Uppermill Tourist Information

The small town/large village of Uppermill is on the northeast side of Greater Manchester.

Tucked away in a valley of the Pennines on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, it is in a most picturesque location on the high moorland.

Uppermill is a popular stop for visitors to nearby Saddleworth and has a growing number of craft shops, restaurants and cafes to cater to the tourist market. It has a local butcher's shop with excellent local pies, a greengrocer's, bakery and a bookshop. There is also a small supermarket, bank, Post Office, chemist and a regular Farmer's Market selling local farm produce.

Once inhabited by the Romans, like many Lancashire towns it was the Industrial Revolution which had the most impact on the area, with the building of huge textile mills.

The area also supported some quarrying and the Ladcaster and Den Quarries to the west of Uppermill are now designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest for their geological features.

One unique local sport played in Uppermill is “cobbling”. It involves a barrel of cobblestones, a closed road and a bag of cement. You will have to visit to find out more!

More cultural activities are centered on the local Saddleworth Museum which highlights Roman activity in the area. The museum has a local art gallery exhibiting paintings of local landscapes, transport and industry in the area. The Brownhill Countryside Centre is a small museum aimed at educating children about local wildlife and has a lovely wildflower garden.

The canal which runs through the town offers many recreational pursuits. Traffic-free walks along the towpath, fishing and boating are just some of the rural pleasures to be enjoyed. The canal has a couple of locks to manage the inclines and there is an impressive viaduct which it passes beneath.

The Portland Basin Museum at Ashton-under-Lyne is part of the Ashton Canal Warehouse which has now been restored. In a lovely waterside setting, the attraction captures local industrial history and changing lifestyles in the past 150 years.

Uppermill hosts a number of festivities each year, the highlight of which is the Saddleworth Folk Festival. The Brass Band Contest and the Beer Walk take place at the end of May and there is always a theme for the event.

More cultural in its origins is the Rushcart Festival at the end of August, when teams of Morrismen arrive from all over the country to compete in pulling a rushcart with a jockey sitting on top. The route takes them through the local villages of Saddleworth, Greenfield, Delph and Dobcross where the Morrismen stop and give a performance of their ancient English folk dancing.

The following day there are gurning (face-pulling) contests, wrestling and worst singer competitions and a merry time is enjoyed by all!