Milnrow & Newhey August 2019

In the early days the house, which had
been a political centre for liberalism, was
offered for sale in the 1860’s but it was not
until the early 20th century that the entire
estate was sold. Samuel Turner, one of the
brothers who went on to transform TBA
from its beginnings as a cotton mill, had
started negotiations with the Royds family
in the 1890’s to purchase Mount Falinge
estate, including mansion, outbuildings
and grounds. Unoccupied since 1891, the
house was by that time run down and
Turner, the mayor of Rochdale in 1902,
settled on ‘a rather stiff price’ with Albert
Hudson Royds but after securing the sale
he presented it as a park to the town. It
has been estimated that it cost Turner
£20,000 plus a donation of £2500 towards
the £9000 cost of fencing and park lay-out.
The large conservatories and 4 or 5 vine
houses needed repair but a decision was
made to demolish many of the outbuildings,
stables and other buildings instead and
convert part of the mansion for use as a
museum and art gallery.
Following a procession from the Town
Hall, the park was opened to the public
on 5th August 1905 by Samuel Turner
with a golden key ‘for the benefit of the
inhabitants of the borough.’ An old
bandstand which was built, burnt down
and later rebuilt saw bands playing there
for many years, latterly under the auspices
of the Friends of Falinge Park.
Eventually the mansion was demolished,
leaving only the sealed façade that can be
seen to this day, a sad end to a long
Rochdale heritage.
SPRINGFIELD PARK
Springfield Park located between Rochdale
and Heywood is the town’s largest park.
The Borough’s General-Purpose Committee
was authorised in 1914 to acquire from
Mr J Davenport the Springfield Estate
(Springfield House, Springfield Farm and
adjoining buildings) in order to establish
a tuberculosis sanitorium as part of an
anti-consumption crusade, although by
1924 it was in use as a maternity hospital.
Further negotiations and expansion went
on through the 1920’s with the development
of tennis courts, bowling green and a
9-hole putting course. The Mere pastures
and 6 acres from Mereside Farm were
purchased in 1925 enabling schools to use
land for sporting activities. When 44 acres
of Marland Fold Farm became available a
local benefactor, Frederick Lye, stepped
up (literally) to the tee. Lye, a successful
business man had already bequeathed land
for playing fields at Firgrove and Lenny
Barn but was a keen golfer so with the help
of a £2000 loan from the Ministry of Health
bought land which he gave to the borough
in order to build a municipal golf course in
the park which was opened in April 1927.
Springfield Park continues to be popular
with its ‘Fishpond’, its miniature railway,
its running track, playing fields, golf course
and tennis courts, all adding a further
aspect to Rochdale’s rich recreational
environment.
If you have any memories about parks in
Rochdale, I’d be delighted to hear from
you and add them to a growing Rochdale
archive on the subject.
Please contact Gary Heywood-Everett
at garyheywoodeverett@yahoo.co.uk
or leave your comments by text or by
recorded message at 07745201263.
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