Locals in Delph, Saddleworth, still identify with Yorkshire despite a 1972 boundary change to Greater Manchester.
Delph is a village inside Saddleworth. White Rose flags show Yorkshire pride, and The Express reported this strong feeling.
Adele Furlong owns a shop in Delph. It is in an old weaver’s cottage. Adele and her workers say it’s Yorkshire, and Karen Whittaker and Kathryn Wheeler agree too.
Kathryn has lived in Delph for 25 years. People don’t want to leave, she said. Adele loves the area very much. She said she wouldn’t live anywhere else.
Delph’s shops look like the Colne and Holme valleys, not like Manchester’s buildings. Yorkshire stone cottages line the street.
Grace Harrington runs a chip shop, and her dad still lives above it. She has mixed feelings about the area. “It depends,” she explained.
Grace is 43 years old and sees both sides of things. Older locals prefer Yorkshire. Grace feels more connected to Manchester.
Delph is a protected conservation area with lovely water features. The River Tame flows through the village, and small streams create ponds that rejoin the river again.
Adele moved to Delph three years ago. She thinks it is beautiful, and moving there was the best thing she did.
Saddleworth is becoming popular, as people want a quiet life near Manchester. Uppermill is two miles south and more busy, while Delph remains a quaint village.
Delph has culture and calm, with a theatre and a library. You can find pubs and wine bars, and the Saddleworth Crafts Cooperative is there too, which started in 1979.
Richard Clare is an artist who shows work at the Cooperative. He thinks it is very community-focused, and there’s a strong sense of community.
Richard used to live in Delph, but now he lives near Huddersfield. Uppermill has changed a lot recently. Delph is quiet, and he likes that.