20th Century Monkey: Modern Heywood

Post-WW2 was generally a time of continuing decline for Heywood as the cotton industry collapsed and jobs began to disappear. Life went on, however, and there was also renewal and rebuilding. The pages linked here explore various aspects in life in 20th-century Heywood:

A video slideshow depicting scenes from the course of the River Roch, Heywood's main waterway.

How the British cotton industry collapsed during the mid-20th century, and the effect it had on Heywood. (Page under construction)

Depictions of Heywood life from the famous 'British Pathe' newsreel archives.

The haunting story of a thriving 19th-century village that declined and was then inundated by a 20th-century reservoir. 

The story of why the Manchester-controlled Darnhill estate was constructed in Heywood during the 1960s.

Recollections of backstreet Bonfire Nights from the days before council-controlled events. (Page under construction)

A series of photos depicting scenes from around central Heywood in February 1981.