Description of the area

The township of Crompton (midway between Oldham and Rochdale) has an extreme length of about 3 miles from east to west, with a breadth of a 1½ miles. The River Beal runs northward through a central valley; to the east the ground, broken by one or two cloughs, rises continually until 1,300ft. (398m) is attained on Crompton Moor on the border of Yorkshire; while on the west the highest points near High Crompton and Whitfield, which are separated by a valley, rise to 700 and 825ft (220m); from them the surface slopes away in all directions, but most rapidly to the north. The Irk rises on the boundary between Crompton and Royton. The area is 2 864 acres.

Crompton was never granted manorial status but was made up of a collection of estates, owned by absentee landlords. It consisted of large areas of forest, moor land and swamp,upon which were a collection of small hamlets and farms. Between 1480 and 1500 people were making references in their wills to wool working equipment such as spinning wheels, cards and combs some of which were capable of producing large amounts of cloth. In 1524 the local coal seams first recorded when Richard Wild paid rent of 16d (denary=pennies) to dig coal. In later years this may have encouraged the advent of steam machines in the cotton mills. By 1782 water wheels were being used to produce woollen cloth and small factories, not much bigger than the surrounding cottages, began to spring up. The area had a population of 2 500. Seven year later ten ‘factories’ were recorded. In the early 19th century manufacturing changed from wool to cotton and this was followed by a rapid development of the industry.

One hamlet, Shaw, was later to become the most important. 

In 1974 Crompton became part of Oldham Metropolitan Borough and administrative control passed from Crompton Urban District Council to the new Borough Council. Some degree of local autonomy was returned in 1987 when Crompton was granted Parish Council Status.

A modern map locating the remaining Crompton names