Introduction
Hopwood Hall was originally a moated site of medieval origin. In later phases the property had pleasure grounds and an extensive park with scattered woods. Features in the grounds included a kitchen garden, ice house, ha-ha, Italian garden, fountain, corn mill and small cross-shaped bower or grotto. Some of these may survive. The Hall is now a college.
Hopwood Hall had an extensive park with pleasure gardens, ice house, kitchen garden, ha-ha and corn mill.
At an earlier period there was a formal parterre set out to the south of the building. This was linked by a series of terraced steps to a second feature, possibly a fountain, at the edge of the pleasure gardens near the ha-ha.
The Italian garden, was laid out between 1910 and 1927 close to the approach drive through Hopwood Clough. This is a semi-formal garden with a central fountain. There are paths that radiate out from the garden in a cruciform pattern to a circular pathway around the edge of the garden. The eastern path terminates in a small cross-shaped bower or grotto.
- Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
Directions
North of the A664, west of Oldham
- History
The hall was first built by the Hopwood family in the 13th or 14th century and was originally fortified by a moat. There were numerous additions and developments over succeeding centuries. The hall remained the family seat until the late 18th century.
Gregge Hopwood took over the estate in 1773 but the family made few alterations until the 1840s. A number of changes were made to the grounds around the hall between 1910 and 1927.
The estate was aquired by the De La Salle brothers in 1947, and is now one campus of a tertiary college in Greater Manchester.
- Features & Designations
Features
- Icehouse
- Ha-ha
- Ornamental Fountain
- Grotto
- Kitchen Garden
- Parterre
- Description: At an earlier period there was a formal parterre set out to the south of the building. This no longer exists.
- Key Information
Type
Park
Purpose
Ornamental
Principal Building
Education
Survival
Extant
Hectares
150
Electoral Ward
North Middleton
- References
References
- University of Manchester and University of York A Survey of Historic Parks and Gardens in Greater Manchester