A creepy abandoned church that overlooks the picturesque Hollingworth Lake is set to be auctioned off later this month.
With the spooky season right around the corner, and Halloween soon to be here before we know it, a scary slice of history is set to go under the hammer in just a few weeks time, and it comes in the form of a dilapidated church building set beside one of Greater Manchester‘s most popular reservoirs that’s been left to ruins for over 24 years.
St Hilda’s CE Mission on Hollingworth Fold – which overlooks Hollingworth Lake in the semi-rural Rochdale town of Littleborough – was founded in 1931 and was the hub of a community, before it closed its doors for good in 1998 due to structural problems.
This is not where the story of building itself begins though, as it lived a life before then elsewhere and is believed to date back to the late 1870s.
A spooky abandoned church overlooking Hollingworth Lake is set to be auctioned off / Credit: Pugh Auctions
Records at the Touchstones Local Studies Library in Rochdale show that in the 1870s, there were around 250 Roman Catholics in Littleborough, and they were the ones who all banded together to build the church on its initial site Featherstall Road in 1878.
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It became known as the ‘Iron Church’ as it was made of metal sheets.
The church building was later bought by the Mission of St Hilda, before it was dismantled and rebuilt at Hollingworth Fold in 1931.
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The derelict abandoned building has been at the centre of locals’ intrigue ever since, and now it’s set to go to auction with a guide price of just £25,000.
St Hilda’s CE Mission is sat on a plot of land that extends to 899 sq yds / Credit: Pugh Auctions
With the church sat on a plot of land that extends to 899 sq yds, auctioneers say the site could be suitable for a variety of different uses in the future – including possible development potential, which is subject to any necessary planning permissions.
It’s also walking distance of amenities in Smithy Bridge too.
Speaking ahead of the building going to auction, Edward Feather – associate director at Pugh Auctions – said: “St Hilda’s mission church is an intriguing and unusual property that presents a unique opportunity for the right buyer.
“Founded in 1931, the church closed in 1998 and has stood derelict ever since. The dilapidated remains have caught the attention of many history enthusiasts and passers-by because of its eerie appearance on the Lancashire landscape.
“Interestingly, it can only be accessed by foot which adds to the property’s mystery, but for the right buyer I have no doubt that this historic property is a true gem.”
Home Bargains has announced a special two-day closure of all UK stores
Emily Sergeant
Home Bargains has, once again, announced it’ll be closing all its UK stores on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day this year.
And it’s to make sure staff get a ‘well deserved break’.
After what has been yet another busy year for the retail industry, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off, which is why Home Bargains is following on with what has become a now-annual tradition by shutting up shop on two bank holidays.
All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Years Day.
Announcing the move in a post on social media, the discount retailer confirmed: “All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day and New Years Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the retailer has kept its doors shut on bank holidays.
Many shoppers will recall it has made the same decision to give hardworking staff a break every year since 2019.
Explaining a little more about the decision taken to close all its stores, Home Bargains said: “As a family-run business, we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
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Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week
Emily Sergeant
Who says breakfast has to end at 11am?
In news that’s set to be music to the ears of breakfast lovers in Manchester, Greggs is giving them exactly what they want.
We all know that brunch is a ‘thing’ by now, so now it’s time for brinner to make a name for itself instead, as Greggs has teamed up with Heinz to bring its much-loved breakfast menu back for tea time, kicking off from 4pm onwards.
The move comes as a new survey has found that the majority of Mancs (69%) admit to enjoying eating breakfast food in the evening, saying it’s ‘convenient and comforting’ – even ranking breakfast as a ‘more important’ meal than tea, as well (38% vs 36%).
Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week / Credit: Greggs (Supplied)
Greggs says it has ‘lost count’ of the amount of customers that have tried to order breakfast items after the usual cut-off time, especially in Greater Manchester.
But luckily for those breakfast-loving Mancs, they can finally get their favourite breakfast and sauce pairing long after the morning rush is over next… but only at two Greggs branches, and only for a very limited time.
On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October, the Heinz x Greggs Brinner collab will be available at Greggs St Mary’s Gate and Greggs Oxford Road, from 4-7pm only.
“We’ve lost count of the number of customers who have tried their luck ordering breakfast after 11am, so when Heinz came to us with the idea of making Brinner a reality, it felt like the perfect excuse to give the people what they want,” explained Zoe Harris, who is the Customer Director at Greggs.
“And let’s be honest, a Greggs Bacon Roll just wouldn’t be the same without a squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”
Emily Sergeant -
11th October 2022 
