Westwood, Greater Manchester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Westwood |
|
|---|---|
 Featherstall Road South, the main thoroughfare of Westwood |
|
 Westwood
|
|
| OS grid reference | SD915055 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | OLDHAM |
| Postcode district | OL9 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
|
Westwood is a busy area in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. It sits on a hillside called North Moor. This area is close to the towns of Royton and Chadderton. Westwood doesn't have exact borders, but a main road, the A6048 road, runs right through it.
Discovering Westwood
Westwood has a long history. It was once part of Lancashire, a historic county in England. Today, it is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. Westwood used to be its own voting area, called an electoral ward. Now, it is split between two other wards: Coldhurst and Werneth.
Most of the buildings in Westwood are old Victorian-style terraced houses. These are houses joined together in long rows. There are also some newer homes built by housing associations or the local council.
People and Culture
Westwood is home to a large community of people from Bangladesh. In fact, it has the biggest Bangladeshi population in the UK outside of London. Many of these families came from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh.
You can find a special monument in Westwood called the Shaheed Minar. This is a copy of a national monument in Bangladesh. It remembers people who were killed in 1952. They were protesting for their right to speak the Bengali language.
A Look at the Past
In the 1980s, many people in Westwood lost their jobs. This was a much bigger problem here than in other parts of Oldham.
Westwood also has a historic church. The Westwood Moravian Church started in 1865. Its church building was built in 1869 and is still standing. The church community now meets in nearby Royton.
A famous person, Winston Churchill, used to visit Westwood often. He was a very important politician who later became Prime Minister. Churchill gave speeches at the Conservative club in Westwood. He was a Member of Parliament for Oldham at that time.
Education and Transport
Westwood has its own school called Westwood Primary. It is a primary school for younger children.
Getting around Westwood is easy thanks to the Manchester Metrolink. The Westwood Metrolink station opened in 2012. This tram station helps people travel to other parts of Greater Manchester. It was built with money from the Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund.
You can also find some businesses in Westwood. The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority has a special station here. It helps manage waste from the area. There's also Anchor Retail Park, which is a shopping area. It used to be a cotton mill called Anchor Mill.
