186-679: Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford , Greater Manchester , England, opposite Salford Quays on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal , 3.4 miles (5.5 km) southwest of Manchester city centre and 1.3 miles (2.1 km) north of Stretford . Until the late 19th century, it was the ancestral home of the Trafford family, who sold it to financier Ernest Terah Hooley in 1896. Occupying an area of 4.7 square miles (12 km), it
372-559: A griffin on a shield flanked by two unicorns . The line bisecting the shield horizontally symbolises the River Mersey running through Trafford from east to west and the canals in the borough. The white legs of a lion on a red background represent the parts of Trafford previously controlled by the De Massey family, while the red body and head of an eagle on a white background represents the areas of Trafford previously controlled by
558-473: A "satisfactory" school with aspects of "good teaching" and "good management". The Barlow RC High School is an average size secondary school, with about 1,000 pupils. It too is regularly over-subscribed. It was described in its October 2003 Ofsted report as "a successful and effective school that is providing a good education for its pupils". It is uncertain when the first chapel was built in Didsbury, but it
744-630: A 250-acre (1.0 km ) deer park, both now owned by the National Trust and previously owned by the Earls of Stamford . The hall is early Georgian in style. The hall and grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction, with nearly 200,000 visitors in 2010. Imperial War Museum North is a war museum in Trafford Park and was opened in 2002. The museum won the 2003 British Construction Industry Building Award , and
930-482: A Methodist chapel in 1901, St Cuthberts ( Church of England ) in 1902, and the Roman Catholic St Antony's in 1904. St Cuthbert's was subsequently replaced by a brick building, but closed in 1982. Only St Antony's remains open; it contains the altar and a stained glass window from the chapel at Trafford Hall, donated by Lady Annette de Trafford. The Village's design attracted criticism from the start;
1116-617: A cost of £11 million. Trafford Park is served by several bus routes. Bus 248 runs between Trafford Park and Partington . Bus 250 and X50 runs between Manchester city centre and the Trafford Centre . Trafford Park railway station is to the east of the area and is served by trains between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road . Manchester Metrolink 's Trafford Park Line from Pomona to Trafford Centre opened in March 2020. Notes Trafford Trafford
1302-417: A document dating from 1235, recording a grant of land for the building of a chapel. The church was named St James Church in 1855. It underwent major refurbishment in 1620 and again in the 19th century, although most of the stonework visible today dates from the 17th century. A parsonage was built next to one of the two public houses that flanked the nearby village green, Ye Olde Cock Inn, so-called because of
1488-467: A feudal estate that also included the townships of Withington , Chorlton-cum-Hardy , Moss Side , Rusholme , Burnage , Denton and Haughton , ruled by the Hathersage, Longford and Tatton families, and within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire . Didsbury remained within the manor of Withington for several centuries. By 1764, Didsbury was described as a township in its own right. It
1674-576: A five-year lease. A polo ground was set up in the park in 1902, and 80 acres (32 ha) of land near the hall were leased to the Manchester Golf Club, who laid out a three-mile (4.8 km) long course. The club moved from Trafford Park to a new site at Hopwood Park in 1912. All of the open-field land uses were subsequently pushed out by industry. In 1908 the Estates Company decided to reverse its earlier policy of only leasing
1860-465: A fresh recession, the area was recovering well a decade later with economic growth re-established and unemployment reduced. Until the industrial development of the park began in the late 19th century, much of the area now known as Trafford Park was a "beautifully timbered deer park". Its 1,183 acres (479 ha) comprised flat meadows and grassland, and an inner park containing a tree-lined avenue leading from an entrance lodge at Barton-upon-Irwell . It
2046-459: A high start-up rate for businesses and low rates of unemployment in the area. As of 2008, there were 1,400 companies within the park employing an estimated 35,000 people. The eastern area of the park, where the first developments took place at the end of the 19th century, was then under the local government control of Stretford Urban District ; the west was controlled by the urban district of Barton-upon-Irwell . Tensions soon began to emerge between
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#17328025277142232-485: A large municipal green space which borders on Withington and Burnage. The park, which features playing fields and ornamental gardens, was established in 1926 by the Manchester Corporation. The park also contains basketball courts, tennis courts, a skate park and a children's play area. Fog Lane takes its name from Yorkshire-fog , a type of wild grass. Between 1956 and 1969, the old Capitol Theatre at
2418-608: A large out-of-town shopping centre. Apart from the City of Manchester , Trafford is the only borough in Greater Manchester to be above the national average for weekly income. Socially, the area includes both working class and middle class areas like Bowdon and Hale . In Parliament , Trafford is represented by three constituencies : Stretford and Urmston ; Altrincham and Sale West ; and Wythenshawe and Sale East , which mainly covers neighbouring Manchester. The borough
2604-688: A main road through West Didsbury, "Palestine Road". A growing population of German merchants and industrialists in the mid-19th century earned Manchester the nickname of "the German city". In the Didsbury area, the Souchays were a well-known merchant family of Huguenot descent with connections to Germany. John D. Souchay built Eltville House, a large residence on the corner of Fog Lane and Wilmslow Road (a site bounded today by Clayton Avenue and Clothorn Road). The house, named after Eltville in Germany, had
2790-462: A man known as Dyddi whose stronghold or township it was on a low cliff overlooking a place where the River Mersey could be forded. In the 13th century Didsbury was variously referred to as Dydesbyre, Dydesbiri, Didsbury or Dodesbury. A charter granted in about 1260 shows that a corn-grinding mill was operating in Didsbury, along the River Mersey, but the earliest reference to Didsbury is in
2976-686: A merger between South Trafford College and North Trafford College. Overall, Trafford was ranked 2nd out of all of the local education authorities in National Curriculum assessment performance in 2014. Indeed, in 2014 Trafford was the first in the United Kingdom for Key Stage 2 results, with 87% of Year 6 pupils achieving the expected standard of Level 4 or above in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Also in 2014 2nd for both GCSE and A-Level results, with 72.2% of Year 11 pupils achieving
3162-516: A merger with Stretford UDC , on the basis that Stretford's growth was due in large part to Trafford Park, the growth of which in turn was largely due to the Manchester Ship Canal. Manchester Corporation had provided one-third of the capital needed to build the ship canal, for which it had doubled its municipal debt, despite having also increased rates by 26 per cent between 1892 and 1895. Stretford and Lancashire County Council opposed
3348-586: A non-selective education system, assessed by the SATs exam. There are seven primary schools and two state comprehensive secondary schools . The Barlow RC High School is one of those chosen by Manchester Council to benefit from funding made available in wave 4 of the government's Building Schools for the Future programme, a national scheme for the refurbishment and remodelling of every secondary school in England. It
3534-469: A pair of gate lodges at its Wilmslow Road entrance and the Ball Brook ran through its large garden. Other members of the family, Charles (or Carl) and Adelaide (or Adelheid) Souchay, lived nearby at Withington House on Wilmslow Road (the present site of the telephone exchange at Old Broadway). The Souchays were related to Cécile Mendelssohn Bartholdy, wife of the German composer Felix Mendelssohn . In
3720-587: A relatively larger education sector than other nearby wards, perhaps explained by the high density of schools in the area. A significant number of people (12%) commute to areas outside Didsbury; at the 2001 census there were 6,555 jobs in Didsbury, compared with the 7,417 employed residents. Siemens ' UK head office is in West Didsbury, occupying Sir William Siemens House and the Turing building, employing around 800 people here. The head office of BA CityFlyer
3906-779: A reported £3.6M. The Church stated that it had plans to turn the 51,000-square-foot (4,700 m ) Victorian building into a place of worship and religious instruction. The original plans were rejected by Trafford Council, but the Church stated its intention to revise the proposals and resubmit. Manchester Metrolink runs north–south through Trafford, with its southern terminus in Altrincham. Trams run on two routes: Altrincham to Piccadilly and Altrincham to Bury. It serves Cornbrook , Trafford Bar , Old Trafford , Stretford , Dane Road , Sale , Brooklands , Timperley , Navigation Road and Altrincham . The line opened in 1992 and replaced
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#17328025277144092-617: A small hamlet as early as the 13th century. Its early history was dominated by being part of the Manor of Withington , a feudal estate that covered a large part of what is now the south of Manchester. Didsbury was described during the 18th century as a township separate from outside influence. In 1745 a section of the Jacobite army including the Duke of Perth crossed the Mersey at Didsbury in
4278-591: A small section of West Didsbury was incorporated into the new ward of Chorlton Park . Didsbury East is represented by Labour councillors Linda Foley, James Wilson and Andrew Simcock. Didsbury West is represented by Labour councillors Debbie Hilal and Greg Stanton, and Liberal Democrat councillor John Leech . All wards within Manchester elect in thirds on a four yearly cycle . Didsbury, at 53°24′59″N 2°13′51″W / 53.41639°N 2.23083°W / 53.41639; -2.23083 (53.4166, −2.2311),
4464-524: A total population of 210,145. Of the 89,313 households in the borough, 36.5% were married couples living together, 31.6% were one-person households, 7.8% were co-habiting couples and 9.7% were lone parents, following a similar trend to the rest of England. The population density was 1,982/km (5,130/sq mi) and for every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. Of those aged 16–74 in Trafford, 24.7% had no academic qualifications , significantly lower than
4650-466: A wedding present for them next to their family home. Marie Louise died of peritonitis in 1891, and her father died the following year. The grieving Josephine Silkenstadt created a 5-acre (20,000 m ) public botanical garden opposite their house, named Marie Louise Gardens in memory of her late daughter, and bequeathed it to Withington Urban District Council. The gardens and the Lodge were designed by
4836-608: A wetland habitat covering 5.8 acres (2.3 ha) in Dunham Massey . Cotteril Clough is an area of woodland that is among the most diverse in Greater Manchester. Dunham Park is an area of "pasture-woodland or park-woodland" and has been since the Middle Ages, including many oak trees that date back to the 17th century, and covers 192.7 acres (78.0 ha). Also in Trafford are many parks and open spaces; there are 21.2 square miles (55 km ) of greenspace , 51.8% of
5022-575: A whole (3.3%). Trafford has the lowest number of unemployment benefit claimants compared to all the other boroughs in Greater Manchester (3.7%). In 2001, of 99,146 residents of Trafford in employment, the industry of employment was 17.1% property and business services, 16.5% retail and wholesale, 12.3% manufacturing, 11.9% health and social work, 8.2% education, 8.0% transport and communications, 5.9% construction, 5.5% finance, 4.5% public administration and defence, 4.0% hotels and restaurants, 0.8% energy and water supply, 0.6% agriculture, and 4.6% other. This
5208-534: A winner of the Green Flag Award in 2008. The park is used for dog walking, recreational play, picnics, and hosts events like the Didsbury Festival and Classic Car show. 'Didsbury Good Neighbours', a charity, is based in the park's refurbished pavilion, and operates an on-site cafe. The upkeep of the park is managed by the volunteer group, The Friends of Didsbury Park . Marie Louise Gardens
5394-410: Is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester , England , with an estimated population of 236,301 in 2022. It covers 106 square kilometres (41 sq mi) and includes the area of Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham , Stretford , Urmston , Partington and Sale . The borough was formed in 1974 as a merger of six former districts and part of a seventh. The River Mersey flows through
5580-673: Is a medieval moated site in Timperley near Altrincham Municipal Golf Course. Excavation on the site over a period of 18 years has shown Timperley to be inhabited since the Bronze Age . A grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has been made to develop the site into a community project. Trafford has two medieval castles. Dunham Castle is an early medieval castle in Dunham Massey. It belonged to Hamon de Massey, and
5766-401: Is a relatively small park to the west of the centre of Didsbury, opened in 1903 in memory of Marie Louise Silkenstadt. The gardens are planted out with a number of rare and unusual tree species. The park was at the centre of controversy in 2007 after Manchester City Council proposed to sell a portion of it to a private property developer. In the northern part of Didsbury lies Fog Lane Park,
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5952-435: Is about one-third of its original size, but although now relatively small it supports a wide variety of wildlife, including foxes, weasels, rabbits, hedgehogs, lapwings, kestrels, herons, coot, Canada Geese, and several varieties of newt. In 2007 the park was designated a Local Nature Reserve , one of only two in Trafford. The site was originally part of the de Trafford family estate, but was enveloped by encroaching industry in
6138-402: Is almost entirely surrounded by water. The Bridgewater Canal forms its southeastern and southwestern boundaries, and the Manchester Ship Canal forms its northeastern and northwestern boundaries. Trafford Park is the most northerly area of Trafford, and faces Salford across the Manchester Ship Canal. Stretford lies to the south and east, and Urmston to the west. In 1898, a large plot of land
6324-672: Is covered by the Catholic Dioceses of Shrewsbury and Salford , and the Church of England Dioceses of Manchester and Chester . There are two Grade I listed churches in Trafford: St. Werburgh's Church , in Warburton, is a timber framed church and dates back to at least the 14th century; All Saints' Church , in Urmston, was constructed in 1868 by E. W. Pugin , and is considered to be one of his best works. Of
6510-424: Is dedicated to the permanent exhibition covering conflicts from 1900 to the present day, and the other space is used for special exhibitions. The 11-acre (4.5 ha) Trafford Ecology Park is what remains of Trafford Park's ornamental boating lake. Boating continued on the lake until the 1930s, but by then its water had become polluted by asbestos and oil seepage from the neighbouring Anglo American Oil depot. During
6696-560: Is generally flat, with most of the land lying between 66 feet (20 m) and 98 feet (30 m) above sea level, apart from Bowdon Hill in South Trafford which rises 200 feet (60 m) above sea level. The lowest point in Trafford, near Warburton , is 36 feet (11 m) above sea level. There are areas of mossland in low-lying areas: Warburton Moss, Dunham Moss, and Hale Moss. Greenspace accounts for 51.8% of Trafford's total area, domestic buildings and gardens comprise 25.6%,
6882-494: Is in Didsbury. British Airways has an office with 300 employees in Pioneer House on the 292,000 square feet (27,100 m2), Dutch-owned Towers Business Park. In 2005, other tenants of the business park included Cisco , IWG , Logica , Trinity Integrated Systems and Thorn Lighting . Didsbury is considered to form a 'stockbroker belt', as it is Manchester's most affluent suburb. The original site of Didsbury Village
7068-563: Is in the parliamentary constituency of Manchester Withington , and is represented by Jeff Smith MP , a member of the Labour Party . Until 2004, most of the area formed the Didsbury ward of Manchester City Council with a section of West Didsbury contained within the Barlow Moor ward. However, boundary changes in 2004 resulted in Didsbury being split mainly between the two new wards of Didsbury East and Didsbury West while
7254-538: Is in the conservation area now known as Didsbury St James, about half a mile (1 km) to the south of what is today's village centre. The old village green is now the beer garden of The Didsbury pub. The traditional independent retailers are gradually being replaced by multi-national firms, raising fears that Didsbury may lose its individual identity and become a "clone town". However, independent traders continue to thrive, especially along Burton Road in West Didsbury, which celebrates its independent spirit each year with
7440-592: Is mostly a commuter area. The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 as one of the ten metropolitan districts of Greater Manchester. The metropolitan boroughs of the City of Salford and the City of Manchester border Trafford to the north and east respectively; the Cheshire East area of Cheshire lies to the south. The geology of South Trafford is Keuper marl with some Keuper waterstone and sandstone, whilst
7626-570: Is much larger than the average, and is regularly over-subscribed in Year 7. In its 2007 inspection report by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) the school was criticised for "failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education", and for providing "unsatisfactory" value for money. However, in 2012 it came out of special measures and Ofsted deemed it
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7812-424: Is now known as Old Trafford , to what was then called Whittleswick Hall, which they renamed Trafford Hall. Trafford Park contained the hall, its grounds, and three farms: Park Farm, Moss Farm, and Waters Meeting Farm. From the original three entrance lodges to the park, at Throstle Nest, Barton-upon-Irwell and Old Trafford , only the latter has survived, having been relocated from its original position opposite what
7998-680: Is planned to replace all the current buildings, which date back to 1951. Parrs Wood and The Barlow were two of only six schools in Manchester to achieve the Manchester Inclusion Standard in 2007, awarded by Manchester Council to those schools doing innovative work to ensure that all their pupils are able to participate fully in the school's activities. There is one centre of further and higher education in Didsbury: The Manchester College , (formerly City College Manchester ) Fielden Campus, which
8184-650: Is served additionally by regional trains to destinations including Liverpool Lime Street , Crewe , Chester and Llandudno . Until the 1960s, the suburb was also served by two stations on the South District Line from Manchester Central : Withington and West Didsbury station on Lapwing Lane (closed in 1961) and Didsbury station (closed in 1967, during the Beeching Axe ). Both stations have since been demolished, although new stops on Manchester's Metrolink have since risen in their place. The area
8370-589: Is served by the Manchester Metrolink light rail / tram with three tram stops at Didsbury Village , East Didsbury and West Didsbury . The tram route uses a reopened section of the former Midland Railway line. Proposals were first announced in 1984 to reopen the disused line as part of the Project Light Rail scheme and the former Didsbury station was to reopen under the name of Didsbury Central or Didsbury Village. The first phase of
8556-530: Is south of the midpoint of the Greater Manchester Urban Area , 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (7 kilometres) south of Manchester city centre. To the north, Didsbury is bordered by Withington , Chorlton-cum-Hardy and Burnage , to the west by Northenden , to the east and south-east by Heaton Mersey and Cheadle , and by Gatley to the south. The River Mersey forms Didsbury's southern and southwestern boundaries and certain stretches of
8742-561: Is thought to have been before the middle of the 13th century. When the plague reached the village in 1352 the chapel yard was consecrated to provide a cemetery for the victims, it being "inconvenient to carry the dead all the way to Manchester". The BBC Radio 4 Daily Service programme of Christian worship – the world's oldest continuous radio programme – is often broadcast from Emmanuel Church, on Barlow Moor Road. Two of Didsbury's religious buildings are Grade II listed : Didsbury Methodist Church of St Paul (now an office building), and
8928-590: Is today the White City retail park to become the entrance to Gorse Hill Park. In 1761, a section of the Bridgewater Canal was built along the southeast and southwest sides of Trafford Park. The canal along with the River Irwell, which marked the estate's northeast and northwest boundaries, gave the park its present-day "island-like" quality. In about 1860, an 8-acre (3.2 ha) ornamental lake
9114-695: The English Premier Ice Hockey League . The club was formed in 2003 as the successor to Manchester Storm , and folded in early 2017 after playing home fixtures during 2015–2016 in Deeside and Blackpool. They were one of the founder members of the Elite Ice Hockey League . In 2008–09 they finished sixth in the Elite Ice Hockey League . The Trafford Metros were the Phoenix's junior side and are also based at
9300-476: The British Parliament by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three separate parliamentary constituencies. Altrincham and Sale West is represented by Connor Rand MP ( Labour ). Stretford and Urmston is represented by Andrew Western MP ( Labour ). Wythenshawe and Sale East , which also covers parts of the City of Manchester , is represented by Mike Kane MP (Labour). In 1974, Trafford Council
9486-712: The Cooperative Wholesale Society (CWS), bought land at Trafford Wharf and set up a large food-packing factory and a flour mill. Other companies arriving at about the same time included Kilverts ( lard manufacturers), the Liverpool Warehousing Company, and Lancashire Dynamo & Crypto Ltd. The second major American company to set up a manufacturing base in Trafford Park was the Ford Motor Company , in 1911. Initially Ford used its factory as an assembly plant for
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#17328025277149672-830: The FA Cup 13 times and been the Premier League champions 13 times (since the league was formed 31 seasons ago) and were Football League champions seven times in the years prior to that. The club last won the Premier League in 2013 . LCCC started as the Manchester Cricket Club , and represents the historic county of Lancashire . The club contested the original 1890 County Championship . Old Trafford Cricket Ground – Lancashire's home ground – stages international matches, including Test matches and One Day Internationals . The team has won
9858-606: The Guinness Premiership in 2006; in 2008–09 they finished fifth. As well as being home to several clubs in the top echelon of their sports, Trafford plays host to smaller clubs, including Altrincham F.C. , Flixton F.C. , and Trafford F.C. Both Flixton F.C. and Trafford F.C. play in the North West Counties Football League Division One . Flixton F.C. was formed in 1960 and earned promotion to NWCFL Division One at
10044-607: The Jacobite march south from Manchester to Derby. Didsbury was largely rural until the mid-19th century, when it underwent development and urbanisation during the Industrial Revolution . It became part of Manchester in 1904. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was formed in Didsbury in 1889. Didsbury derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon Dyddi's burg , probably referring to
10230-670: The Manchester Blitz of December 1940. On the night of 23 December 1940, the Metropolitan-Vickers aircraft factory in Mosley Road was badly damaged, with the loss of the first 13 MV-built Avro Manchester bombers in final assembly. The new Ford factory producing aircraft engines was bombed only a few days after its opening in May 1941. Trafford Hall was severely damaged by bombing, and was demolished shortly after
10416-412: The Manchester Metrolink light rail / tram system opened in 1992 but, due to funding problems, the old trackbed through Didsbury remained derelict for over 20 years until it was reopened in 2013. Rather than reopening at the site of the old Midland Railway station on Wilmslow Road, it was decided instead to locate the new Didsbury Village tram stop further down the line at School Lane. Didsbury has
10602-658: The Manchester South District Line by the Midland Railway in 1880 contributed greatly to the rapid growth in the population of Didsbury. Easy rail connections to Manchester Central were now provided from Didsbury railway station in Didsbury Village, and from Withington and West Didsbury railway station on Palatine Road. Didsbury station was also served by Express trains from Manchester to London St Pancras . Further expansion of
10788-535: The Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway . Didsbury Didsbury is a suburb of Manchester , in Greater Manchester , England, on the north bank of the River Mersey , 5 miles (8 kilometres) south of Manchester city centre . The population at the 2011 census was 26,788. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire , there are records of Didsbury existing as
10974-594: The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford . As of 2010, most of the park is in Stretford, in the Gorse Hill ward of Trafford, while Dumplington is in the Davyhulme East ward and forms the northern tip of Urmston. Since 1997, Trafford Park has been in the constituency of Stretford and Urmston . In the 2019 United Kingdom general election , incumbent Labour MP Kate Green was re-elected with a 60.3% share of
11160-445: The Model T , although other vehicles were assembled there in later years, before moving to a new factory at Dagenham , Essex , in 1931. By 1915, 100 American companies had moved into the park, peaking at more than 200 by 1933. When the cotton industry began to decline in the early 20th century, Trafford Park and the Manchester Ship Canal helped Manchester – and to a lesser extent the rest of south Lancashire – to weather
11346-463: The Old English words stræt (a street, more specifically a Roman road) and ford (crossing) . The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford has existed since 1974, but the area it covers has a long history. Neolithic arrowheads have been discovered in Altrincham and Sale , and there is evidence of Bronze Age habitation in Timperley . Fragments of Roman pottery have been found in Urmston , and Roman coins have been found in Sale. The Roman road between
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#173280252771411532-424: The Spitfire , Hurricane , Mosquito and the Lancaster. The engines were made by Ford, under licence. The 17,316 workers employed in Ford's purpose-built factory had produced 34,000 engines by the war's end. The facility was designed in two separate sections to minimise the impact of bomb damage on production. The wood-working factory of F. Hills & Sons built more than 800 Percival Proctor aircraft for
11718-412: The Trafford Park Development Corporation was formed to assume responsibility for a 3,130 acres (12.7 km) Urban Development Area that included not only Trafford Park but also parts of Stretford, Salford Quays, and the former steelworks at Irlam , now known as Northbank. Of the four redevelopment schemes undertaken by the corporation one, Wharfside, included 200 acres (81 ha) of the eastern end of
11904-439: The development corporation attracted 1,000 companies, generating 28,299 new jobs and £1.759 billion of private sector investment. The setting up of the corporation was intended to end on 31 March 1997, but it was extended until March 1998, when responsibility for Trafford Park's development passed to Trafford Council. The park is once again a major centre of employment in Trafford, and its regeneration has led to
12090-408: The legionary fortresses at Chester ( Deva Victrix ) and York ( Eboracum ) crosses Trafford, passing through Stretford, Sale, and Altrincham. The settlements in Trafford have been based largely around agriculture, although Altrincham was founded as a market town in the mid 13th century. Although the Industrial Revolution affected Trafford, the area did not experience the same rate of growth as
12276-410: The working class population of Trafford and across the country was in decline, falling steadily from 43% to 18% (36% to 29% nationally). It has since increased slightly, up to 27% (26% nationwide). The rest of the population was made up of clerical workers and skilled manual workers. In the 2008–2009 financial year, the crime rates in Trafford for violence against a person and sexual offences were below
12462-408: The 11 Grade II* listed buildings in Trafford, seven are churches: Hale Chapel in Hale; the Church of St John the Divine in Sale; Church of St Mary the Virgin in Bowdon; St. Martin's Church in Sale; St. Michael's Church in Flixton; St. Margaret's Church in Altrincham; St. George's Church in Carrington. In 2007, the Church of Scientology bought the Old Trafford Essence Distillery on Chester Road for
12648-411: The 13th century. Trafford is the home of several major sports teams, including Manchester United Football Club and Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC). Manchester United began as Newton Heath L&YR F.C. in 1878. The team plays at Old Trafford football ground, which is sometimes used as a stadium for major football matches like the 2003 UEFA Champions League final . Manchester United have won
12834-481: The 1840s, Mendelssohn made several visits to Britain and stayed with the Souchays; he wrote a number of letter to friends with "Eltville House, Withington" as the return address. The Souchays were members of St Paul's Church, Withington ; Mendelssohn gave a recital on the newly installed pipe organ there in 1847, and the first wedding to take place there was that of John Souchay's eldest daughter in 1850. The Souchays are buried in St Paul's churchyard. Eltville House
13020-462: The 1930s near the site of his landing, is marked by a blue plaque to commemorate his achievement. In 1921, a war memorial was erected outside Didsbury Library, on the opposite side of the road to the Midland Railway station. Dedicated to the memory of the 174 local servicemen who fell in World War I , it was unveiled by Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby . After World War II , a further 67 names were added. Further transport enhancements came in
13206-446: The 1960s employment in the park began to decline as companies closed their premises in favour of newer, more efficient plants elsewhere. Ellesmere Port and Runcorn at the western end of the Manchester Ship Canal were in the ascendency industrially and they overtook Trafford Park in economic importance. In 1967, employment had fallen to 50,000 and there was a further decline in the 1970s. In 1971, Stretford Council responded by setting up
13392-605: The 2018 local elections, the council, which was previously Conservative-held, came under Labour control in the form of a minority administration supported by the Liberal Democrats in a confidence and supply administration. There were a few shock results, such as in Altrincham (ward) , where the Green Party gained seats from the incumbent Conservative councillors. After gaining seats in the 2019 local elections,
13578-455: The 28.9% in all of England. 8.2% of Trafford's residents were born outside the United Kingdom, lower than the English average of 9.2%. The largest minority group was Asian, at 4.0% of the population. In 1841, 12% of Trafford's population was middle class compared to 14% in England and Wales; this increased to 21% in 1931 (15% nationally) and 55% in 2001 (48% nationally). From 1841 to 1951,
13764-733: The Altrincham Ice Dome. The Phoenix were replaced by a new team bearing the Manchester Storm name, who took a spot in the Elite Ice Hockey League for the 2015–2016 season Rugby Union side Sale Sharks were formerly based in Trafford. They now play at the Salford Community Stadium in Salford , although their former home ground at Heywood Road in Sale is still used for training. Sale Sharks won
13950-561: The De Traffords. Both elements were taken from the coats of arms of the respective families. The fist holding bolts of lightning represents Stretford and the electrical industry; the cog on the arm represents Altrincham's engineering industry. The unicorns stand for Sale and Altrincham. The oak branches represent Urmston and the rural areas of Trafford. At the 2001 UK census , the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford had
14136-513: The Estates Company and Stretford Council over the provision of local services and infrastructure. In 1902, W. T. Glover & Co, a cable manufacturing company that had moved to the park from nearby Salford , built a power station next to their works to supply electricity to the rest of the park; the Estates Company had previously approached Manchester Corporation, but Stretford would not allow another local authority to supply electricity within its area. In 1901 Manchester Corporation formally proposed
14322-469: The Estates Company and the Ship Canal Company, the latter committed to carry freight on their dock railway between the docks and the park and to the construction of a permanent connection between the two railway networks. The West Manchester Light Railway Company was set up the following year to take over the operations of the tramway and to lay additional track. In 1904 responsibility for all of
14508-483: The Estates Company was obliged to provide some means of travelling around the park, and therefore a gas-powered tramway was commissioned, intended to carry both people and freight. The first tram ran on 23 July 1897, but after a few days of operation there was an accident in which a tramcar was derailed, and the service was suspended until the following year. The tram's maximum speed was 12 miles per hour (19 km/h), and their distinctive exhaust smell quickly earned them
14694-535: The Labour Party was in a position to form a majority-controlling administration. There are 21 electoral wards in Trafford, each with 3 councillors, giving a total of 63 councillors with one-third elected three years out of four. In the following table, which lists the wards before the boundary changes of 2023, the populations for each ward are based on 2013 population estimates from the Office for National Statistics . The coat of arms of Trafford Council depicts
14880-522: The Mersey at Didsbury in 1745 in the Jacobite march south from Manchester to Derby. Bonnie Prince Charlie crossed at Stockport. Jewish immigrants started to arrive in Manchester from the late 18th century, initially settling mainly in the suburbs to the north of the city. From the 1890s onwards, many of them moved to what were seen as the more "sophisticated" suburbs in the south, such as Withington and Didsbury. The influx of Jewish immigrants led to West Didsbury being nicknamed "Yidsbury" and Palatine Road,
15066-510: The Mersey lie within the river's flood plain, and so have historically been prone to flooding after heavy rainfall. The last major flooding was in the late 1960s. In the 1970s extensive flood mitigation work carried out along the Mersey Valley through Manchester has helped to speed up the passage of floodwater. Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden also acts as an emergency flood basin, storing floodwater until it can be safely released back into
15252-469: The Northern Region of Pétanque England . There are 73 primary schools in Trafford, 17 secondary and grammar schools , and 6 special schools. Trafford maintains a selective education system, with grammar schools, assessed by the 11-plus exam. Trafford College , a £29M "super college" in Stretford, is the only college of further education in Trafford. It was officially opened in 2008, following
15438-566: The RAF between 1940 and 1945, which were flight tested at the nearby Barton Aerodrome . Other companies produced gun bearings, steel tracks for Churchill tanks , munitions, Bailey bridges , and much else. ICI built and operated the first facility in the UK able to produce penicillin in quantity. As an important industrial area, Trafford Park was frequently bombed by the Luftwaffe , particularly during
15624-482: The Second World War the site was used as a tip for foundry waste. Esso bought the land in 1974, and levelled and partly seeded it, to improve the frontage to its own site. Trafford council bought the land from Esso in 1983, for £50,000 (£213,000 as of 2024). Government spending restrictions delayed the park's restoration and conversion, and it was not fully opened to the public until 1990. The present lake
15810-460: The Second World War. On 7 May 1896, Sir Humphrey Francis de Trafford put the 1,183-acre (479 ha) estate up for auction, but it failed to reach its reported reserve price of £300,000 (£43.8 million as of 2024). There was much public debate, before and after the abortive sale, as to whether Manchester Corporation ought to buy Trafford Park, but the corporation could not agree terms quickly enough, and so on 23 June Ernest Terah Hooley became
15996-501: The Trafford Park Industrial Council (TRAFIC), membership of which was open to any firm in Trafford Park. One of TRAFIC's early initiatives was to encourage businesses in the park to address the general air of decay, by improving their own areas through landscaping and other environmental improvements. The park's decline was exacerbated by the decreasing use of the Manchester Ship Canal during the 1970s, which
16182-547: The Trans Pennine Trail ( National Cycle Route 62). It was sited along a disused railway track, as part of a nationwide initiative to promote cycling. Didsbury's built environment has developed around the areas of East Didsbury, West Didsbury, and Didsbury Village, which separates the two. The Albert Park conservation area, covering much of West Didsbury, places planning restrictions on development, alterations to buildings, and pruning of trees. The areas adjacent to
16368-446: The administration of predominantly rural areas. The rest of Trafford is unparished . The unparished areas are: Altrincham ( Municipal Borough ), Bowdon ( Urban District ), Hale (Urban District), Sale (Municipal Borough), Stretford (Municipal Borough), and Urmston (Urban District). The status of each area prior to 1974 is shown in brackets. An urban district was a type of local government district which covered an urbanised area. Following
16554-463: The air shard, the earth shard, and the water shard, representing a world torn apart by conflict. Entrance to the museum is via the air shard, which is 180 feet (55 m) in height, and is open to the elements. It has a viewing platform about 95 feet (29 m) high, offering views across Salford and the Quays towards Manchester city centre. The museum houses two extensive exhibition spaces. The largest
16740-555: The borders of Withington , Burnage and Didsbury, at the end of the first flight from London to Manchester in under 24 hours , with one short overnight stop at Lichfield . Arriving at 5:30 am, Paulhan beat the British contender, Claude Grahame-White , winning a £10,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail . This was the first powered flight into Manchester from any point outside the city. Two special trains were chartered to
16926-402: The borough, separating North Trafford from South Trafford, and the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire . Trafford is the seventh-most populous district in Greater Manchester. There is evidence of Neolithic , Bronze Age , and Roman activity in the area, two castles – one of them a Scheduled Ancient Monument – and over 200 listed buildings . In the late 19th century,
17112-418: The bottom tier of local government; the parish councils are involved in planning, management of town and parish centres, and promoting tourism. In 2001, 8,484 people (4.0% of the borough's population) lived in Trafford's four civil parishes: Carrington, Dunham Massey, Partington, and Warburton. They were all previously part of Bucklow Rural District . A rural district was a type of local government district for
17298-605: The busiest bus corridor in Europe. There are frequent bus services into Manchester city centre, The Trafford Centre , Northenden and other destinations. Services include: The nearest commuter railway stations to Didsbury are East Didsbury and Burnage on the Styal Line , which runs between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport . The stations were opened in 1909 by the London and North Western Railway . East Didsbury
17484-452: The city, redesigned in the 1920s to include recreational features for residents, such as bowling greens. Located within the St. James’ Conservation Area, it features preservation-order trees, grassland, woodland, and flora. An old air-raid shelter is rumoured to be beneath the football pitch. The park includes a children's playground, a football pitch, and bowling greens. Didsbury Park was also
17670-526: The civil engineer Joshua Cartwright , and were formally opened in June 1903 by James Kenyon . During the Victorian expansion of Manchester, Didsbury developed as a prosperous settlement; a few mansions from the period still exist on Wilmslow Road between Didsbury village and Parrs Wood to the east and Withington to the north, but they have now been converted to nursing homes and offices. The opening of
17856-458: The cockfighting that used to take place there. The parsonage soon gained a reputation for being haunted; servants refused to sleep on the premises, and it was abandoned in 1850. Local alderman Fletcher Moss bought the house in 1865, and lived in it for more than 40 years. In 1902, he installed a gateway complete with wrought iron gates which he purchased from the soon to be demolished Spread Eagle Hotel in central Manchester which he once owned, at
18042-611: The council was awarded "three star" status meaning it was "performing well" and "consistently above minimum requirements", similar to 46% of all local authorities. In 2008–09, Trafford council had a budget of £150.5 million. This was collected from council tax (57%) and government grants (43%). The council spent £31.8 million on children and young people's services (21%); £60.1 million on community services and social care (40%); £34.4 million on "prosperity, planning, and development" (23%); and £33.8 million on customer and corporate services (22%). Civil parishes form
18228-538: The county championship eight times outright (with one shared) and were the county champions in 2011 – the county's first outright triumph since 1934, but were then relegated to the second division in 2012 . From 2006 until 2015, the borough was home to the Manchester Phoenix , who played their home games at the Altrincham Ice Dome , and were active in both the Elite Ice Hockey League and
18414-416: The current recession and its high proportion of multinational companies were two factors which give the borough its high ranking. As of March 2007, Trafford has 6 Grade I, 11 Grade II*, and 228 Grade II listed buildings. Trafford has the equal second highest number of Grade I listed buildings out of the districts of Greater Manchester behind Manchester . Most of Trafford's Grade I listed buildings are in
18600-484: The de Trafford Trustees on which it was intended to build a garden village. In 1929 the Ship Canal Company acquired Dumplington Estates, and in return gave the Estates Company land to the south of Barton, the Trafford Park Extension. The Canal Company recognised the potential for a new dock on the land, giving the area its name of Barton Dock Estate, although no dock was ever built. The Barton Docks area
18786-485: The death rate was falling in the area. The Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden is a 21-acre (8-hectare) recreational park south of the village centre. It is named after local Alderman Fletcher Moss, who donated the park to the city of Manchester in 1919. In 2008, it won the Green Flag Award , the national standard for parks and green spaces in England, an award it has held since 2000. Alderman Fletcher Moss
18972-402: The decline continued throughout the 1970s, when difficult economic conditions were pushing up unemployment nationally. The new generation of container ships was too large for the Manchester Ship Canal, which led to a further decline in Trafford Park's fortunes. The workforce had fallen to 15,000 by 1976, and by the 1980s - in the wake of another recession - industry had virtually disappeared from
19158-413: The development of the ship canal frontage for "all types of trade including timber". By that time the ship canal had been open for two years, but the predicted traffic had yet to materialise. Hooley met with Marshall Stevens , the general manager of the Ship Canal Company, and both men recognised the benefit that the industrial development of Trafford Park could offer to the ship canal, and the ship canal to
19344-477: The early 1900s. In the following years the area was used as a tipping site by industry and partly filled with construction rubble and slag from steel works. Now owned and managed by Groundwork Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Tameside & Trafford, the park is used as a training centre for horticulture training and as a volunteering hub. At the end of the 19th century there were no public transport routes in, and few running close to, Trafford Park. Its size meant that
19530-412: The eastern side of the park, while the rest of it remained largely undeveloped. The first American company to arrive was Westinghouse Electric , which formed its British subsidiary – British Westinghouse Electric Company – in 1899, and purchased 130 acres (0.53 km) on two sites. Building work started in 1900, and the factory began production of turbines and electric generators in 1902. By
19716-547: The economic depression from which the rest of Lancashire suffered. During the First World War the park was used for the manufacture of munitions, chemicals and other materiel. Most firms at Trafford Park succeeded in avoiding bankruptcy during the Great Depression , unlike the rest of Lancashire. Ford moved to Dagenham in 1931, but returned temporarily to Trafford Park during the Second World War. Following
19902-488: The economy of the Trafford dominated by agriculture. This continued to some extent even during the Industrial Revolution , as the textile industry in Trafford did not develop as quickly or to the same extent as it did in the rest of Greater Manchester . There are only two known 18th-century mill sites in Trafford, compared with 69 known in Tameside and 51 in Manchester . After reaching a high of 43% in 1812, employment in
20088-646: The end of the 2006–07 season. Trafford F.C. was formed in 1990 and finished fifth in the 2006–07 season. Altrincham F.C. was founded in 1903 and plays in the Football Conference . Within Trafford their two clubs that enter teams in both the Men's and Women's England Hockey Leagues – Brooklands , based in Sale and Bowdon . In 2017, Trafford Pétanque became Trafford's first ever officially registered Pétanque club. Trafford Pétanque currently plays within
20274-407: The entrance to the parsonage's garden, which, because of the building's reputation, became known locally as "the gates to Hell". The parsonage is now open to the community and used as exhibition rooms for various forms of art. The gardens are still open to the public. The area around St James' Church has the highest concentration of listed buildings in Manchester, outside the city centre. Didsbury
20460-476: The estate. In January 1897 Stevens became the managing director of Trafford Park Estates. He remained with the company, latterly as its joint chairman and managing director, until 1930. The company initially chose not to construct buildings for letting, and instead leased land for development. But by the end of June 1897 less than one per cent of the park had been leased, and so the park's existing assets were put to use until more tenants could be found. Trafford Hall
20646-630: The expected standard or above of 5 GCSEs including English and Maths. For A-Level results 25% of students gained 3 A-Levels at grades A*-A, which is twice the national average, whilst 33% gained 3 A-levels at grades A*-B. Trafford has 7 Grammar schools and all 7 are in the top 10 best performing state schools in Greater Manchester. At the 2001 UK census, 75.8% of Trafford's residents reported themselves as being Christian, 3.3% Muslim, 1.1% Jewish, 0.6% Hindu, 0.2% Buddhist and 0.5% Sikh. The census recorded 12.0% as having no religion, 0.2% had an alternative religion and 6.4% did not state their religion. Trafford
20832-490: The first industries to arrive was the Manchester Patent Fuel Company, in 1898. The Trafford Brick Company arrived soon after, followed by J.W. Southern & Co. (timber merchants), James Gresham (engineers), and W. T. Glovers & Co. (electric cable manufacturers). Glovers also built a power station in the park, on the banks of the Bridgewater Canal . Most of these early developments were built on
21018-560: The following year, British Westinghouse was employing about half of the 12,000 workers in Trafford Park. Its main machine shop was 899 feet (274 m) long and 440 feet (134 m) wide; for almost 100 years Westinghouse's Trafford Park works was the most important engineering facility in Britain. In 1919, Westinghouse was sold to the Vickers Company and renamed Metropolitan-Vickers , often shortened to Metrovicks. In 1903,
21204-470: The form of two new arterial roads which were constructed at the peripheral edges of Didsbury 1928–1930: Kingsway (named after King George V ) through East Didsbury; and Princess Road through West Didsbury. Both were laid out as dual carriageways for motor vehicles with a segregated tram track along the central reservation . Manchester Corporation Tramways operated a tram line from Parrs Wood via Burnage into Manchester city centre until 1949, when
21390-678: The geology of North Trafford is Bunter sandstone . The River Mersey runs east to west through the area, separating North Trafford from South Trafford; other rivers in Trafford include the Bollin , the River Irwell , Sinderland Brook, and Crofts Bank Brook. The Bridgewater Canal , opened in 1761 and completed in 1776, follows a course through Trafford roughly north to south and passes through Stretford, Sale, and Altrincham. The Manchester Ship Canal , opened in 1894, forms part of Trafford's northern and western boundaries with Salford . Trafford
21576-454: The highest out of all the metropolitan boroughs in Greater Manchester, 45% higher than the average for the county. At the 2001 UK census, Trafford had 151,445 residents aged 16 to 74. 2.5% of these people were students with jobs, 5.7% looking after home or family, 5.4% permanently sick or disabled and 2.8% economically inactive for other reasons. Trafford has a low rate of unemployment (2.7%) compared with Greater Manchester (3.6%) and England as
21762-495: The junction of Parrs Wood Road and School Lane served as the northern studios of ITV station ABC Weekend Television . Programmes such as Opportunity Knocks and Police Surgeon were made in the studios. ABC ceased to use the site in 1968 when it lost its ITV franchise, on its merger with fellow ITV company Rediffusion . The site was then used briefly by Yorkshire Television until its own facilities in Leeds were ready. In 1971,
21948-453: The land, and began to construct what were known as Hives, 25-foot (7.6 m) wide subdivisions of a longer single building that could be internally reconfigured for each tenant's needs. A series of 19 were built initially, available to rent at £80 per annum (£11,000 as of 2024). Brooke Bond was one of the companies that took advantage of the Hives, before moving to its purpose-built factory on
22134-472: The largest Odeon cinema in the UK. Trafford is a prosperous area, with an average weekly income of £394, and apart from Manchester it is the only borough in Greater Manchester to be above the national average for weekly income and is on average the highest in the county. Media, advertising and public relations have been identified as growth industries in Greater Manchester and are concentrated in Manchester and Trafford. Average house prices in Trafford are
22320-466: The last ice age , around 10,000 years ago. There are some areas of peat bog in the west of the park, in the area formerly known as Trafford Moss. In 1793, William Roscoe began work on reclaiming the bog, and by 1798 that work was sufficiently advanced for him to turn his attention to the task of reclaiming the much larger Chat Moss in nearby Salford, also owned by the Trafford family. The park occupies an area of 4.7 square miles (12 km), and
22506-558: The lead of its American counterpart, Metropolitan Vickers set up Manchester's and one of the UK's first radio stations at their factory in 1921. The station's first broadcast took place on 17 May 1922. In October that year the company was one of six who formed the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), which started broadcasting from the Metrovicks studio under the call sign 2ZY on 15 November 1922. Much of
22692-401: The merger, which was rejected following a government inquiry. In 1969 Pevsner wrote: "That [neighbouring] Stretford and Salford are not administratively one with Manchester is one of the most curious anomalies of England." The tensions between Stretford and the Estates Company began to come to a head in 1906, when in response to complaints in the press about the state of one particular road in
22878-558: The mid-1970s, 298 houses were demolished. A further 325 houses were demolished in the early 1980s, leaving only the largest 84 houses remaining. The Imperial War Museum North , opened on 5 July 2002, is in Trafford Wharf, on the southern edge of the ship canal looking over towards Salford Quays . An example of deconstructivist architecture , it was the first building in the United Kingdom to be designed by Daniel Libeskind . The structure consists of three interlocking sections:
23064-404: The national averages. However, the rate of robberies and burglaries were above the national average. The table below details the population change since 1801. Although Trafford was formed as a Metropolitan Borough in 1974, figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, and civil parishes that would later be constituent parts of Trafford. The greatest percentage change in
23250-406: The new owner of Trafford Park, for the sum of £360,000 (£52.6 million as of 2024). On 17 August, Hooley formed Trafford Park Estates Ltd, transferring his ownership of the park to the new company – of which he was the chairman and a significant shareholder – at a substantial profit. The initial plans for the estate included a racetrack , exclusive housing and a cycle works, along with
23436-526: The newly built but unopened Burnage railway station to take spectators to the landing, many of whom had stood throughout the night. Paulhan's progress was followed throughout by a special train carrying his wife, Henri Farman and his mechanics. Afterwards, his train took the party to a civic reception given by the Lord Mayor of Manchester in the town hall . A house in Paulhan Road, constructed in
23622-547: The nickname "Lamp Oil Express". The service was operated by the British Gas Traction Company , which paid a share of its takings to the Estates Company, but by 1899 the company was in serious financial difficulty, and entered voluntary liquidation. Salford Corporation then refused to provide any more gas for the trams, and the service was once again suspended until the Estates Company bought the entire operation for £2,000 in 1900. A separate electric tramway
23808-528: The park as well as part of the ship canal docks and the area around Manchester United F.C. 's Old Trafford football ground to the east of the Bridgewater Canal. The intention was to build "a flagship site" containing prestigious accommodation for offices, shops, and "hi-tech" industries, capitalising on the area's proximity to Manchester city centre and mirroring the earlier success of the redevelopment at nearby Salford Quays. Between 1987 and 1998,
23994-401: The park in 1922. The Estates Company also built large reinforced concrete warehouses, known as Safes. These buildings were fitted with sprinkler systems and were considered fireproof, which reduced insurance costs to 25 per cent of those of comparable warehouses elsewhere in the area. Each Safe had a capacity of 778,000 cubic feet (22,000 m), sufficient to hold 50,000 bales of cotton. Among
24180-401: The park's fortunes; during a 1984 House of Commons debate, Member of Parliament for Stretford , Tony Lloyd , described the area's decline as "spectacular and disastrous". The target had been to create 7,000 new jobs over 10 years, but by 1986 only 2,557 had been created, not even enough to compensate for the ongoing job losses caused by closures within the park. On 10 February 1987
24366-423: The park, Trafford Park Road, Stretford issued formal notices demanding that all premises with frontage onto the road pay for its improvement. Further disputes over the standard of roads in the park followed until, in 1907, the Estates Company presented a petition to Lancashire County Council demanding that Trafford Park should be an urban district in its own right, independent of Stretford. The county council dismissed
24552-437: The park. The Trafford Park Urban Development Corporation, formed in 1987, reversed the estate's decline. In the 11 years of its existence, the park attracted 1,000 companies, generating 28,299 new jobs and £1.759 billion of private-sector investment. By 2008, there were 1,400 companies within Trafford Park, employing an estimated 35,000 people. Despite a decline in these numbers soon afterwards due to
24738-636: The parks roads and railways passed to the Trafford Park Company, as a result of the Trafford Park Act of that year. The railway network could subsequently be extended as required, without the need to seek additional permissions from Parliament. The network was also connected to the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway near Cornbrook. At its peak, the estate's railway network covered 26 route miles (42 km), handling about 2.5 million tons of cargo in 1940. Like
24924-545: The petition, but later that year, following a petition organised by the Trafford Park Ratepayers Association, a new local government ward , Park Ward, was created within Stretford. The new ward did not include the western part of the park however, which remained under the control of Barton-upon-Irwell. As a result of the Local Government Act 1972 , the borough of Stretford was abolished and Trafford Park has, since 1 April 1974, formed part of
25110-486: The place". Despite Sir Humphrey's opposition the Ship Canal Bill became law on its third passage through Parliament, on 6 August 1885. Construction began in 1888, more than two years after Sir Humphrey's death, although a 9-foot-high (2.7 m) wall was built between the canal and the park, so as to block it off from view. Two wharves were also built, for the exclusive use of the de Traffords. The opening of
25296-503: The population occurred between 1851 and 1871, and was a result of the construction of the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway in 1849. The decrease in Trafford's population between 1971 and 2001 mirrors the trend for Greater Manchester , although on a smaller scale; this has been accounted for by the decline of Greater Manchester's industries, particularly those in Manchester and Salford but including those in Trafford, and residents leaving to seek new jobs. Historically,
25482-420: The population rapidly expanded with the arrival of the railway. Trafford is the home of Manchester United F.C. and Lancashire County Cricket Club , as well as Altrincham F.C. and Trafford F.C. . The Imperial War Museum North , opened in 2002, is located in the borough. Trafford has a strong economy with low levels of unemployment and contains both Trafford Park industrial estate and the Trafford Centre ,
25668-793: The population, and the over-65s for 15%. The population density in 2001 was 5,276/square mile (2,037/km ). In May 2021 a claim published by the Daily Mail that Didsbury was among a number of " no-go areas for white people" attracted media criticism. As of the UK's 2001 census , Didsbury had an estimated workforce of 10,755 or 75% of the population. Economic status in Didsbury was: 48% in full-time employment, 11% retired, 10% self-employed, 8% in part-time employment, 4% full-time student (without job), 4% housewife/husband or carer, 4% permanently sick or disabled, 4% unemployed and 2% economically inactive for unstated reasons. Didsbury's 48% rate of full-time employment compares with 33% in Manchester and 41% across
25854-602: The railways ensued when the London & North Western Railway 's Styal Line from Manchester London Road to Wilmslow opened in 1909, introducing two new stations to the area, East Didsbury & Parrs Wood and Burnage . In 1910, A stone clock tower and water fountain was erected outside Didsbury Midland Railway station in memory of local doctor and campaigner for the poor, Dr John Milson Rhodes . On 28 April 1910, French pilot Louis Paulhan landed his Farman biplane in Barcicroft Fields, Pytha Fold Farm, on
26040-581: The rest is made up of roads and non-domestic buildings. Localities within the boundaries of Trafford include: North Trafford: Cornbrook , Davyhulme , Firswood , Flixton , Gorse Hill , Lostock , Old Trafford , Stretford , Trafford Park and Urmston . South Trafford: Altrincham , Ashton-Upon-Mersey , Bowdon , Broadheath , Brooklands , Carrington , Dunham Massey , Hale , Hale Barns , Oldfield Brow , Partington , Sale , Sale Moor , Timperley , Warburton and West Timperley . The residents of Trafford Metropolitan Borough are represented in
26226-581: The rest of Greater Manchester . A 100% increase in population in the Trafford area between 1841 and 1861 was a direct result of an influx due to the construction of the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway , which allowed residents to commute more easily from Trafford into Manchester. The area developed its own centres of industry in Broadheath (founded in 1885) and Trafford Park (founded in 1897). They have since declined, although Trafford Park still employs 40–50,000 people. Today, Trafford
26412-486: The rest of the park, it fell into decline during the 1960s, exacerbated by the increasing use of road transport, and it was closed in 1998, although a lot of infrastructure remains including a lengthy stretch of disused track. Trafford Park Aerodrome was Manchester's first purpose-built airfield, laid out on a site between Trafford Park Road, Mosley Road, and Ashburton Road. The first aircraft landed there on 7 July 1911, flown from Liverpool by Henry G. Melly. The aerodrome
26598-431: The river also demarcate the boundaries of the City of Manchester . The area is generally considered to be roughly enclosed by Princess Parkway to the west, Kingsway to the east and the Ball Brook, just north of Lapwing Lane/Fog Lane to the north. This northern boundary is marked by a boundary stone in the front garden wall of a house on the west side of Wilmslow Road. A "country trail" passes from West Didsbury to East, named
26784-609: The river. Parts of the local flood plain, much of Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden, the whole of nearby Didsbury Park and many of the listed buildings in the area are grouped into the St. James' Conservation area, which is centred on Wilmslow Road, just south of Didsbury Village. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded Didsbury as having a population of 14,292, of whom 87% were born in the United Kingdom. A large majority of residents, 88%, identified themselves as white , 8% as Asian , 2% as mixed ethnicity, 1% black and 1% Chinese or other ethnic group. The under-16s accounted for 17% of
26970-544: The service was closed. In the postwar years, passenger train services on the South District Line (now part of British Rail ) were gradually reduced, and in 1967 the line was closed as part of the Beeching cuts . For some years the old station building was in use as Station Hardware and DIY store, before it was demolished in 1982. In the early 13th century, Didsbury lay within the manor of Withington,
27156-421: The ship canal in 1894 made Trafford Park a prime site for industrial development. During the following century, the park was built over with factories and some housing for workers. The deer were initially allowed to continue roaming free, but as the park's industrialisation gathered pace they were considered inappropriate and were killed, the last of them in 1900. Trafford Hall survived until its demolition following
27342-533: The south of the borough: the old Church of St. Werburgh in Warburton; Dunham Massey Hall itself, and the stables and carriage house belonging to the hall; Royd House in Hale; and the Church of All Saints in Urmston in the north of the borough. Trafford has three of Greater Manchester's 21 Sites of Special Scientific Interest . Brookheys Covert is a semi-natural wood consisting mainly of ash, birch, and rowan, with
27528-480: The station's content was musical, but news, plays, and children's programmes were also transmitted. Conditions in the small 30-by-16-foot (9.1 m × 4.9 m) studio were cramped, and the BBC moved the station to larger premises outside the park in 1923. Sir Humphrey de Trafford had retained 1,300 acres (530 ha) of land on the western side of the ship canal after his 1897 sale of Trafford Park. Hemmed in as it
27714-427: The streets were narrow, with few gardens, and the whole development was close to the pollution of the neighbouring industries. In that respect it resembled the terraced properties in the surrounding areas, many of which were condemned as slums in later years. By the 1970s The Village was also considered by Stretford Council to be a slum area, and unsuitable for residential housing. In the first phase of clearance, during
27900-461: The studios were acquired by Manchester Polytechnic , who used it for cinema, television studies and theatre. The building was demolished in the late 1990s to make way for a residential development, but the name lives on in the form of a new theatre space in the heart of the M.M.U. campus in the All Saints area along Oxford Road, just to the south of Manchester city centre. Until 2009 Didsbury
28086-415: The supposed name of an ancient Roman road in the district. Those names were rejected in favour of Trafford, because of the district's "famous sports venue, a major employer as well as historic associations", referring to Old Trafford ( cricket and football ), Trafford Park and the de Trafford baronets respectively. As a place name, Trafford is an Anglo-French version of Stratford, deriving from
28272-520: The textile industry in Trafford declined to 12% according to the 1851 census. The textile industry in Trafford could not compete with that in places such as Manchester , Oldham , and Ashton-under-Lyne , partly because of a reluctance to invest in industry on the part of the two main land owners in the area: the Stamfords and the de Traffords . Trafford Park was founded in 1897, and at its peak in 1945 employed 75,000 people. As well as being
28458-550: The time were periods of no overall control. The council meets to decide policy and allocate budget. Its duties include setting levels of council tax , monitoring the health service in Trafford, providing social care, and funding schools. Cllr Andrew Western is the leader of the council as of 2021, and Cllr Laurence Walsh is the current mayor. In 2007 the Audit Commission judged Trafford Council to be "improving strongly" in providing services for local people. Overall
28644-531: The title of Large Visitor Attraction of the Year at the 2006 Manchester Tourism Awards. Sale Water Park is a 152-acre (62 ha) area of countryside and parkland including a 52-acre (21 ha) artificial lake created when the M60 motorway was built. The water park is the site of the Broad Ees Dole wildlife refuge, a Local Nature Reserve that provides a home for migratory birds. Timperley Old Hall
28830-402: The total area covered by the borough. Tourist attractions in Trafford include Old Trafford football ground and Old Trafford Cricket Ground . Chill Factor is an indoor ski slope in Trafford Park. It features the UK's longest and widest real snow indoor slope, 100 metres (110 yd) wide and 180 metres (200 yd) long. Dunham Massey Hall and Park is an 18th-century hall with
29016-498: The two-day Westfest festival. The 200-year-old Peacock's Funeral Parlour, one of the few pre-Victorian buildings in the village and regarded by some as the centrepiece of the village, was demolished in the summer of 2005 to make way for a new branch of Boots the Chemists . The owner, United Co-op , blamed changing demographics for the closure of the funeral parlour; with more and more homes being occupied by young professional people,
29202-528: The vote. In 2022, Green resigned after being nominated deputy mayor of Greater Manchester; her successor was Andrew Western , who won the by-election with a majority of 9,906, representing a swing of 11% from the Conservatives . The topography of Trafford Park is either flat or gently undulating, about 144 feet (44 m) above sea level at its highest point. The local bedrock is Triassic Bunter Sandstone , overlaid by sand and gravel deposited during
29388-462: The war and re-opened in 1949, until which time Manchester United played their home games at Maine Road , home of Manchester City in Moss Side . At the outbreak of war in 1939 there were an estimated 50,000 people employed at Trafford Park. By the end of the war in 1945 that number had risen to 75,000, probably the peak size of the park's workforce; Metropolitan-Vickers alone employed 26,000. In
29574-477: The war ended. In the December 1940 air raids, stray bombs aiming for Trafford Park landed on the nearby Old Trafford football stadium, home of Manchester United , but this air raid only resulted in minor damage and matches were soon being played at the stadium again. On 11 March 1941, stray bombs fell onto Old Trafford for a second time, causing serious damage to the stadium. It was comprehensively rebuilt after
29760-583: The whole of England. The area's 4% unemployment rate is in contrast to Manchester's rate of 9% and broadly in line with the 5% rate of unemployment for England. In 2001, the main industries of employment in Didsbury were 20% property and business services, 15% education, 15% health and social work, 10% retail and wholesale, 9% manufacturing, 6% transport and communications, 5% financial services, 4% hotels and restaurants, 4% construction, 4% public administration and defence, and 8% other. These figures were similar to those from surrounding areas, but Didsbury did have
29946-408: The world's first planned industrial estate , it is Europe's largest business park. More than 1,400 companies are within the park, employing between 40,000 and 50,000 people. The Trafford Centre , which opened on 10 September 1998, is North West England 's largest indoor shopping complex. The centre has over 30 million visitors annually, and contains 235 stores, 55 restaurants, and
30132-639: Was a major supplier of materiel in the First and Second World Wars, producing the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines used to power both the Spitfire and the Lancaster . At its peak in 1945, an estimated 75,000 workers were employed in the park. Employment began to decline in the 1960s as companies closed in favour of newer, more efficient plants elsewhere. By 1967 employment had fallen to 50,000, and
30318-632: Was acquired, and by 1903 more than 500 houses had been built, rising to over 700 when the development was completed in 1904. In 1907 it was estimated that the population of the Village was 3,060. The development was laid out in a grid pattern, with the roads numbered instead of being named. Avenues numbered 1 to 4 run north–south, streets numbered 1 to 12 run east–west. The Village was almost completely self-contained, with its own shops, public hall, post office, police station, school, social club, and sports facilities. Three corrugated iron churches were built:
30504-505: Was also a chapelry in Manchester parish. It became a civil parish in 1866, and in 1876 was incorporated into the Withington Urban Sanitary District, superseded in 1894 by the creation of Withington Urban District. Withington Urban District was a subdivision of the administrative county of Lancashire, created as part of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1894 . In 1904, Withington Urban District
30690-479: Was also responsible for restoring the gardens surrounding the old parsonage of St James's Church. Today, the Parsonage Gardens are open to the public, and the former parsonage house is now in use as an art gallery and community building. Didsbury Park is a community park located close to the centre of Didsbury village, surrounded by residential housing. It is one of the first municipal planned parks in
30876-424: Was amalgamated into the city and county borough of Manchester, and so Didsbury was absorbed into Manchester, although it remained a civil parish until 1 October 1910 when it was abolished and merged with South Manchester . In 1901 the parish had a population of 9234. Following the Local Government Act 1972 , Manchester became a metropolitan borough of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester . Didsbury
31062-477: Was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chairman of the council to take the title of mayor. The choice of the name Trafford for the borough was a "compromise between Altrincham, Stretford and Sale", and "seemed to have wide support". A Liberal councillor for the Municipal Borough of Sale suggested "Crossford ... whilst "Watlingford" was suggested by councillors in Hale, after
31248-573: Was between the canals and "an increasingly urbanised Stretford to the east", as the industrialisation of the park neared its completion the Estates Company started to acquire parcels of the remaining de Trafford land, then in the control of family trustees, as did the Canal Company. In 1924 the Estates Company bought a half share in Dumplington Estates Ltd., a company set up to administer 38 acres (15 ha) of land bought from
31434-552: Was created to administer the newly formed Trafford Metropolitan Borough and is headquartered at Trafford Town Hall , which was previously named Stretford Town Hall. On its formation in 1974, the council was controlled by the Conservative Party ; the Conservatives have been in control 1973–85, 1988–94, and 2004–2018. The only time the Labour Party was in control was 1996–2002, and 2019 to the present. The rest of
31620-484: Was developed during and after the Second World War, but the land belonging to Dumplington Estates remained largely undeveloped until the construction of the Trafford Centre , which opened in 1998. Trafford Park was largely turned over to the production of war materiel during the Second World War, such as the Avro Manchester and Avro Lancaster heavy bombers, and the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines used to power
31806-568: Was dug in the north of the park, close to the River Irwell. A meeting held in 1882 at the Didsbury home of engineer Daniel Adamson began the estate's transformation, with the creation of the Manchester Ship Canal committee. Sir Humphrey de Trafford was an implacable opponent of the proposed canal, objecting that, amongst other things, it would bring polluted water close to his residence, interfere with his drainage, and render Trafford Hall uninhabitable, forcing him to "give up his home and leave
31992-457: Was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering the area of six former districts which were abolished at the same time, as well as four civil parishes from a seventh abolished district: ‡ Parishes from Bucklow Rural District Stretford and Urmston had been in the administrative county of Lancashire prior to the 1974 reforms, whilst all the others had been in the administrative county of Cheshire . The new district
32178-417: Was in use until the early years of the First World War, and possibly until 1918, when it was replaced by the newly completed Alexandra Park Aerodrome . Road signs within Trafford Park refer to the subdivisions of Ashburton, Dumplington , Mossfield, Mosley and Newbridge. The Trafford Park Euroterminal rail freight terminal, which has the capacity to deal with 100,000 containers a year, was opened in 1993, at
32364-440: Was installed in 1903, and was taken over and operated by Manchester and Salford Corporations in 1905. The gas trams continued to run until 1908, when they were replaced by steam locomotives. Between 1904 and 1907 the Estates Company also operated a horse-drawn bus for the use of gentlemen staying at Trafford Hall, then a hotel. The service, available 24 hours a day, was replaced by a motor car in 1907. Under an 1898 agreement between
32550-597: Was one of the few places between Stretford and Stockport where the River Mersey could be forded , which made it significant for troop movements during the English Civil War , in which Manchester was on the Parliamentarian side. The Royalist commander, Prince Rupert , stationed himself at Didsbury Ees, to the south of Barlow Moor . A section of the Jacobite army including the Duke of Perth crossed
32736-403: Was opened as a hotel in 1899, to serve prospective industrialists considering a move to the park, along with their key employees. It had 40 bedrooms, available to "Gentlemen only". The hall's stables and some other outbuildings were used for stock auctions and the sale of horses, from 1900 to 1902, and the ornamental lake was leased to William Crooke and Sons, for use as a boating lake, initially on
32922-502: Was opened in 1972 by Margaret Thatcher , offers a variety of courses including communication and technology. Manchester Metropolitan University 's Didsbury Campus, the former Didsbury School of Education , was home to the faculties of health, social care, and education, along with the Broomhurst Hall of Residence. The University closed the campus and sold the land in 2014. Parrs Wood, with about 2,000 pupils on its register,
33108-410: Was probably still standing in the early 14th century. The bailey was landscaped into the grounds of Dunham Massey Hall and its moat turned into an ornamental pond. Watch Hill Castle is an early medieval motte-and-bailey castle on the border of Dunham Massey and Bowdon. It is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument . The motte and surrounding ditch still survives, although it had fallen out of use by
33294-647: Was purchased by Jame Clayton Chorlton in 1888 and he renamed it Didsbury Priory. The Chorltons often opened their private garden to the public during springtime. Among the other German industrialists in Didsbury was Johann Georg Silkenstadt, a cotton merchant who moved to the area from Bremen in 1865. He and his wife Josephine Helene built Rose Bank on Palatine Road in West Didsbury in 1872. Their only daughter, Marie Louise, married William Murray Caldwell Greaves Bagshawe of Ford Hall in Chapel-en-le-Frith , Derbyshire. The Silkenstadts built for Greystoke Hall as
33480-510: Was roughly in line with national figures, except for the proportion of jobs in agriculture which is less than half the national average, reflecting Trafford's suburban nature and its proximity to the centre of Manchester. A study commissioned by Experian rated Trafford as the strongest and most resilient borough in North West England to dealing with sudden changes in the economy. Trafford's low reliance on vulnerable businesses in
33666-399: Was slow to generate the predicted volume of traffic, so in the early days the park was largely used for leisure activities such as golf, polo and boating. British Westinghouse was the first major company to move in, and by 1903 it was employing about half of the 12,000 workers working in the park, which became one of the most important engineering facilities in Britain. Trafford Park
33852-484: Was sold to Edmund Nuttall & Co. for the construction of 1,200 houses. The houses were never built, but the land later became the site of Trafford Park Village, known locally as The Village. The announced arrival of the Westinghouse factory acted a spur to development, and in 1899, Trafford Park Dwellings Ltd was formed, with the aim of providing housing for the anticipated influx of new workers. Nuttall's land
34038-417: Was the ancestral estate of the de Trafford family , one of the most ancient in England, and then one of the largest landowners in Stretford. The family acquired the lands around Trafford in about 1200, when Richard de Trafford was given the lordship of Stretford by Hamon de Massey , 4th Baron of Dunham. Some time between 1672 and 1720, the de Traffords moved from the home they had occupied since 1017, in what
34224-614: Was the base for one of the Manchester Evening News subsidiaries, the South Manchester Reporter . Didsbury is close to junction 5 of Manchester's ring road , the M60 motorway . Manchester Airport , the busiest airport in the UK outside London, is situated about 4 miles (6.5 km) to the south. Didsbury is served by bus routes on the Wilmslow Road bus corridor , said to be
34410-463: Was the first planned industrial estate in the world, and remains the largest in Europe well over a century later. Trafford Park is almost entirely surrounded by water; the Bridgewater Canal forms its southeastern and southwestern boundaries, and the Manchester Ship Canal, which opened in 1894, its northeastern and northwestern. Hooley's plan was to develop the Ship Canal frontage, but the canal
34596-440: Was unable to accommodate the newer, larger container ships then entering service. By 1976, the workforce had fallen to 15,000, and by the 1980s industry had virtually disappeared. On 12 August 1981, 483 acres (1.95 km) of Trafford Park – along with Salford Quays – were declared an Enterprise Zone by the UK government, in an attempt to encourage new development within the estate. The new status did little to reverse
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