Tandle Hill Country Park
Royton , Oldham, Lancashire, OL2 5UY, North West England
Just north of Oldham, Tandle Hill Country Park offers one of the better local spots for stargazing in Greater Manchester. Set on elevated ground above Royton, the hill provides wide, open views of the sky with relatively low horizons, which is ideal for watching meteor showers such as the Perseids or Geminids.
While it’s not a true dark-sky site, being a little removed from the brightest urban glow of Manchester and Oldham town centre means light pollution is noticeably reduced compared to more built-up areas.
On clear nights, you can often pick out major constellations, brighter planets, and even faint streaks of meteors arcing across the sky. Its accessible paths and open grassy areas make it a convenient and atmospheric place to set up a blanket or tripod and enjoy a quieter, darker slice of the night sky.
Weather forecast
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05/05/26
13° 15% -
05/05/26
13° 43% -
05/05/26
10° 20% -
06/05/26
8° 14%
Weather forecast for Rochdale (2.8 miles away) updated 05/05/26 at 12:01. Powered by Met Office data.
Local light pollution
Tandle Hill Country Park is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a suburban location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite. For more advanced light pollution data, view this location on DarkSkySites.
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Urban
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Suburban
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Semi-rural
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Rural
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Dark site
The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.
Best time to visit
The below chart shows when the skies will be at their darkest at this location and therefore the best time to visit. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing. See our dark sky calendar for more details.
Tue 5th May
Wed 6th May
Thu 7th May
Fri 8th May
Sat 9th May
Sun 10th May
Mon 11th May
Find more dates
If you are planning to visit this location check our dark sky calendar to find out when is best!
CalendarEvents nearby
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