Church Lane, Oldham

Despite the Turnpike Act 1734, Oldham had no turnpike road to Manchester for another 56 years and Church Lane remained part of the main street through the town. But following the creation of the Manchester, Oldham and Ripponden Trust and a further Act of Parliament the turnpike was constructed. The first regular coach service to Manchester came into operation in October 1790, with a journey time of over 2 hours and a fare 2s.8d (about 13p), with half fare for travellers on top of the coach. Church lane bustled with businesses servicing the new road, the most famous of which was the Coach and Horses at 3 Church Lane (known as The Masons Arms between 1804 and 1811). Above the door was a Latin inscription: "Nunc mei, mox hujus, Sead postea, nescio cujus" which translates as "''Today 'tis mine, Tomorrow, thine, but whose next day I cannot say''". The pub closed in 1920 but the building survived for a few years as the headquarters of the British Legion until it was demolished in July 1931 to make way for Lord Street. == Oldham County Court ==

Church Lane became the legal heart of the town when Oldham County Court opened in 1894. It was designed by Henry Tanner and is red brick with white terracotta dressings and has a Westmorland slate roof. It is referred to in Hansard when questions were asked in Parliament as to the dampness in the building and whether it caused the death of Judge Edwin Jones. The old court house is now occupied by the Methodist Church which runs a cafe named The Salt Cellar, a Christian book shop and a youth outreach centre from there. Oldham County Court moved to New Radcliffe Street, Oldham in 1998. Despite the loss of the county court, Church Lane remains one of Oldham's legal streets with four firms of solicitors still occupying premises. == Present day ==

Numbers 1-5 and 2-6 have long since been demolished, making way for a new road and the chambers of the Oldham branch of Barclays Bank. The oldest remaining building on Church Lane is at number 8 which was built in about 1780 and pre-dates the parish church. This building is possibly the oldest building in the town centre. The rear of number 8 opens onto an alley known as Winter's Court named after the Rev William Winter, curate of St Peter's Chapel who lived in the Parson's Rooms in the early 1800s. Number 8 Church Lane was occupied by solicitors since the late 1790s and was the home of Mellor & Jackson, since about 1920. The logo of the firm depicted the symbol of the turnpike road. The property has been empty since the firm closed in 2023. Number 11 was built around 1800 and is now occupied by the Labour Party and is the offices of the Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth Debbie Abrahams. Numbers 10-14 were built around 1880 and are all three storeys with a Welsh slate roof. Number 10 had been the headquarters of the Conservative Party until 1990 when it was bought and converted to a cafe by the Methodist Church and named The Salt Cellar. Following the closure of the county court, the Salt Cellar moved across the lane with number ten becoming the offices of Age Concern which is now known as Age UK. Number 12 has been occupied by Scott Hyman solicitors since the early 1990s. Numbers 7-9 were a pair of houses but are now in use as offices. They were built around 1800 of brick with stone dressings and Welsh slate roofs. == Current occupants ==

• 8: Vacant. • 10: Age UK • 12: Scott Hyman, Solicitors • 14: J Arnold Brierley & Robinson, Solicitors • 7: Howarth Housing Group • 9: UK Credit Management • 11: The Labour Party • 11A: Vacant pending redevelopment ==References==