134-586: Monton is a village in the City of Salford , Greater Manchester , England. It is contiguous with nearby Eccles , Salford and Swinton . Historically in Lancashire , Monton was administered by the municipal borough of Eccles until its abolition in 1974. The name Monton is of Saxon origin. A conservation area includes Monton Green; the Unitarian Church and a former school with caretaker's house;
268-621: A "basic railway". The Marshlink line between Ashford International and Hastings , threatened with closure in the Beeching Report, is now seen as important due to the opening of the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1 . Traffic on the single-track Golden Valley Line between Kemble and Swindon and the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester has increased significantly, and double track has now been reinstated on
402-497: A Labour government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson after 13 years of Conservative government. During the election campaign Labour had promised to halt rail closures if elected, but it quickly backtracked, and later oversaw some of the most controversial closures. Tom Fraser was appointed Minister of Transport, but was replaced by Barbara Castle in December 1965. Castle published a map in 1967, Network for Development , showing
536-688: A day and five passengers on average, earning only 25% of costs. Finally there was the service from Hull to York via Beverley (using part of the Yorkshire Coast Line , which was not closed, and the York to Beverley Line , which was). The line covered 80% of its operating costs, but he calculated that it could be closed because there was an alternative, albeit less direct, route. Out of 18,000 miles (29,000 km) of railway, Beeching recommended that 6,000 miles (9,700 km)—mostly rural and industrial lines—should be closed entirely, and that some of
670-519: A day, on lines controlled by multiple Victorian era signalboxes (again fully staffed, often throughout the day). Operating costs could have been reduced by reducing staff and removing redundant services on these lines while keeping the stations open. This has since been successfully achieved by British Rail and its successors on lesser-used lines that survived the cuts, such as the East Suffolk Line from Ipswich to Lowestoft, which survives as
804-568: A drama studio, hosting drama, concerts, opera and dance events. As of September 2003, the City of Salford has 6 Grade I, 14 Grade II*, and 253 Grade II listed buildings. The city has the equal second highest number of Grade I listed buildings out of the districts of Greater Manchester, behind Manchester. The Grade I listed buildings are the Church of St Augustine , the Parish Church of St Mary
938-477: A few lines where they had been removed. Some lines closed under the Beeching cuts have reopened as private heritage railways. Some examples are East Lancs Railway , Great Central Railway (heritage railway) , Mid Hants Railway , North Yorkshire Moors Railway , North Norfolk Railway and West Somerset Railway . Flanders and Swann , writers and performers of satirical songs, wrote a lament for lines closed by
1072-648: A further 700 miles (1,100 km) a choice of four. In Scotland, only the Central Belt routes and the lines via Fife and Perth to Aberdeen were selected for development, and none were selected in Wales, apart from the Great Western Main Line as far as Swansea. Beeching's secondment from ICI ended early in June 1965 after Harold Wilson 's attempt to get him to produce a transport plan failed. It
1206-745: A high rate of people who are permanently sick and disabled, 70% higher than the national average of 4.0%. In 2011, of 106,904 residents of the City of Salford in employment, the industry of employment was: 17.8% retail and wholesale; 7.6% manufacturing;13.7% health and social work; 8.7% education; 7.2% construction; 5.2% transport and storage; 6.6% accommodation and food service; 6.2% administrative and support services; 6.0% professional, scientific and technical; 5.1% public administration and defence; 4.4% financial and insurance; 3.4% information and communication; 1.6% real estate; 0.9% water supply and waste management; 0.6% energy supply; 0.1% agriculture, forestry and fishing; 0.1% mining and quarrying; and 4.7% other. This
1340-529: A history of human activity stretching back to the Mesolithic age. There are over 250 listed buildings in the city, including Salford Cathedral , and three Scheduled Ancient Monuments . With the Industrial Revolution , Salford and its neighboring settlements grew alongside the textile industry. The former County Borough of Salford was granted city status in 1926 and thus making it
1474-437: A lack of patronage, leaving large parts of the country with no public transport. The assumption at the time was that car owners would drive to the nearest railhead (which was usually the junction where the closed branch line would otherwise have taken them) and continue their journey onwards by train. In practice, having left home in their cars, people used them for the whole journey. Similarly for freight: without branch lines,
SECTION 10
#17327766396371608-629: A lodge, built in 1875 to the Earl of Ellesmere's former estate, and a club-house with bowling green. The Green, once used as common land, is now formally laid out as gardens and lawns. The community is represented by the Monton Village Community Association, originally named the Monton Traders' Association, it was renamed to include both residents and traders. The association has a gardening group that maintains
1742-508: A loss of patronage in favour of nearby Salford Crescent, opened a few years earlier. All train services are provided by Northern , though First transpennine offer occasional services during peak hours. The Eccles line of the Manchester Metrolink runs through the City of Salford, with stations at Exchange Quay , Salford Quays , Anchorage , Harbour City , Broadway , Langworthy , Weaste , Ladywell and Eccles . The line
1876-530: A metropolitan borough since 1974, figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, and civil parishes that would later be constituent parts of the city. The following table shows the religious identity of residents residing in the city of Salford. Salford is covered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford , and the Church of England Diocese of Manchester . During
2010-582: A number of issues, but the future size of the railway system was not one of them. For all the suspicion it aroused, the committee had little to say on this and the government was already convinced of the need to reduce the size of the rail network. In spite of questions being asked in Parliament , Sir Ivan's report was not published at the time. In December 1960 questions were asked in the Lords about this "secret" and "under-the-counter" study group, criticising
2144-709: A number of popular bars and restaurants have opened up in the village attracting new trade into the village from the surrounding areas. The Anglican church in Monton is dedicated to St Paul the Apostle. The present Unitarian Church is the fourth church on the site. It was built in the early 1870s and is renowned for its stained glass windows. The south transept shows the Sermon on the Mount with four smaller windows beneath depicting The north transept shows Jesus and Children-‘Suffer
2278-486: A result of the textile industry. Although Salford experienced an increase in population, it was overshadowed by the dominance of Manchester and did not evolve as a commercial centre in the same way. On 15 September 1830, Eccles was site of the world's first railway accident. During a stop in Eccles to take on water, William Huskisson , Member of Parliament for Liverpool, had his leg crushed by Stephenson's Rocket ; at
2412-432: A route profitable: "Similarly, consideration of the cost figures will show that thinning out the trains, or thinning out the stations, would not make a service self-supporting even if it had no adverse effect on revenue". There is little in the Beeching report recommending general economies (in administration costs, working practices and so on). For example, a number of the stations that were closed were fully staffed 18 hours
2546-529: A shield flanked by two lions. The blue background with a gold chief is taken from the arms of the city council of the County Borough of Salford , who in turn took it from the colours of the Earl of Chester . The shuttle and five bees represent the industry of the area and five settlements who benefited from the textile industry. The ship is borrowed from the crest of Eccles Borough Council and represents
2680-493: A statement to the House later that day confirming that the sale of shares was in hand and would be completed "very soon", noting that as part of the agreement he could be required to buy the shares from the purchaser at the original price after he ceased to hold office, if so desired by the purchaser. While it was reported that he sold the shares to his wife, she denied in a newspaper interview, that any transaction had taken place. It
2814-616: A subsidy to be paid by the Treasury for a three-year period. This was later repealed in the Railways Act 1974. Whether these subsidies affected the size of the network is questionable: the criteria for reprieving loss-making lines had not altered, merely the way their costs appeared in the railways accounts—previously their contribution to the railways' overall loss was hidden in the total deficit. The " bustitution " policy that replaced rail services with buses also failed. In many cases
SECTION 20
#17327766396372948-563: A switch to the now-standard practice of containerisation for rail freight, and the replacement of some services with integrated bus services linked to the remaining railheads. Protests resulted in the saving of some stations and lines, but the majority were closed as planned. Beeching's name remains associated with the mass closure of railways and the loss of many local services in the period that followed. A few of these routes have since reopened. Some short sections have been preserved as heritage railways , while others have been incorporated into
3082-528: A typical Victorian street, Lark Hill Place, which was built in 1957 using shop fronts that had been saved from demolition. At the southern edge of Salford lies The Lowry arts centre, on the waterfront of Salford Quays. Opened in 2000, it is named after the artist and houses the city's collection of Lowry artworks. Notable paintings on display there include Going to the Match (1953) and Industrial Landscape (1953). The building also contains two theatres and
3216-472: A virtual halt by the early 1970s. One of the last major closures was the 98-mile (158 km) Waverley Route between Carlisle , Hawick and Edinburgh in 1969; the reopening of a 35-mile section of this line was approved in 2006 and passenger services resumed in September 2015. Holiday and coastal resorts were severely affected by the closures. The report recommended closing almost all services along
3350-823: Is Hanging Bridge on the border with Manchester, dating to the 14th century, and an underground section of the Bridgewater Canal in Swinton built in 1759. Salford is home to a number of past and present rugby league teams. Founded in 1873, Salford Red Devils play in the Super League at the AJ Bell Stadium , in Barton, Salford. They are 6 times Champions and they won the Challenge Cup in 1938, and have experienced two previous stretches in
3484-722: Is 10 miles (16 km) away at Ringway , in Manchester; the mean highest and lowest temperatures (13.2 °C (55.8 °F) and 6.4 °C (43.5 °F)) are slightly above the national average, while the annual rainfall (806.6 millimetres (31.76 in)) and average hours of sunshine (1394.5 hours) are respectively above and below the national averages. The City of Salford is represented by Members of Parliament (MPs) for three constituencies, Salford by Rebecca Long-Bailey ( Labour ), Worsley and Eccles by Michael Wheeler (Labour), and Blackley and Middleton South by Graham Stringer (Labour). In 1974, Salford City Council
3618-454: Is 100 metres (330 ft) long and weighs 1,450 metric tons (1,427 long tons; 1,598 short tons). At the start of the 20th century, Salford began to decline due to competition from outside the UK. A survey in 1931 concluded that parts of Salford were amongst the worst slums in the country. Salford was granted city status in 1926. During World War II, Salford Docks were regularly bombed. In
3752-610: Is a matter of debate whether Beeching left by mutual arrangement with the government or if he was sacked. Frank Cousins , the Labour Minister of Technology , told the House of Commons in November 1965 that Beeching had been dismissed by Tom Fraser , then Minister of Transport. Beeching denied this, pointing out that he had returned early to ICI as he would not have had enough time to undertake an in-depth transport study before
3886-648: Is a professional football club in League Two . Although the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford was a 20th-century creation, the area has a long history of human activity, extending back to the Stone Age . Neolithic flint arrow-heads and tools, and evidence of Bronze Age activity has been discovered in Salford . The northerly section of Watling Street , a Roman road from Manchester ( Mamucium ) via Bury to Ribchester ( Bremetennacum ), passes through
4020-656: Is an amateur football team that has played in the Manchester Football League since 1989. They were founded in 1969 as Mitchell Shackleton Football Club and changed their name in 2006. Salford City F.C. was founded in 1940 and play in the Football League Two . Monton & Weaste C.C. and Clifton C.C. have played in the Central Lancashire Cricket League since 2005 and 2006 respectively. Walkden play in
4154-419: Is between an excessive and increasingly un-economic system, with a corresponding tendency for the railways as a whole to fall into disrepute and decay, or the selective development and intensive utilisation of a more limited trunk route system". Of the 7,500 miles (12,100 km) of trunk route, 3,700 miles (6,000 km) involves a choice between two routes, 700 miles (1,100 km) a choice of three, and over
Monton - Misplaced Pages Continue
4288-513: Is bounded to the north by the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton and Metropolitan Borough of Bury . To the south by the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford and to the west by the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan . Manchester lies directly across the river from Salford. The natural mossland of Chat Moss lies in the south western corner of the city; it covers an area of about 10.6 square miles (27.5 km ), accounting for about 30% of
4422-504: Is devoted to the history of Salford and Victorian art and architecture. The Salford collection includes works by artists such as Christian Ludwig Bokelmann , Charles Landseer and Thomas Henry Illidge , and ceramics from Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery & Tiles . Its extensive collection of artworks by the Salford-born painter L. S. Lowry was transferred to The Lowry in 2000. The museum also contains an indoor re-creation of
4556-621: Is home to Salford Red Devils and Sale Sharks rugby union team. Swinton Lions were founded in 1866 and play in the Championship at heywood road sale. They won the Rugby Football League Championship six times between 1927 and 1964, before it was superseded by Super League. They have also won the Challenge Cup three times between 1900 and 1928. Broughton Rangers were founded in 1877 and won
4690-495: Is largely due to the multitude of high-rise blocks in Salford. Collier has proposed that they have a "dramatic influence on the region's weather patterns", and may contribute to the 8 °C (14 °F) temperature difference between Salford and its surrounding countryside. There are three Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the city. The oldest is an Iron Age promontory fort occupied from 500 BC–200 AD. Also scheduled
4824-575: Is now served by rail services passing through the railway stations at Patricroft and at Eccles , along the Manchester Victoria-Liverpool Lime Street railway line. Bus services also serve the village, while the nearest Metrolink station is in Eccles (approximately 15 minute walk). The local landmarks include the Unitarian Church and the locally named "Old Man's Shelter" both on Monton Green. The Monton Shelter
4958-462: Is undergoing £150M of redevelopment through investment in new facilities, including a £10M law school and a £22M building for health and social care which were opened in 2006. In 2007, the drop out rate from the university was 25%. Of the students graduating, 50% gained first class or 2:1 degrees, which is below the national average of about 55%. The city of Salford is served by nine railway stations on four routes. Eccles and Patricroft are on
5092-843: The Bolton Cricket League . Little Hulton play in the Bolton and District Cricket Association. Winton and Worsley play in the Manchester and District Cricket Association. Overall, Salford was ranked 75th out of all the Local Education Authorities (LEAs) – and seventh in Greater Manchester – in National Curriculum assessment performance in 2007. Unauthorised absences and authorised absences from Salford secondary schools in 2006–07 were 2.0% and 7.0% respectively, both higher than
5226-654: The British Railways Board , which took over on 1 January 1963, with Dr Beeching as its first chairman. The Act put in place measures that simplified the process of closing railways by removing the need for the pros and cons of each case to be heard in detail. It was described as the "most momentous piece of legislation in the field of railway law to have been enacted since the Railway and Canal Traffic Act 1854 ". The general election in October 1964 returned
5360-491: The British Transport Commission (BTC) was formed in 1949 with a brief to close the least-used branch lines. This resulted in the loss (or conversion to freight-only operation) of some 3,318 miles (5,340 km) of railway between 1948 and 1962. The most significant closure was that of the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in 1959. In opposition to these cuts, the period also witnessed
5494-688: The Charnwood Forest Railway , closed to passengers in 1931, and the Harborne Line in Birmingham , closed to passengers in 1934. Some lines had never been profitable and were not subject to loss of traffic in that period. The railways were busy during the Second World War , but at the end of the war they were in a poor state of repair and in 1948 nationalised as British Railways . The Branch Lines Committee of
Monton - Misplaced Pages Continue
5628-618: The Church of St Philip in Salford , and the United Reformed Church. Salford Docks (also called Manchester Docks) were opened by Queen Victoria in 1894, providing docks in Manchester and Salford for the Manchester Ship Canal which linked Manchester to the sea. During the 1970s, the docks fell into decline as they proved too small for new, larger ships, and when they were abandoned in 1982 over 3,000 people lost their jobs. Salford City Council purchased
5762-610: The City of Salford , is a metropolitan borough with city status in Greater Manchester , England. The borough is named after its main settlement, Salford , but covers a larger area which includes the towns of Eccles , Swinton , Walkden and Pendlebury . The borough had a population of 278,064 in 2022, and is administered from the Salford Civic Centre in Swinton. Salford is the historic centre of
5896-600: The National Cycle Network or used for road schemes. Others have since been built over, have reverted to farmland, or remain derelict with no plans for any reuse or redevelopment. Some, such as the bulk of the Midland Metro network around Birmingham and Wolverhampton , have since been incorporated into light rail lines. After growing rapidly in the 19th century during the Railway Mania ,
6030-601: The Salford Hundred an ancient subdivision of Lancashire. The City of Salford is the fifth-most populous district in Greater Manchester. The city's boundaries, set by the Local Government Act 1972 , include five former local government districts. It is bounded on the southeast by the River Irwell , which forms part of its boundary with Manchester to the east, and by the Manchester Ship Canal to
6164-710: The Super League , 1997–2002 and 2004–2007. In 2008 they won the Northern Rail Cup beating Doncaster 60–0 in the Final at Blackpool. They previously won the same trophy in 2003. They also won the National League 1 Grand Final in 2008, beating Celtic Crusaders after extra time in Warrington. Construction on a new 20,000 seat £35 million pound stadium was complete in 2012. Now named the AJ Bell stadium it
6298-694: The West Coast Main Line to Carlisle and Glasgow ; traffic to the north-east of England would be concentrated through the East Coast Main Line as far as Newcastle ; and traffic to Wales and the West Country would go on the Great Western Main Line to Swansea and Plymouth . Underpinning Beeching's proposals was his belief that there was too much duplication in the railway network: "The real choice
6432-500: The centre of Manchester , joining the rivers Irk and Medlock . Turning west, it meets the Mersey south of Irlam , where the route of the river was altered in the late 19th century to form part of the course of the Manchester Ship Canal . The ship canal, opened in 1894, forms part of Salford's southern boundaries with Trafford . The city's climate is generally temperate, like the rest of Greater Manchester. The nearest weather station
6566-645: The historic county of Lancashire and survived until the 19th century, when it was replaced by one of the first county boroughs in the country. Salford became a free borough in about 1230, when it was granted a charter as a free borough by the Earl Ranulph of Chester . The cell in Kersal was sold in 1540 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries . A 16th-century manor house , called Kersal Cell ,
6700-480: The 1950s but the economic situation steadily deteriorated, with labour costs rising faster than income and fares and freight charges repeatedly frozen by the government to try to control inflation . By 1955, the railways' share of the transport market had dropped from 16% to 5%. The 1955 Modernisation Plan promised expenditure of over £1,240 million; steam locomotives would be replaced with diesel and electric locomotives , traffic levels would increase, and
6834-405: The 2016–17 financial year, the council's income is expected to consist of £65M including council tax and efficiency savings. The net expenditure is therefore expected to be £202M. A Comprehensive Area Assessment by the Audit Commission in 2009 found that Salford's key priorities are improving health, reducing crime, helping young people achieve A-level qualifications, social services, including
SECTION 50
#17327766396376968-525: The Beeching cuts entitled " Slow Train " (1963). Michael Williams' book On the slow train takes its name from the Flanders and Swann song. It celebrates 12 of the most beautiful and historic journeys in Britain, some of which were saved from the Beeching cuts. It perpetuated the myth that the Beeching cuts were concerned solely with sleepy rural branch lines, but they actually also concerned well-used "industrial" and commuter lines. The BBC TV comedy series Oh, Doctor Beeching! , broadcast from 1995 to 1997,
7102-525: The Board of Trade, argued that the country's railways did not have a future without rationalisation and amalgamation. By 1914, the railways had some significant problems, such as a lack of standard rolling stock and too many duplicated routes. After the war, the railways faced increasing competition from a growing road transport network , which had increased to 8 million tons of freight annually by 1921. Around 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of passenger railways closed between 1923 and 1939. These closures included
7236-414: The British Transport Commission in March 1961. He would receive the same yearly salary that he was earning at ICI, the controversial sum of £24,000 (£675,000 in 2023 terms), £10,000 more than Sir Brian Robertson , the previous chairman of the BTC, £14,000 more than Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and two-and-a-half times higher than the salary of any head of a nationalised industry at the time. At that time
7370-462: The British railway system reached its height in the years immediately before the First World War , with a network of 23,440 miles (37,720 km). The network had opened up major travel opportunities for the entire country that had never been available before. However, lines were sometimes uneconomic, and several Members of Parliament had direct involvement with railways, creating a conflict of interest. In 1909, Winston Churchill , then President of
7504-439: The Eccles area including Monks Hall. He was imprisoned for his non-conformity and his congregation reported to the local magistrate. He died in 1674. When William and Mary acceded to the throne, the Act of Toleration was passed which allowed nonconformity to be practised under licence. The Eccles Presbyterians appointed a minister and met in a series of private buildings. In 1698 the Lomax and Fildes families, long-term members of
7638-425: The Golden Valley Line, partly to facilitate a diversionary route during electrification and other works on the Severn tunnel line. The Conservatives increased their Commons majority in the general election of 8 October 1959 , their first with Harold Macmillan as Prime Minister. Ernest Marples , previously Postmaster General , was made Transport Minister two weeks later in a cabinet reshuffle; Macmillan noted that
7772-444: The Little Children'; and Jesus and Peter – ‘Feed my Sheep'. The clerestory windows on the north side show famous men from the Greek, Roman, Renaissance and Modern periods. On the south side, the clerestory windows show representatives from the Early Christian, Roman Catholic, Anglican and nonconformist traditions. After the Act of Uniformity 1662 Edmund Jones, Vicar of Eccles, was an ejected minister. He and others continued to meet in
7906-413: The Major Railway Trunk Routes (1965) – that outlined the necessity of improving the efficiency of the railways and the plan for achieving this through restructuring. The first report identified 2,363 stations and 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of railway line for closure, amounting to 55% of stations, 30% of route miles, and the loss of 67,700 British Rail jobs, with an objective of stemming
8040-436: The Northern working-class boy who had won a scholarship to a grammar school was one of only two "self-made men" in his cabinet. Marples had a background with a successful road construction company. When opening the M1 motorway , he said: "This motorway starts a new era in road travel. It is in keeping with the bold scientific age in which we live. It is a powerful weapon to add to our transport system." His association with
8174-418: The Oxford–Cambridge Varsity Line closed despite its strategic location serving Milton Keynes , Britain's largest "new town". Kinross-shire, and Fife especially, suffered closures not included in the Report, including the main line from Edinburgh to Perth. King's Lynn was to have remained at the centre of routes towards Norwich , Hunstanton and Wisbech , all of which closed. With a few exceptions, after
SECTION 60
#17327766396378308-507: The Quays to the rest of Greater Manchester. Beeching Axe The Beeching cuts , also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe , were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named for Dr. Richard Beeching , then-chair of the British Railways Board and the author of two reports – The Reshaping of British Railways (1963) and The Development of
8442-398: The Rugby League Challenge Cup in the 1901–02 and 1910–11 seasons. The club folded in 1955, but were reformed as a local amateur club in 2007 with the support of Salford Red Devils. At amateur level, the city is represented in rugby league by the Langworthy Reds . They are the oldest amateur rugby league club in Salford. Also in Salford are several football and cricket teams. Irlam F.C.
8576-438: The US Rail Bank scheme, which holds former railway land for possible future use, was not seen to be practical. Many redundant structures from closed lines remain, such as bridges over other lines and drainage culverts. They often require maintenance as part of the rail infrastructure while providing no benefit. Critics of Beeching argue that the lack of recommendations on the handling of closed railway property demonstrates that
8710-452: The United Kingdom, lower than the national average of 13.8%. The largest minority group was recorded as Asian, at 4.1% of the population. The number of theft from a vehicle offences and theft of a vehicle per 1,000 of the population was 21.3 and 7.9 compared to the English national average of 7.6 and 2.9 respectively. The number of sexual offences was 1.1 compared to the average of 0.9. The national average of violence against another person
8844-456: The Virgin , St Mark's Church , Ordsall Hall , Wardley Hall , and a bridge over the River Irwell. Salford Cathedral , built in 1845, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford and a Grade II* listed building. Most of Salford's tallest buildings are mid-20th century residential tower blocks or 21st century high rise apartments. A study by Christopher Collier of the University of Salford suggested that Manchester's drizzly climate
8978-422: The Virgin , in Eccles , was originally built in the 13th century but was expanded in the 15th. A church has been on the site since at least the 12th century. St Mark's Church, Worsley was built in 1846 by George Gilbert Scott . The six Grade II* listed churches are the Church of St Andrew in Eccles, the Cathedral Church of St John , the Church of St Luke in Pendleton, Monton Unitarian Church in Monton ,
9112-459: The axe man, but it was surgery, not mad chopping". On 7 June 2019, former Minister for Transport Andrew Adonis delivered a speech on "Reversing Beeching". Since the Beeching cuts, road traffic levels have grown significantly. As well, since privatisation in the mid-1990s, there have been record levels of passengers on the railways owing to a preference to living in smaller towns and rural areas, and in turn commuting longer distances (although
9246-440: The beginning of a protest movement led by the Railway Development Association, whose most famous member was the poet John Betjeman . They went on to be a significant force resisting the Beeching proposals. Economic recovery and the end of petrol rationing led to rapid growth in car ownership and use. Vehicle mileage grew at a sustained annual rate of 10% between 1948 and 1964. In contrast, railway traffic remained steady during
9380-593: The boars are from the crest of Irlam Urban District . Beneath the shield is a scroll reading salus populi suprema lex , Latin for "the welfare of the people is the highest law". In 2017–18, Salford City Council agreed to spend £267 million. They agreed an estimated £79M on children's services (30%); £56M on community health and social care (21%); £40M on levies and charges (15%); £39M on environment and community safety (14%); £36M and on capital financing (13%); £9M on corporate business (3%); £7M on regeneration (3%); and £2M on public health, reform and commissioning (1%). For
9514-473: The cause of this is disputed ). A few of the railway closures have been reversed. However, despite the considerable increase in railway journeys since the mid-1990s, rail transport's share of the total passenger transport market remains below that of the early 1960s, with road overwhelmingly the dominant mode: rail's market share was 13% in 1961, 6% in 1991 and 2001, and 10% in 2014. Some closed stations have reopened , and passenger services have been restored on
9648-484: The city centre, Pendleton , Weaste , Claremont , Langworthy , Broughton , Kersal, Ordsall and Seedley . The city is entirely unparished and absorbed the municipal boroughs of Eccles and Swinton and Pendlebury and the urban districts of Irlam and Worsley . An urban district was a type of local government district which covered an urbanised area. Since 2012, in addition to the long-existing and largely ceremonial, annually appointed civic mayor of Salford ,
9782-422: The city has also had a directly elected mayor . There are 60 councillors representing 20 wards. Swinton and Walkden have six councillors each. The district is divided into two areas (Central Salford and Salford West) for some purposes including planning, regeneration and housing. The coat of arms of Salford City Council depicts a weaving shuttle surrounded by five bees with a three masted ship above, on
9916-416: The city's area, and lies 75 feet (23 m) above sea level . The moss makes up the largest area of prime farmland in Greater Manchester. Kersal Moor is an area of moorland spanning 8 hectares (20 acres) in Kersal; it is a local nature reserve and a Site of Biological Importance . Greenspace accounts for 55.7% of the City of Salford's total area, domestic buildings and gardens comprise 20.0%, and
10050-410: The city, such as Broughton Park , parts of Kersal, Ellesmere Park , Worsley, parts of Swinton and Pendlebury and the ultra-modern Salford Quays . At the 2011 UK census, Salford had 173,117 residents aged 16 to 74. 4.7% of these people were students with jobs, 4.1% looking after home or family, 6.9% permanently sick or disabled and 2.9% economically inactive for other reasons. The City of Salford has
10184-569: The city; a hoard of over 550 bronze Roman coins dating between 259 AD and 278 AD was discovered in Boothstown ; and a Romano-British bog body , Worsley Man , was discovered in the Chat Moss peat bog. In 1142, a monastic cell (small monastic house) dedicated to St. Leonard was established in Kersal . The 12th century hundred of Salford was created as Salfordshire in
10318-616: The coasts of north Devon, Cornwall and East Anglia aside from Norwich to Great Yarmouth. All services on the Isle of Wight were recommended for closure, as were all branch lines in the Lake District . One of the most significant closures was the Great Central Main Line from London Marylebone to Leicester and Sheffield. Not all the recommended closures were implemented. Reprieved lines include: The Beeching Report
10452-585: The company during his term of office, but it did lead to a sense of unease, not least within the railway sector. In April 1960, Sir Ivan Stedeford established an advisory group known as the Stedeford Committee at the request of Harold Macmillan to report on the state of the British Transport Commission and to make recommendations. Sir Ewart Smith , a retired former Chief Engineer at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI),
10586-532: The congregation, bought a plot of land at Monton Green. A simple chapel was built and licensed in July 1698. In the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion a band of over 100 Jacobites, supporters of the Old Pretender , ransacked the church, having previously destroyed Cross Street Chapel in Manchester. The congregation claimed compensation from the government and rebuilt a bigger and better church. The Rev. Jeremiah Aldred
10720-428: The continued withholding of the report and its recommendations. It was later suggested that Stedeford had recommended that the government should set up another body "to consider the size and pattern of the railway system required to meet current and foreseeable needs, in the light of developments and trends in other forms of transport ... and other relevant considerations". Marples then appointed Beeching as Chairman of
10854-525: The decades following the Second World War there was a significant economic and population decline in Salford. In 1961 a small part of Eccles was added to the city. On 1 April 1974, the City and County Borough of Salford was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 , and was replaced by the metropolitan borough of City of Salford, one of ten local government districts in the new metropolitan county of Greater Manchester . The city status of
10988-578: The docks in 1984 and since then they underwent regeneration as a centre of tourism in Salford, which included the construction of the Lowry Centre . More than 10,000 people are employed in the Quays in jobs such as retail, construction, and e-commerce. In 2007, it was confirmed that the BBC would be moving five of its departments to a new development on Pier 9 of Salford Quays, called MediaCityUK . The move
11122-590: The early 1970s proposals to close other lines were met with vociferous public opposition and were shelved. Beeching's reports made no recommendations about the handling of land after closures. British Rail operated a policy of disposing of land that was surplus to requirements. Many bridges, cuttings and embankments have been removed and the land sold for development. Closed station buildings on remaining lines have often been demolished or sold for housing or other purposes. Increasing pressure on land use meant that protection of closed trackbeds, as in other countries, such as
11256-580: The economic costs of having two break-bulk points combined to make long-distance road transport a more viable alternative. Many of the closed lines had run at only a small deficit. Some lines such as the Sunderland -to-West Hartlepool line cost only £291 per mile to operate. Closures of such small-scale loss-making lines made little difference to the overall deficit. Possible changes to light railway -type operations were attacked by Beeching, who rejected all proposals for cost savings that would not make
11390-467: The end of the 1960s it became increasingly clear that rail closures were not bringing the rail system out of deficit and were unlikely ever to do so. Transport minister Barbara Castle decided that some rail services, which could not pay their way but had a valuable social role, should be subsidised. Legislation allowing this was introduced in the Transport Act 1968 . Section 39 made provision for
11524-415: The flowerbeds and greens on a voluntary basis. The association organises an annual themed festival on the first Saturday of July each year and a parallel music festival which was in 2008 from 26 June to 6 July. The festival presents all genres of music from classical to Indie . The Monton Music Festival was then combined into the larger Salford Music Festival . Recently alongside the gentrification of Salford
11658-727: The formal end of his secondment. The first report was accepted by the Conservative government of the day, which argued that many services could be provided more effectively by buses. Most recommendations were subsequently taken forward by the Labour government elected in 1964, but many of the proposed closures sparked protests from communities that would lose their trains, a number of which (especially rural communities) had no other public transport. Line closures had been running at about 150–300 miles per year between 1950 and 1961. They peaked at 1,000 miles (1,600 km) in 1964 and came to
11792-435: The government was seeking outside talent to sort out the huge problems of the railway network, and he was confident that he could make the railways pay for themselves, but his salary, at 35 times that of many railway workers, has been described as a "political disaster". The Transport Act 1962 dissolved the British Transport Commission (BTC), which had overseen the railways, canals and road freight transport and established
11926-564: The high-profile construction company Marples Ridgway became a matter of concern to both the public and politicians. As is customary, he resigned as a director of the company in 1951 on becoming a junior minister, but he only disposed of his shares in the company in 1960 after the company won a contract to build the Hammersmith Flyover , when questions were asked both in the media and also in the Commons on 28 January 1960; he made
12060-470: The importance of waterways to the city. The ship is flanked by two millrinds – the iron centres of millstones – symbolising engineering. The lions are taken from the crest of the Borough of Swinton and Pendlebury; they are wearing iron steel chain representing engineering. The shield is topped by a griffin carrying a pennon depicting three boars' heads. The griffin is taken from the crest of Eccles and
12194-509: The large losses being incurred during a period of increasing competition from road transport and reducing the rail subsidies necessary to keep the network running. The second report identified a small number of major routes for significant investment. Such was the scale of these cuts that the programme came to be colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, though the 1963 report also recommended some less well-publicised changes; including
12328-524: The least-used 50% of stations contributed only 2% of passenger revenue, and that one third of route miles carried just 1% of passengers. By way of example, he noted that the line from Thetford to Swaffham carried five trains each weekday in each direction, carrying an average of nine passengers with only 10% of the costs of operating the line covered by fares; another example was the Gleneagles-Crieff-Comrie line which had ten trains
12462-473: The mid-19th century, there was an influx of Irish people into the Salford area, largely due to the famine in Ireland. In 1848, Salford Roman Catholic Cathedral was consecrated, reflecting Salford's large Irish-born community at the time. Of Salford's six Grade I listed buildings, three are churches. St Augustine's Church, Pendlebury , was built in 1874 by George Frederick Bodley . The Church of St Mary
12596-483: The modernisation plan must be adapted to this new shape" and with the premise that the railways should be run as a profitable business. Beeching first studied traffic flows on all lines to identify "the good, the bad, and the indifferent". His analysis showed that the least-used 1,762 stations had annual passenger receipts of less than £2,500 each (£73,000 as of 2024 ), that over half of the 4,300 stations open to passengers in 1960 had receipts of less than £10,000, that
12730-502: The national average (1.4% and 6.4%). In 2007, the Salford LEA was ranked 127th out of 149 in the country – and ninth in Greater Manchester – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least 5 A*–C grades at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) including maths and English (37.8% compared with the national average of 46.7%). In 2007, Beis Yaakov High School was the most successful school in Salford at GCSE, with 90% of
12864-511: The national average of 10.6%, and the percentage of married couples was also below the national average of 33.2%; the proportion of one person households was higher than the national average of 30.3%. The population density was 24.1 persons per hectare (Salford covers 9,719 hectares), 117,151 (50.1%) female, and 116,782 (49.9%) male. Of those aged 16–74 in Salford, 27.1% had no academic qualifications , significantly higher than 22.5% in all of England. 11.8% of Salford's residents were born outside
12998-424: The new district was confirmed by additional letters patent issued on the same day. Since the early 1990s, the decline has slowed. Prior to the metropolitan borough's creation, the name Salford for the new local government district courted controversy. Salford was "thought second-class by those in Eccles", who preferred the new name "Irwell" for the district (with reference to the River Irwell ). A councillor for
13132-532: The northern route of the Liverpool to Manchester Line , while Irlam , in the southwest of the borough, is on the southern route. Clifton is on the line to Bolton and Preston ; Swinton , Moorside and Walkden are on the Manchester to Southport Line via Wigan; and Salford Central and Salford Crescent are served by both routes. A station at Pendleton was closed in 1998 after suffering fire damage and
13266-518: The number of railway wagons had fallen 29% from 1,200,000 to 848,000. The first Beeching report, titled The Reshaping of British Railways , was published on 27 March 1963. The report starts by quoting the brief provided by the Prime Minister , Harold Macmillan , from 1960: "First, the industry must be of a size and pattern suited to modern conditions and prospects. In particular, the railway system must be modelled to meet current needs, and
13400-420: The pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at A*–C grade including maths and English. Bridgewater School was the most successful at A–level. The University of Salford is one of four universities in Greater Manchester and was ranked 81st by The Times . It has over 19,000 students and a 69.7% level of student satisfaction. In 2007, the university received nearly 17,000 applications for 3,660 places. The university
13534-719: The rail network to a mere 1,630 miles (2,620 km), leaving only 22 miles (35 km) of railway in Wales (a section of the South Wales Main Line from the Severn Tunnel to Cardiff Central ) and none in Somerset, Devon or Cornwall. The Midland Main Line was planned to close, leaving Leicester and Derby without a rail link, while the East Coast Main Line, part of the key London/Edinburgh link,
13668-520: The railway system "stabilised" at around 11,000 route miles (17,700 km). Section 39 of the Transport Act 1968 made provision for grants to be paid in relation to loss-making lines and services, but many of the services and railway lines that would have qualified had already been closed. A number of branch lines and local services were saved by this legislation. After 1970, when the Conservatives were returned to power , serious thought
13802-483: The railways had not been restored to profitability and Beeching's approach appeared to many to have failed. It has been suggested that by closing almost a third of the network Beeching achieved a saving of just £30 million, whilst overall losses were running in excess of £100 million per year. However, the precise savings from closures are impossible to calculate. The Ministry of Transport subsequently estimated that rail operating costs had been cut by over £100 million in
13936-420: The railways' ability to transport goods "door to door" was dramatically reduced. As in the passenger model, it was assumed that lorries would pick up goods and transport them to the nearest railhead, where they would be taken across the country by train, unloaded onto another lorry and taken to their destination. The development of the motorway network, the advent of containerisation , improvements in lorries and
14070-499: The remaining lines should be kept open only for freight. A total of 2,363 stations were to close, including 435 already under threat, both on lines that were to close and on lines that were to remain open. He recommended that freight services should mainly be for bulk commodities such as minerals and coal, and that the freight system make use of new containerised handling systems rather than less efficient and slower wagon-load traffic. The latter recommendation would prove prescient with
14204-440: The replacement bus services were slower and less convenient than the trains they were meant to replace, and so were unpopular. Replacement bus services were often run between the (now disused) station sites (some of which were some distance from the population centres they served), thus losing any potential advantage over the closed rail service. Most replacement bus services lasted less than two years before they were removed due to
14338-440: The report was short-sighted. On the other hand, retaining a railway on these routes, which would obviously have increased maintenance costs, might not have earned enough to justify that greater cost. As demand for rail has grown since the 1990s, the failure to preserve the routes of closed lines, such as the one between Bedford and Cambridge, which was closed despite Beeching recommending its retention, has been criticised. By 1968,
14472-586: The rest is made up of roads and non-domestic buildings. To the south of Salford are the docks of Salford Quays , now home to the MediaCityUK . MediaCityUK is a large area that crosses the boundary into Trafford Park , Trafford . Although Salford Quays is in the City of Salford and has created job opportunities and more housing since the 2010s when it was built. The River Irwell runs south east through Kearsley , Clifton and Agecroft then meanders around Lower Broughton and Kersal , Salford Crescent and
14606-679: The rise of intermodal freight transport in the following decades. On 16 February 1965, Beeching introduced the second stage of his reorganisation of the railways. In his report, The Development of the Major Railway Trunk Routes , he set out his conclusion that of the 7,500 miles (12,100 km) of trunk railway only 3,000 miles (4,800 km) "should be selected for future development" and invested in. This policy would result in long-distance traffic being routed along nine lines. Traffic to Coventry , Birmingham , Manchester , Liverpool and Scotland would be routed through
14740-561: The second city in Greater Manchester after neighbouring Manchester. The city and its industries experienced a decline throughout much of the 20th century. Since the 1990s, parts of Salford have undergone regeneration, especially Salford Quays , home of BBC North and Granada Television , and the area around the University of Salford . Salford Red Devils are a professional rugby league club in Super League and Salford City F.C.
14874-435: The south, which forms its boundary with Trafford . The metropolitan boroughs of Wigan , Bolton , and Bury lie to the west, northwest, and north respectively. Some parts of the city, which lies directly west of Manchester, are highly industrialised and densely populated, but around one-third of the city consists of rural open space. The western half of the city stretches across an ancient peat bog , Chat Moss . Salford has
15008-467: The system was predicted to be back in profit by 1962. Instead losses mounted, from £68 million in 1960 to £87 million in 1961, and £104 million in 1962 (£2.8 billion in 2023 terms). The BTC could no longer pay the interest on its loans. By 1961, losses were running at £300,000 a day, despite the fact that since nationalisation in 1948, 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of line had been closed, railway staff numbers had fallen 26% from 648,000 to 474,000, and
15142-475: The then City and County Borough of Salford objected to this suggestion, stating this label was nothing but "a dirty stinking river". The name Irwell won 8 votes to Salford's 7, but a private protest and deliberation favoured Salford as the name for the new city, citing that the River Irwell would pass through two other Greater Manchester districts, and that it "doesn't touch Worsley ". The City of Salford
15276-510: The time he was in conversation with the Duke of Wellington , who was opening the railway, and did not get out of the way of the train in time. Although Huskisson was taken to Eccles for treatment he died of his injuries. The six-foot-tall Oglala Sioux tribesman, "Surrounded By the Enemy", died here from a bronchial infection at age twenty-two in 1887 during a tour of Buffalo Bill 's Wild West Show and
15410-454: The views of minority groups, improving skills and "making Salford a cleaner and more attractive place to live". At the 2011 UK census , the City of Salford had a total population of 233,933. Of the 103,556 households in Salford, 25.4% were married or same-sex civil partnership couples living together, 36.4% were one-person households, 11.2% were co-habiting couples and 13.5% were lone parents. The figures for lone parent households were above
15544-402: The wake of the Beeching Report but that much of this had been swallowed up by increased wages. Some of the branches closed acted as feeders to the main lines, and that feeder traffic was lost when the branches closed; the financial significance of this is debatable, for over 90% of the railways' 1960 traffic was carried on lines which remained open ten years later. Whatever the figures, towards
15678-411: Was 16.7 compared to the Salford average of 27.2. The figures for crime statistics were all recorded during the 2006/7 financial year. Although all were above the averages for England, Salford's crime rate was lower than Manchester's. The table below details the population change since 1801, including the percentage change since the last available census data. Although the City of Salford has existed as
15812-503: Was asked by Ernest Marples to become a member of an advisory group; Smith declined but recommended Richard Beeching in his place, a suggestion that Marples accepted. Beeching, who held a PhD in physics, had been appointed to the main board of ICI at the age of 43. The board consisted of senior figures in British businesses, and none of the board had previous knowledge or experience of the railway industry. Stedeford and Beeching clashed on
15946-480: Was assessed by the Audit Commission and judged to be "improving well" in providing services for local people. Overall the council was awarded "three star" status meaning it was "performing well" and "consistently above minimum requirements", similar to 46% of all local authorities. The metropolitan borough of the City of Salford is based on the former County Borough of the City of Salford which included
16080-586: Was built on the site of the priory. In the English Civil War between King Charles I and parliament , Salford was Royalist . Salford was also noted as Jacobite territory; its inhabitants supported Charles Edward Stuart 's claim to the Kingdom of Great Britain and hosted him when he rode through the area during the Jacobite rising of 1745 . During the Industrial Revolution , Salford grew as
16214-521: Was buried at Brompton Cemetery . In 1894, the Manchester Ship Canal was opened, running from the River Mersey to Salford Quays ; when it was complete it was the largest navigation canal in the world. Along the route of the canal, it was necessary to create an aqueduct carrying the Bridgewater Canal over the Ship Canal. The Barton Swing Aqueduct , designed by Sir Edward Leader Williams ,
16348-455: Was completed in 2011. Finance and professional services, tourism and culture, and computer and internet based services have been identified as growth industries in Greater Manchester and are concentrated in Manchester and Salford. Average house prices in the City of Salford are sixth out of all the metropolitan boroughs in Greater Manchester, 7.6% lower than the average for the county. There are, however, areas of considerable affluence, within
16482-596: Was completed in June 1930 following a campaign by the local vicar and a local Councillor for a shelter where 'Veterans of Industry' could meet during inclement weather. The shelter has recently been refurbished. A more recent addition is the Lighthouse built in recent years next to the Bridgewater Canal . Monton & Weaste Cricket Club play in Ellesmere Park . City of Salford Salford ( / ˈ s ɒ l f ər d / SOL -fərd ), also known as
16616-524: Was created to administer the newly formed local government district. Until 1986, it shared power with the Greater Manchester County Council . The council offices are in Swinton, in what was formerly Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall. The Labour Party have been in control of the council since its formation in 1974. The council has a constitution detailing how they should operate in performing their duties. Salford City Council
16750-546: Was demolished around 1800. The third chapel was built in 1802 and survived until 1875 when the present church was built. There was a railway station in Monton called Monton Green , which was part of the Tyldesley Loopline , running from Eccles through Worsley and Leigh to Roe Green . The station opened on 1 November 1887 and was closed under the Beeching Axe on 5 May 1969. Monton Green railway station
16884-476: Was given to a further programme of closures, but this proved politically impossible. In 1982, under the government of Margaret Thatcher , Sir David Serpell , a civil servant who had worked with Beeching, compiled the Serpell Report which said that a profitable railway could be achieved only by closing much of what remained. The report's infamous "Option A" proposed greatly increasing fares and reducing
17018-423: Was intended to be cut north of Newcastle. The report was published on 20 January 1983 and received an immediate backlash from the media. It was quietly shelved in the run up to the 1983 election . Ian Hislop comments that history has been somewhat unkind to "Britain's most hated civil servant", by forgetting that Beeching proposed a much better bus service that ministers never delivered, and that in some ways he
17152-479: Was intended to be the first stage in the rail network's contraction. As a result, some lines it had not recommended for closure were subsequently shut down, such as the Woodhead line between Manchester and Sheffield in 1981, after the decline of the freight traffic (mostly coal) on which it had relied. Many surviving lines were rationalised, including reduction to single track and consolidation of signals. Most of
17286-481: Was located on an embankment, just off Monton Green, the railway running parallel with the Bridgewater Canal . All traces of the station have long since been removed. However, the embankment on which the station was situated is still there and now forms the starting point of the Recreation Pathways scheme, run by Salford City Council . The loopline now forms part of cycle route 55. The village of Monton
17420-527: Was minister until his death in 1729. His tombstone can be seen in the churchyard. The congregation's religious views changed from Calvinism through Arianism to the appointment of their first Unitarian minister Harry Toulmin in 1786. In 1813 Unitarianism was legalised and the Nonconformists' Chapels Act 1844 secured the places of worship to Unitarians, allowing the congregation at Monton to officially call themselves Unitarians. The second chapel
17554-408: Was opened in two stages, in 1999 and 2000, as Phase 2 of the system's development. In 2010 a new tram stop was opened at MediaCityUK, a 1 stop spur off the main Eccles line. Trams operate from here to Etihad Campus , sharing most of the route with the Eccles to Ashton line. Some Eccles and Ashton bound services also stop here, especially during peak hours. These lines provide good access for Eccles and
17688-502: Was reported that he had transferred his shares into an Overseas Trust. In July 1964, Marples Ridgway and Partners Limited were awarded a £4.1 million contract for the "Hendon Urban Motorway" extension of the M1, in the same year that the company was taken over by the Bath and Portland Group. There was no evidence of any wrongdoing on anyone's part in this or any of the other contracts awarded to
17822-536: Was roughly in line with national figures, except for the proportion of jobs in agriculture which is less than half the national average, reflecting the city's suburban nature and its proximity to the centre of Manchester. JCDecaux UK has its Manchester office in the Metroplex Business Park in Salford. Salford Museum and Art Gallery is situated in Peel Park . Opened in 1850, the institution
17956-443: Was used to do their "dirty work for them". Hislop describes him as "a technocrat [who] wasn't open to argument to romantic notions of rural England or the warp and weft of the train in our national identity. He didn't buy any of that. He went for a straightforward profit and loss approach and some claim we are still reeling from that today". Beeching was unrepentant about his role in the closures: "I suppose I'll always be looked upon as
#636363