Crompton 

is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England,

containing the town of Shaw. Formerly known as Crompton, the parish lies at the edge of the South
Pennines, 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Manchester. There is evidence of ancient
British and Anglian activity in the area, and by the Middle Ages it was a small township, although
lacking a lord's manor. Farming was the main industry with some hand-loom woollen weaving
until textile manufacture during the British Industrial Revolution initiated rapid urbanisation. By the
late 19th century Crompton had emerged as a densely populated mill town. Imports of foreign cotton
led to a decline in textiles in the mid–20th century and the last mill closed in 1989. The borough is
mainly suburban, with a population of 21,065 as of 2011. Of the 48 cotton mills, some very large,
that have existed in the area, several now serve as home to large distribution companies.
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