Direct trains run from the airport station to Manchester Piccadilly run throughout the day while travelling by car is only 30-45 minutes away via the M60 and M56 motorways.
The train line between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale via Oldham is scheduled to be replaced by Manchester's '''Metrolink''', which currently run services from Manchester to Altrincham, Bury and Eccles. There is no official date for the commencement of conversion work.
Mills Hill is the other station on the Oldham Loop line in the Oldham area. Services call at Mills Hill travelling between Rochdale and Manchester Victoria via Castleton and Moston, with some journeys running to/from Leeds via Halifax and Bradford.
The other station in the Oldham area is Greenfield, which is on the Huddersfield-Manchester line. Other services that link Oldham with other towns are Bolton, Wigan and Southport.
Manchester is a 25 minute drive from Oldham town centre with the two places linked by the '''A62''', which continues on to Huddersfield and Leeds.
Places that are within 2 hours of Oldham include Blackpool, the Lake District, the North Wales coast, the Peak District and the Pennines.
The main bus operator in Oldham is '''First Manchester''' [http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/northwest/manchester/], whose main headquarters are based in Oldham. They provide frequent bus services to Manchester with the '''82''' and '''83''' routes [http://www.gmpte.com/upload/routemaps/82_83_25312.pdf] providing a 5 minute frequency service and the '''180''' and '''184''' [http://www.gmpte.com/upload/routemaps/180_3_4_427_X84_25864.pdf] providing a 10 minute frequency service. The services are usually distinguished by their '''Overground''' route branding, which is similar to London's '''Underground''' network. Buses 82 and 83 are the Orange Line service while the 180 and 184 are the Purple Line service.
There are several buses serving all areas of Oldham. They include the following (Service destinations in brackets):
Other places outside of Oldham are served by buses from Oldham bus station:
Places served by trains from the Oldham stations on the Oldham Loop:
From Mills Hill:
From Greenfield:
'''Oldham Museum''' is situated in a former 'Friends Meeting House,' on Greaves Street. The Museum has a programme of changing exhibitions as well as a permanent display, "Going up Town" where visitors can step back in time to the days when the town was dominated by the cotton industry. The museum is a 5 minute walk from the town centre, with plently of bus services heading into Oldham town centre stopping nearby on Union Street.
'''Tandle Hill''' Park is a mixture of magnificent beech woodland and open grassland with a wide panorama of the surrounding countryside. There are several walks around the park and links to Crompton Moor. The 409 service provide frequent links from Oldham via Royton with the park a short walk from the main road, the A671 Rochdale Road.
'''Alexandra Park''' is located to the south of Oldham town centre. It is a vital link between town and countryside for both people and wildlife. The visitor centre contains displays and information on the history of the park as well as countryside events. These are held both in the park and in other areas. The centre is open by prior arrangement. Please contact if you would like to visit. The 408 is the closest bus service to the park running hourly from the bus station. The 425 service runs close to both the north and south sides of the park. Services heading from Oldham towards Holts Estate will serve the north side of the park, while services towards Fitton Hill serves the south side.
'''Daisy Nook Country Park''' is a beautiful area offering people of all ages the chance to enjoy a peaceful walk looking at wildlife amidst varied countryside. The park includes beautiful woodland areas, a lake, a canal and flower filled meadows with bridleways and footpaths, which link to other countryside areas. At the John Howarth Countryside centre there are activities for children and a souvenir shop. There is also a cafe and toilets with access for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The 409 provide frequent links from Oldham travelling towards Ashton-under-Lyne.
'''Saddleworth Museum and Art Gallery''' is housed in a former textile mill in the village of Uppermill, which is now part of the Oldham Metropolitian Borough but was part of the West Ridings of Yorkshire. Exhibitions feature local archaeology, handicrafts and customs, from the Romans the present day. There are preserved looms and other items of textile machinery, from some of the many mills in the area. The museum gallery features work by contemporary artists and travelling exhibitions. Guided tours are available by prior request. A shop and Tourist Information Centre provide an opportunity to acquire a souvenir of the visit. The Museum can be reached by bus by the 184 from Oldham, the 350 from Ashton (or from Oldham via Delph, which is a longer route than the 184 which runs via Lees) and is a 10 minute walk from Greenfield train station.
'''The Huddersfield Narrow Canal''' runs through the Saddleworth area of Oldham. It re-opened in May 2001 following a __30 million restoration project funded mainly by the Millennium Commission and English Partnerships. It is more than 50 years since the waterway was last open to through navigation. The waterway runs for 20 miles between Ashton-under-Lyne and Huddersfield - passing through the scenic Saddleworth villages of Greenfield, Uppermill and Diggle - before entering the Standedge Tunnel through the Pennines. The 180 and 184 provide a 10 minute frequeny towards Saddleworth from Oldham with the 184 running near to the canal through Diggle, Marsden and Huddersfield.
'''Hollingworth Lake Country Park and Visitor Centre''' is a popular location for visitors. It is located outside the Oldham area but is visited by plently of Oldhamers. It was known as the "The Weighvers' Seaport". Now once again visitors can enjoy many outdoor attractions and an excellent Visitor Centre. Spanning 118 acres with the dramatic backdrop of Blackstone Edge, the lake is on of the most popular days out in the area. With boating, nature reserve, trails, events, guided walks, visitor centre, community arts, environmental exhibitions, play and picnic areas. The car is the best way to travel there but parking is limited. The 452 service runs an hourly service from Rochdale via Milnrow. The 452 can be connected with the 409 at Rochdale or the 58 service at Milnrow.
Oldham has two main shopping centres, '''Town Square Shopping Centre''' and '''The Spindles'''. The two centres are connected together to form one big shopping centre but were until recently run by separate companies. There are several big name shops based in the two shopping centres.
In Town Square shopping centre, there are:
The Spindles has:
Other stores are located on High Street, including Woolworths, Primark, Top Shop, and Home Bargains. There is a Sainsbury's and a TK Maxx located on Union Street and there is also Tommyfield's market, which located to the north of the town centre, offering an indoor modern market hall and an outdoor market, which is steeped in history, character and tradition. Tommyfield is Oldham_fs best known market and was established over 140 years ago, Tommyfield prides itself on being one of the largest open air markets in the North West. It is also a highpoint among English markets, as it_fs literally the highest market in the country, nestling in the centre of Oldham amidst the impressive back drop of the Pennines.
For those who find that Oldham doesn't offer everything they need, a short trip to Manchester and The Trafford Centre provide more options.
Millies' Butties, a small cafe just opposite the Travelodge hotel on Manchester Street (or is it Manchester Road?), does great cheap fried breakfasts.
You can also get really good food at the Litten Tree pub in the town centre (a main course and dessert should cost about a tenner).
Travelodge hotel (a nice hotel which is still being finished: you might get a bargain!)