Moses Gate
Coordinates: 53°33′14″N 2°24′04″W / 53.554°N 2.401°W
Moses Gate is a small district of Farnworth, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies 2.6 miles (4.2 km) southeast of Bolton town centre and 10.8 miles (17.4 km) northwest of the city of Manchester.[1]
Toponymy
The name Moses Gate is derived from a corruption of mosses meaning peaty or marshy lands and the Old English gata meaning a way, street or road. Together they mean 'the way across the moss'. On Greenwood's 1818 map the place is written Moss Gate. The two words are found in local names, Kearsley Moss, Clifton Moss, Linnyshaw Moss, and in Bolton street names Churchgate and Deansgate - meaning the way to the church or to Deane.[2][3]
Moses Gate Country Park
The country park, also known as Crompton Lodges, is an attractive 750 acres (3 km2) park, situated in the Croal Irwell Valley between the town centres of Bolton and Farnworth.
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In the past it had been an industrial site with chemical works, paper mills and bleach works. After they were closed down, the area fell into ruin and the industrial buildings were finally demolished in 1972. Over the next ten years the area was cleared and Rock Hall was turned from a derelict building into the current visitors' centre.
Today, the park has a diversity of habitats supporting different varieties of fauna and flora. Nob End was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1988. The park also offers various activities, including walking, cycling, horse riding, model boating, orienteering and model aircraft flying. Permits are available for fishing, canoeing and boating. The Kingfisher Way, a 6.8 miles (10.9 km) marked trail, also runs through the park.[4]
Transport
Moses Gate railway station is served by Northern Rail who operate services on the Manchester to Preston Line, though only local services stop at the station.
First buses run through Moses Gate connecting it with Bolton, Manchester and Bury
References
- ↑ The AA Route Planner. URL accessed 3 December 2007.
- ↑ Billington, W.D., From Affetside to Yarrow: Bolton place names and their history (1982), Ross Anderson Publications (ISBN 0-86360-003-4).
- ↑ Greenwood's Map of 1818. URL accessed 6 January 2016.
- ↑ Moses Gate Country Park. URL accessed 3 December 2007.