Salford City Council

Worsley Village conservation area

Designation date	1969
Boundary amendment date	2007
Area	22.5 hectares (55.6 acres)
Listed building entries	28

Worsley village

Worsley village was designated as a conservation area by the former Lancashire County Council in 1969. The boundary was drawn to include, at that time, approximately 40 listed buildings, together with some less attractive but historically interesting industrial buildings.

The character and historical background of Worsley is unique in south east Lancashire and Greater Manchester. The relationship of historic buildings, canal basins and open spaces with a landscape setting of mature trees adds to the general interest of the area and contributes to its exceptional character.

The settlement originated in the last quarter of the 18th century as a group of industrial buildings, cottages, shops, inns and other community buildings at the Delph where the entrance to the Duke of Bridgewater's underground coal mining and canal system was situated. From this point coal was transported to Manchester by the Bridgewater Canal, the first commercial system to be developed in Britain (see "Revolution in Salford!").

Visually separate from the canal, Worsley Green is an area of public open space, bordered by Worsley Road and by terraces of 18th century cottages and 19th century houses with elevations in black-and-white vernacular style. The Victorian ornamental fountain, an important feature of the Green, originally formed part of a chimney stack on factory buildings that stood on the site of Worsley Green.

In the area north of Worsley Road, the Delph - one of Salford's three scheduled ancient monuments - is the main feature of interest. The Duke of Bridgewater commissioned James Brindley to design the Bridgewater Canal and then in 1760 he engaged the engineer John Gilbert to create 46 miles of underground canals, together with a series of locks that transferred loaded barges from one canal to another. Two main canals, one 30 metres (100 feet) above the other, run northwards from Worsley Delph to Farnworth. A herringbone of minor canals link up to dozens of pits on either side.

Two tunnels were driven in from the Delph about 25 metres (82 feet) apart which joined a feeter about 456 metres (1,500 feet), the overall height being 2.4 metres (8 feet) with approximately 1.2 metres (4 feet) of water below and a breadth of 3 metres (10 feet), with the first seam lying about 684 metres (2,250 feet) from the Delph. The scheduled ancient monument at the Delph relates to the tunnel entrances, sluice gates and apron platform between; it does not include the canal itself.

The principal buildings of interest in this area are the Bridgewater Estate offices, the Nailmaker's House, Rock House, Packet House, Court House and former police station (The Old Nick).

Amendment to boundary - 2007

As part of the appraisal of the Worsley Village conservation area, consideration was given to the review of its boundary. In July 2007 the conservation area boundary was amended, and extended to include specific areas to the south side of Barton Road and northwards to include Old Warke Dam and the Aviary. There was also a small reduction to the boundary south of the Bridgewater Hotel Public House.

Listed buildings entries	Grade
Worsley Court House	II
Rock House	II
Footbridge over the canal from the green	II
3, 5 Barton Road (The Old Nick)	II
The Packet House	II
The Jetty Steps - The Packet House	II
10 to 16 (consecutive even) Barton Road	II
11 to 19 (consecutive odd) The Crescent	II
21 The Crescent (Bramble Cottage)	II
23 The Crescent	II
The Delph west sluice gate	II
The Delph east sluice gate	II
The Delph east tunnel entrance	II
The Delph west tunnel entrance	II
2, 3 The Delph	II
The Boat House	II
The Dry Docks	II
Former Oil Store (Dukes Wharf)	II
Fountain on The green	II
140 to 145 (consecutive)	II
146 to 149 (consecutive)	II
150 to 153 (consecutive)	II
Telephone Kiosk (K6)	II
Worsley Road Bridge	II
3 Worsley Road	II
5 Worsley Road	II
10, 12, 14 Worsley Road	II
The Aviary	II

The Delph (canal tunnel entrances and wharf) is designated as a scheduled ancient monument.

Who to contact

Name

Spatial Planning

Address

Salford City Council
Civic Centre
Chorley Road
Swinton
Salford
M27 5BY
Map to this location

Telephone

0161 793 3782

Email

plans.consultation@salford.gov.uk

This page was last updated on 21 March 2013