Introduction
This part of Newton Heath has been acknowledged as possessing architectural and historic character for some years and was recognised as such in the City's Unitary Development Plan, produced in 1995, when it was given the status of an area possessing 'recognisable townscape value'.
The area, based on Graver Lane and Windsor Road is almost entirely in residential use, with individual houses dating back to the 1860s and 1870s and terraces of houses constructed in the 1890s. Individual, large family homes were constructed along Windsor Road dating from the 1880s through to the 1920s, reflecting the rise in importance of the Manchester region in world manufacturing at this time.
The area is located on the eastern side of the City and on the boundary with both Oldham and Tameside. It is approximately 3.5 miles from the City Centre. The eastern boundary of the conservation area is determined by the boundary dividing the City of Manchester from the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, provided by the watercourse of Lords Brook. Approximately 660 people live within the area.
There is a general change in land level across the area, with the higher land to the north and lower levels to the south, although the change is most dramatic at the southern end of Berry Brow as the road drops towards the railway line and the valley of the River Medlock.