Alt was formerly a civil parish within the Limehurst Rural District until its abolition in 1954 when its territory was divided between the towns of Oldham and Ashton Under Lyne.

The favourable topography of the old settlement (above the river) and the nearby find of a Bronze Age flint adze suggest that the area may have been occupied in prehistoric times.

During the Roman period the land was probably cleared of timber for cultivation, but by about AD 550 woodland regeneration suggests a reduced population and a decline in the climate.

Throughout the medieval period the Alt area was probably arable land farmed in strips as part of an open field system, though it may also have included some pasture.

This area contains two grade II listed buildings, Alders Farmhouse and a row of early 19th century cottages known as 'Ten Houses'.

[6] Stagecoach Manchester (under bee network) provides service 425 to Holts Village and to Fitton Hill via Glodwick and Oldham.