A major visitor attraction described as ‘unlike anything else in the UK’ is set to open in Oldham next week after nearly £13m was spent transforming the area. The Northern Roots site, covering around 160 acres to the south of Oldham town centre next to Alexandra Park, will welcome the public for the first time on September 19.
Parts of the site were once an old Roman road, Brook Mill used to dominate the area, and for around five decades the land was used for landfill. Now, after about five years in the making, the area’s new urban farm – considered the largest in the UK – is preparing to open its doors.
What visitors can expect
People will enter through a woodland walkway lit during the darker winter months, where they can ‘leave the world behind them and have this really magical experience’. The woodland opens out into a large green space with views of the Peak District, with the urban farm at the other end.
A large visitor centre will offer meeting spaces, a café run by acclaimed chef Mary-Ellen McTague, a large play area, and the urban farm itself. A forestry skills centre will also be on site.
Plans for the farm and future goals
The farm covers around four acres and will grow organic fruit, vegetables, and herbs to be used in the site’s kitchen and café. Kimo Morrison, from the Northern Roots charity that will operate the site in partnership with Oldham council, said food would be sold at a price point that would be affordable for families.
By 2030, Northern Roots aims to welcome up to 300,000 visitors, host 4,500 school visits, and deliver more than 300 nature-based health prescriptions every year. Plans also include creating 150 volunteering placements, alongside training, apprenticeship and employment opportunities for people living in Oldham.
Accessibility and safety assurances
Accessibility is a key promise from those behind the project, with efforts made to make sure the visitor centre and the wider site are accessible. The café will also offer halal food.
Despite the site’s industrial history, extensive testing has taken place to make sure the land is safe for growing food. The urban farm does not sit on what was the tip but was previously used for industrial purposes.
An ‘anchor project’ for Oldham
Morrison said the scheme would become an ‘anchor project’ for Oldham, looking to bring people in from outside the borough as well as bring ‘hope and optimism’ by ‘creating opportunities for the widest amount of people’.
She told the Manchester Evening News: “What sets it apart is there isn’t a project like it anywhere else in the UK. You do not get this extraordinary project combining people, planet, and place – the environment, the jobs, the opportunities, and the training.”
“It’s a very unusual model and that is very purposeful. Part of the work has been to create the model, test it, and set a blueprint that we know can work and that blueprint can be lifted and transferred to other industrial towns and cities across the UK.”
“It’s possible to transform these forgotten places into something really beautiful. A lot of Northern towns were left behind when the industry shipped out so what can we do with these places in the 21st century?”
“This is a big ambitious project with many moving parts but opening our doors on the 19th, that is bringing on the next chapter and it will always evolve. That is the intention.”
On September 19, the site will be open from 12pm to 4pm, offering food from the café, an outdoor BBQ, food stalls, a DJ and live music, face painting and a wide range of activities. Entry will be free. Going forward, the site will be open four days a week, Thursday to Saturday, from 9am to 4pm. The project forms part of Oldham council’s plans to regenerate Oldham through its new Mayoral Development Corporation.
