Shawclough & Healey Feb 2020

The cottages and indeed later, Greenbooth
Mill, was purchased by the owners of
Tenterhouse Mill, mainly for the water
rights. The closure of the mill resulted in
the school being taken over by the council
and now becoming Greenbooth Council
School. The school continued its operation
until 1931 when its closure meant scholars
transferring to Norden to continue their
education. The little shop in the village
valiantly continued to supply its customers
with goods until the very end when it closed
its doors for the final time in 1958.
For some time, Heywood & Middleton Water
Board had earmarked this prime location for
the construction of a new and much needed
reservoir. The announcement was made in
1955 that the village was to be submerged
under 700 million gallons of water at an
estimated cost of £1.25 million pounds.
The final costing actually coming in at £2.1
million pounds.
A Surveyor at the time discussing its
construction explained that the width at the
crest was to be 1000 feet and 117 feet in the
centre. It was to be built on a foundation of
concrete with a central core of puddle clay.
The clay itself was to be used to create a
watertight seal in the bed of the reservoir.
By this time many of the houses had already
fallen into disrepair and at the time of
the demolition only 46 houses were still
standing, 20 of those being derelict. The
remaining residents were rehoused, sadly
other nearby properties fell under the axe
of having to be sacrificed to complete the
work. One such family had lived for many
years in the village itself and only recently
had realised their dream of achieving their
recently built bungalow. How heartbreaking
it must have been for them to be told it
stood in the path of the reservoir and were
reluctantly forced to relocate.
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