rochdale meet. This means Thornham is split between two different local government areas: the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham and the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale.

Long ago, Thornham was part of Lancashire, a historic county. It used to be a small area called a township within the larger parish of Middleton. This township included smaller areas like Slattocks, Stake Hill, Buersill Head, and Tandle Hill. Later, Thornham was divided up between Middleton, Royton, and Rochdale. Part of Thornham was even known as Gravel Hole because of its large gravel pits.

How Thornham is Governed

Thornham has been part of Lancashire since the early 1100s. It was once a township in the parish of Middleton. A township was like a small local area with its own rules.

Over time, how Thornham was governed changed. In 1879, parts of Thornham joined areas like Middleton and Tonge to improve local services. By 1886, some of Thornham became part of the municipal borough of Middleton. A municipal borough is a town or city with its own local government.

Other parts of Thornham joined local health boards in Royton and Castleton-by-Rochdale. In 1894, the original Thornham township was officially dissolved. Its land was then divided among Middleton, Royton Urban District, and Castleton-by-Rochdale Urban District. These areas continued to change, with parts of Castleton joining Rochdale and Heywood in 1900.

Getting Around Thornham

A major road junction is located in Thornham. This is where the M62 and the A627(M) motorways meet. This busy spot is known as the Thornham Interchange.

Schools in Thornham

Thornham has two primary schools. "Thornham St. James Cof E Primary School" is in the Royton part of Thornham, so it's managed by the Oldham local education authority. "St John's CE Primary Thornham" is in the Rochdale part, managed by the Rochdale local education authority.

For older students, St Cuthbert's RC High School is also located in the Rochdale area of Thornham.

Famous People from Thornham

• Sir Harry Platt, 1st Baronet: He was a very important orthopaedic surgeon. This means he was a doctor who specialized in bones and muscles.

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.

	Castleton	Rochdale	Milnrow
	Hopwood		Shaw and Crompton
		Thornham
	Middleton	Chadderton	Royton