Altrincham is a
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
within the
Metropolitan Borough of TraffordThe Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston....
, in
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
, England. It lies on flat ground south of the
River MerseyThe River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
about southwest of
Manchester city centreManchester city centre – known formally as City Centre – is the central business district of both Manchester and Greater Manchester, in North West England. The city centre, as defined by Manchester City Council, lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, straddling the River...
, south-southwest of
SaleSale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
and east of
WarringtonWarrington is a large town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. The population of the borough of Warrington, including its 18 civil parishes, is around 194,000...
. As of the 2001 UK census, it had a population of 41,000.
HistoricallyThe historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires. They were used for various functions for several hundred years and continue to form, albeit with considerably...
a part of
CheshireCheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...
, Altrincham was established as a market town in 1290, a time when most communities were based around agriculture rather than trade, and there is still a market in the town today. Further socioeconomic development came with the extension of the
Bridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England that connects Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
to Altrincham in 1765 and the arrival of the railway in 1849, stimulating industrial activity in the town. Outlying villages were absorbed by Altrincham's subsequent growth, along with the grounds of
Dunham Massey HallDunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust...
, formerly the home of the
Earl of StamfordEarl of Stamford was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Groby. The Grey family descended from Lord John Grey, of Pirgo, Essex, younger son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and younger brother of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk...
, and now a tourist attraction with three Grade I
listed buildings and a deer park.
Altrincham today is an affluent
commuter townA commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commute out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
, partly because of its transport links – particularly the
MetrolinkManchester Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of three lines which converge in Manchester city centre and serve the surrounding towns of Bury, Altrincham and Eccles...
. The town has a strong middle class presence; there has been a steady increase in Altrincham's middle classes since the 19th century. It is also a centre for sport, home to
Altrincham F.C.Altrincham Football Club is a football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference National.-History:Altrincham F.C.'s name was Broadheath F.C...
and an
Elite ice hockeyThe Elite Ice Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom...
club,
Manchester PhoenixThe Manchester Phoenix is a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
.
History
There is evidence of human activity in the area during prehistoric times in the form of two
NeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BCE in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age...
arrowheads. Aside from a concentration of artefacts around Dunham, there are few finds from the prehistoric period in Trafford. There are the remains of a
Roman roadThe Roman roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news. The Roman road system spanned more than 250,000 miles of roads, including more than 50,000 miles of paved roads...
running through the
BroadheathBroadheath is a suburb of Greater Manchester, England near Altrincham. It is historically part of the county of Cheshire and has a Warrington postcode.At Broadheath's height as an industrial area, the industries supported perhaps 12,000 employees...
area of the town. It part of one of the major Roman roads in North West England, and linked the legionary fortresses of
ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
(
Deva VictrixDeva Victrix, or simply Deva, was a legionary fortress and town in the Roman province of Britannia. The settlement evolved into Chester, the county town of Cheshire, England...
) and
YorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence....
(
EboracumEboracum was a fort and city in Roman Britain. It shared the same site as modern York, located in North Yorkshire, England.-Etymology:The first known recorded mention of Eboracum by name is dated circa 95-104 AD and is an address containing the Latin form of the settlement's name, "Eburaci", on a...
). It was in use for a considerable period of time, as it shows signs of having been repaired. After the
Romans retreated from Britain in the early 5th centuryThe Roman departure from Britain was completed by 410. The archaeological records of the final decades of Roman rule in Britain show undeniable signs of decay. Urban and villa life had grown less intense by the fourth quarter of the fourth century, pottery shards are not present in levels dating...
, the
Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon may refer to:* historically, the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people inhabiting parts of England during the Dark Ages** their Anglo-Saxon language, commonly referred to as Old English** anything pertaining to the History of Anglo-Saxon England...
s invaded Britain. The name Altrincham first appears as "Aldringeham", probably meaning "homestead of the Aldhere's people". The name evolved into the modern spelling, but as late as the 19th century, it was spelt both Altrincham and Altringham.
Until the Norman invasion, the
manorsManorialism or Seigneurialism or Feudal Society was the organizing principle of rural economy and society widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe...
surrounding Altrincham were owned by the Saxon
thegnThe term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly employed by historians to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
Alweard; after the invasion they became the property of
Hamon de MasseyThe first Hamon de Massey was the owner of the manors of Agden, Baguley, Bowdon, Dunham, Hale and Little Bollington after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, taking over from the Saxon thegn Aelfward according to the Domesday Book....
. Altrincham was not mentioned in the
Domesday BookThe Domesday Book is the record of the great survey of England completed in 1086, executed for William I of England, or William the Conqueror...
. The earliest documented reference to the town was in 1290, when it was granted its
charterA charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
as a Free Borough by Baron Hamon de Massey V. The charter allowed a weekly market to be held, and it is possible that de Massey established the town to generate income through tolls, dues, and taxes from trade, suggesting that Altrincham may have been a planned market town. That would have been unusual during the Middle Ages, when most communities were agricultural. Altrincham was probably chosen as the site of the planned town, rather than Dunham which would have been protected by
Dunham CastleDunham Castle is an early medieval castle in Dunham Massey, England . The castle is first referred to in 1173, in a document stating Hamo de Masci held the castles of Dunham and Ullerwood. Documentary evidence suggests the castle at Dunham was still standing in 1323. The castle fell into disuse...
, as it had good access to roads, allowing ease of trade.
Altrincham Fair became St James's Fair or Samjam in 1319 and continued until 1895. Fair days had their own court of Pye Powder (a corruption of the French for "dusty feet"), presided over by the mayor and held to settle disputes arising from the day's dealings. On the extinction of the Massey family in 1340, the lands of Altrincham passed to the
Earl of StamfordEarl of Stamford was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Groby. The Grey family descended from Lord John Grey, of Pirgo, Essex, younger son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and younger brother of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk...
. By 1348, the town had 120 burgage plots – ownership of land that can be used as a measure of status and importance in an area – putting it on a par with
MacclesfieldMacclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, with a population of about 50,688...
and above
StockportStockport is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Tame, southeast of the city of Manchester...
and
KnutsfordKnutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
. The earliest known residence in Altrincham was The Knoll, on Stamford Street near the centre of the medieval town. An excavation in 1983 by
South Trafford Archaeological GroupThe South Trafford Archaeological Group is an archaeological group based in Timperley, Greater Manchester. The group promotes interest in and the study of archaeology and history locally, especially within Trafford but also beyond the borders of the borough...
on the demolished building discovered evidence that the house dated from the 13th or 14th century, and that it may have contained a drying kiln or malting floor. During the
English Civil WarThe English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The first and second civil wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war saw fighting between supporters of...
, men from Altrincham fought for the
Parliamentarian"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they were the supporters of Oliver Cromwell against King Charles I. Cromwell rose to prominence as a Member of Parliament and Parliamentary soldier, and eventually...
Sir George BoothGeorge Booth, 1st Baron Delamer , known as Sir George Booth, 2nd Baronet, from 1652 to 1661, was an English peer.-Life:...
. During the war, armies camped several times on nearby Bowdon Downs.
The extension of the
Bridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England that connects Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
to Altrincham in 1765 stimulated the development of
market gardeningMarket gardening is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre...
, and for many years Altrincham was notable for its vegetables. By 1767, warehouses had been built alongside the canal in Broadheath, the first step in Altrincham's industrialisation and the development of Broadheath as an industrial area. When the canal was completed in 1776, it provided a water route from Manchester, through Altrincham, to the
Irish SeaThe Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Britain. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean in the south by St George's Channel, and in the north by the North Channel...
. In July 1845, the
Act of ParliamentAn act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament....
allowing for the construction of the
Manchester South Junction and Altrincham RailwayThe Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway was a suburban railway which operated a 13.7 km route between Altrincham in Cheshire and London Road Station in Manchester....
(MSJAR) was passed. At 8:00 am, 20 July 1849, the first railway train left Altrincham, carrying 65 passengers. The MSJAR had two stations in the town:
AltrinchamAltrincham railway station served the district of Altrincham Cheshire, now Altrincham, Greater Manchester between 1849 and 1881.The station was built by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway and opened on 20 July 1849....
on Stockport Road, and one called
BowdonBowdon railway station served the district of Bowdon, Cheshire , between 1849 and 1881.The station was built by the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway , and opened on 22 September 1849, the same day a short southerly extension to the MSJ&AR line was completed from the original...
– though not actually in Bowdon – on Lloyd Street/Railway Street. They were both closed in 1881, and replaced by Altrincham & Bowdon station on Stamford New Road. Broadheath Railway Station, at the northern edge of the town, on the London and North Western Railway line, was opened in 1854. The
Cheshire Midland RailwayAct passed 14 June 1860 to build a railway from Altrincham on the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway to Northwich. The line would be 12 miles 65 chains in length...
(later the
Cheshire Lines CommitteeThe Cheshire Lines Committee was the second largest joint railway in Great Britain, with 143 route miles. Despite its name, approximately 55% of its system was in Lancashire. In its publicity material it was often styled as the Cheshire Lines Railway...
) opened from Altrincham to Knutsford on 12 May 1862.
In the late 19th century Altrincham became a base from where professionals and industrialists commuted to Manchester. A notable early commuter was the calico printer William Neild, who travelled daily by coach from High Lawn in Bowdon in the 1840s; however the less well–to–do would commute by express or "flyer"
bargeA barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s from Broadheath. With the coming of the railway the areas in and around Altrincham became very desirable places for the middle classes and commuters to live. Between 1851 and 1881 the population increased from 4,488 to 11,250.
The industrial area of Broadheath, spanning an area of , was founded by Harry Grey, 8th Earl of Stamford, in 1885 for the purpose of attracting businesses. By 1900, Broadheath had its own docks, warehouses and electricity generating station. The site's proximity to rail, canal and road proved attractive to companies making machine tools, cameras and grinding machines. The presence of Tilghmans Sand Blast Co Ltd and the Linotype and Machinery Company established Broadheath as an industrial area of national standing. By 1914, there were 14 companies operating in Broadheath, employing thousands of workers. One of those was the
Budenberg Gauge CompanyThe Budenberg Gauge Company was founded in 1850 by B. Schaeffer and C.F. Budenberg and is now based in Irlam, Salford. The company is renowned for the manufacture of high quality pressure gauges, thermometers, valves and manifolds. Budenderg also produce monoflanges and close coupled systems,...
. A direct result of the industrialisation of Broadheath was a population boom and the creation of 172 workers' homes by Linotype near the factory; between 1891 and 1901 the population of Altrincham increased by 35% from 12,440 to 16,831.
There was little change in Altrincham from the turn of the 20th century to the start of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Although experiencing some bombing as part of the
LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.Schweizer Luftwaffe is also the name of the Swiss Air...
's raids on Greater Manchester, the town emerged from the war relatively unscathed and, along with the rest of Britain, experienced a boom period shortly after. This manifested itself in the construction of new housing and the rebuilding of the town centre in the 1960s. However, the boom period was followed by a depression in the 1970s, during which time employment at Broadheath fell by nearly 40%. In 1974, Altrincham became part of the newly formed
Metropolitan Borough of TraffordThe Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston....
.
Governance
Altrincham became a Free Borough, a self governing township, when it was granted a
charterA charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in June 1290 by the
Lord of the ManorThe title of Lord of the Manor arose in the English mediaeval system of Manorialism following the Norman Conquest. The title Lord of the Manor is a titular feudal dignity which is still recognised today as semi-extinct form of landed property...
, Hamon De Massey. The charter allowed for the creation of a merchants' guild, run by the town's burgesses to tax people passing through the borough. Burgesses were free men who lived in the town. The borough was ruled by a
Court LeetThe court leet was a historical court in England and Wales.- History :At a very early time in medieval England the Lord of the Manor exercised or claimed certain jurisdictional rights concerning the administration of his estate over his tenants and bondsmen, and exercised those rights through his...
and elected a mayor since at least 1452. Amongst the court's responsibilities were keeping the public peace and regulating the markets and fairs.
The borough was not one of those reformed by the
Municipal Corporations Act of 1835The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
, and continued to exist under the control of the Lord of the Manor and the Court Leet until its
final abolitionUnreformed boroughs were those corporate towns in England and Wales which had not been reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. A handful of these obtained new charters under the 1835 Act...
in 1886. Altrincham’s growing population led to unsanitary conditions in the town and the
Public Health Act of 1848Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
led to the creation of Altrincham’s Local Board of Health in 1851 to address this problem, ahead of the rest of Trafford. The local board was reconstituted as an
urban districtIn the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council.-England and Wales:In England...
council in the
administrative countyAdministrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 and abolished by the Local Government Act 1972...
of
CheshireCheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...
under the
Local Government Act 1894The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
.
Altrincham Urban District was expanded in 1920 when parts of
Carrington Civil ParishCarrington is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The village is west of the Manchester conurbation, and is the site of a large gas and chemical works, which produce gases by fractional distillation of liquid air...
and
Dunham Massey Civil ParishDunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust...
were added. A further expansion took place in 1936;
Timperley Civil ParishTimperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
was abolished and most of its area incorporated into Altrincham. At the same time, there was a minor exchange of areas with
Hale Urban DistrictHale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
; a minor addition from
Bowdon Urban DistrictBowdon is an affluent village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
; and a further substantial portion of
Dunham Massey Civil Parish was added.
In 1937 the urban district was granted a
charter of incorporationIn medieval Europe, royal charters were used to create cities . The date that such a charter was granted is considered to be when a city was "founded", regardless of when the locality originally began to be settled.At one time a royal charter was the only way in which an incorporated body could be...
and became a
municipal boroughMunicipal boroughs were a type of local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. The new borough was granted
armorial bearingsA coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways. Historically, they were used by knights to identify them apart from enemy...
which featured
heraldicHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound *harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
references to the Masseys and Earls of Stamford. With the passage of the
Local Government Act 1972The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, the administrative counties and municipal boroughs were abolished and Altrincham became part of the
Metropolitan BoroughA metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of
TraffordThe Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston....
in
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
on 1 April, 1974.
Altrincham was in the parliamentary
constituencyA constituency is any cohesive body of people bound by shared identity, goals, or loyalty. Constituency can be used to describe a business's customer base and shareholders, or a charity's donors or those it serves...
of
AltrinchamAltrincham was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1945. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
which was created in 1885. This lasted until 1945 when it was replaced by Altrincham and Sale. In 1997, this in turn became part of the newly created constituency of Altrincham and Sale West. Since its formation, Altrincham and Sale West has been represented in the
House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
by the
Conservative MPThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
,
Graham BradyGraham Stuart Brady is a British politician and the Conservative Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West.-Early life:...
. At the
2005 General ElectionThe United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect members to the House of Commons.The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a reduced overall majority of 66 and they failed to gain any new seats...
, the Conservatives won a majority of 7,159 and 46.4% of the vote.
LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
won 30.3% of the vote,
Liberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Liberals, are a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had been in alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of...
21.7% and the
United Kingdom Independence PartyThe United Kingdom Independence Party is a conservative, Eurosceptic political party. Its principal aim is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. UKIP currently holds thirteen seats in the European Parliament and two in the House of Lords...
1.7%. This is one of only a small number of seats in the North West held by the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
, and the only one in Greater Manchester.
The town is within
Trafford Metropolitan BoroughThe Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston....
; Trafford Council is responsible for the administration of local services, such as education, social services, town planning, waste collection and council housing. The area is divided into seven electoral wards: Altrincham,
BowdonBowdon is an affluent village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
,
BroadheathBroadheath is a suburb of Greater Manchester, England near Altrincham. It is historically part of the county of Cheshire and has a Warrington postcode.At Broadheath's height as an industrial area, the industries supported perhaps 12,000 employees...
,
Hale CentralHale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
,
Hale BarnsHale Barns is an affluent village in Altrincham in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, Hale Barns lies about south of Manchester city centre, 2 miles west of Manchester Airport and close to the River Bollin...
,
TimperleyTimperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
, and Village. These wards have 21 out of the 63 seats on the Trafford Council; as of the 2007 local elections seventeen of these seats were held by the
Conservative PartyThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
and four by the
Liberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Liberals, are a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had been in alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of...
.
Geography
At (53.3838, −2.3547), Altrincham is on the southwestern edge of the
Greater Manchester Urban AreaThe Greater Manchester Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics consisting of the large conurbation that encompasses the city of Manchester and the continuous metropolitan area that spreads outwards from it, forming much of Greater Manchester in North West England...
, immediately south of the town of
SaleSale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
, from Manchester city centre. It lies in the northwest corner of the
Cheshire PlainThe Cheshire Plain is a flat, boulder clay plain situated entirely within Cheshire. It is bounded by the hills of North Wales in the west, and the Peak District of Derbyshire in the east. To the north west lies the Wirral Peninsula...
, just south of the
River MerseyThe River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
. The
Bridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England that connects Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
passes through the
BroadheathBroadheath is a suburb of Greater Manchester, England near Altrincham. It is historically part of the county of Cheshire and has a Warrington postcode.At Broadheath's height as an industrial area, the industries supported perhaps 12,000 employees...
area of the town. Altrincham’s drinking water is supplied by
United UtilitiesUnited Utilities is a British utility company with its headquarters in Warrington which operates mainly in the North West England, with 9,000 employees. It serves over 20 million people around the UK and worldwide...
and sourced from the
Lake DistrictThe Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains , and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets.The central and...
, about away. The local bedrock consists mainly of Keuper Waterstone, a type of sandstone, and water retrieved from those rocks is very hard and often saline, making it undrinkable.
The climate of Altrincham is generally
temperateIn geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold. But in continental areas, such as central North America the variations between summer...
, with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean temperature is slightly above average for the United Kingdom; whereas both annual rainfall and average hours of sunshine are slightly below the average for the UK.
Divisions and suburbs
Altrincham is one of the four major urban areas in Trafford, the other three being
SaleSale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
,
StretfordStretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
and
UrmstonUrmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire...
. The Altrincham area, as defined by
Trafford MBCThe Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston....
, comprises the south of Trafford. In addition to the town of Altrincham, it includes the villages of
TimperleyTimperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
,
BowdonBowdon is an affluent village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
,
HaleHale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
and
Hale BarnsHale Barns is an affluent village in Altrincham in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, Hale Barns lies about south of Manchester city centre, 2 miles west of Manchester Airport and close to the River Bollin...
. The Broadheath area of the town was a light industrial centre until the 1970s, but is now a retail park. The most densely populated part of the town is around the town centre, with the less populated areas and more green space further from the centre of town in villages such as Bowdon and Hale. The Oldfield Brow area lies on the outskirts of the town beside the
Bridgewater CanalThe Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England that connects Runcorn, Manchester, and Leigh. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
and close to
Dunham MasseyDunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust...
.• Retrieved on 24 July 2007.
• Retrieved on 24 July 2007.
• Retrieved on 24 July 2007.
• Retrieved on 24 July 2007.
• Retrieved on 24 July 2007.
Demography
| Altrincham compared |
| 2001 UK Census A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
|
Altrincham |
Trafford |
England |
| Total population |
40,695 |
210,145 |
49,138,831 |
| White |
94.4% |
91.6% |
90.9% |
| Asian |
1.3% |
4.1% |
4.6% |
| Black |
0.5% |
2.0% |
2.3% |
As of the
2001 UK censusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
, the town of Altrincham had a total population of 40,695. Of the 27,900 households in Altrincham, 38.7% were married couples living together, 30.4% were one-person households, 8.2% were
co-habitingCohabitation is when people live together in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married....
couples, and 9.0% were lone parents.
The population density is and for every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. Of those aged 16 to 74 in Altrincham, 21.7% had no academic qualifications, similar to the 21.3% in all of Trafford and lower than the 28.9% in England. There is a low proportion of non-white people (4.6%). The largest minority group was Asian, at 1.3% of the population.
In 1931, 14.6% of Altrincham’s population was
middle classThe middle class are any class in the middle of a social schema. In Weberian socio-economic terms they are the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socioeconomically between the working class and upper class. In Marxist terms, middle class commonly refers to either the...
compared with 14% in England and Wales, and by 1971, this had increased to 28.8% compared with 24% nationally. Parallel to this increase in the middle classes of Altrincham was the decline of the
working classWorking class is a term used in academic sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe, depending on context and speaker, those employed in lower tier jobs as measured by skill, education, and compensation....
population. In 1931, 30.3% were working class compared with 36% in England and Wales; by 1971, this had decreased to 18.6% in Altrincham and 26% nationwide. The rest of the population was made up of clerical workers and skilled manual workers. The change in social structure in Altrincham was at a similar rate to that of the rest of the nation but was biased towards the middle classes, making Altrincham the middle class town it is today.
Population change
According the hearth tax returns from 1664, the township of Altrincham had a population of about 636, making it the largest settlement locally; this had increased to 1,692 in 1801. In the first half of the 19th century, the town's population increase by 165%, higher than 89% across England and 98% in the Trafford area. The growth of the settlement was a result of the Industrial Revolution, and although Altrincham was one of the fastest growing townships in the Trafford area, but paled in comparison to new industrial areas such as
Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
,
HydeHyde is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2001 census, the town had a population of 31,253. Historically part of Cheshire, it is northwest of Stockport, west of Glossop and east of Manchester.-Medieval:...
, and Manchester. In the second half of the 19th century, Altrincham's population grew by 275%, higher than the 235% for Trafford and 69% nationally in the same period. This was due to the late industrialisation of the area and the introduction of the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway in 1849. The table below details the population change since 1801, including the percentage change since the last census.
| Population growth Population growth is the change in population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals in a population using "per unit time" for measurement...
in Altrincham since 1801 |
| Year |
1801 |
1811 |
1821 |
1831 |
1841 |
1851 |
1861 |
1871 |
1881 |
1891 |
1901 |
1911 |
1921 |
1931 |
1939 |
1951 |
1961 |
1971 |
1981 |
1991 |
2001 |
| Population |
1,692 |
2,032 |
2,302 |
2,708 |
3,399 |
4,488 |
6,628 |
8,478 |
11,250 |
12,440 |
16,831 |
17,813 |
20,450 |
21,356 |
39,940 |
39,789 |
41,122 |
40,786 |
39,693 |
40,042 |
40,695 |
| % change |
– |
+20.1 |
+13.3 |
+17.6 |
+25.5 |
+32.0 |
+47.7 |
+27.9 |
+32.7 |
+10.6 |
+35.3 |
+5.8 |
+14.8 |
+4.4 |
+87.0 |
−0.4 |
+3.4 |
−0.8 |
−2.7 |
+0.9 |
+1.6 |
| Source:A Vision of Britain through Time |
Economy
| Altrincham compared |
| 2001 UK Census A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
|
Altrincham |
Trafford |
England |
| Population of working age |
29,397 |
151,445 |
35,532,091 |
| Full time employment |
45.7% |
43.4% |
40.8% |
| Part time employment |
12.7% |
11.9% |
11.8% |
| Self employed |
8.9% |
8.0% |
8.3% |
| Unemployed |
2.2% |
2.7% |
3.3% |
| Retired |
13.2% |
13.9% |
13.5% |
Historically, Altrincham was a
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and the two main areas of employment were agriculture and market trade. Although the town went into decline in the 15th century, it recovered and the annual fairs lasted until the mid-19th century and the market still continues. During the
Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
, Altrincham grew as an industrial town, particularly the
BroadheathBroadheath is a suburb of Greater Manchester, England near Altrincham. It is historically part of the county of Cheshire and has a Warrington postcode.At Broadheath's height as an industrial area, the industries supported perhaps 12,000 employees...
area, which was developed into an industrial estate. In 1801 there were four cotton mills in Altrincham, part of its textile industry, although they had closed by the
1851 censusThe United Kingdom Census of 1851 recorded the people residing in every household on the night of March 30 1851, and was the second of the UK censuses to include details of household members...
. The decline of the textile industry in Altrincham mirrored the decline of the industry in the Trafford area as a result of a lack of investment and the development of more established industrial areas such as
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
,
Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, and
OldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, heavier industries moved into Broadheath, providing local employment. The area steadily declined during the second half of the 20th century, with employment at Broadheath falling from 8,000 to 5,000 between 1960 and 1970. Despite the presence of retailers such as
TescoTesco plc is a UK-based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer by both global sales and domestic market share, with profits exceeding £3 billion. It is currently the third largest global retailer based on revenue, behind Wal-Mart and...
, Sainsbury's and
Marks & SpencerMarks & Spencer is a major British retailer, with over 885 stores in more than 40 territories around the world, over 600 domestic and 285 international. It is the largest clothing retailer in the United Kingdom, as well as being an upmarket food retailer, and as of 2008, the 43rd largest retailer...
in the town, and redevelopment schemes costing over £100 million, Altrincham's 15.5% level of employment in retail is below the national average of 16.9%. Altrincham, with its neighbours
BowdonBowdon is an affluent village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
and
HaleHale is a village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately southwest of the city of Manchester....
, is said to constitute a "stockbroker belt", with well-appointed dwellings in an area of
sylvanSylvan or Silvan refers to an association with the woods. Specifically, that which inhabits the wood, is made of tree materials, or comprises the forest itself. The term can also refer to a person who resides in the woods or a spirit of the wood...
opulence.
The historic market town developed as a residential area in the 19th century although it retains its retail heritage in the Old Market Place (a
conservation areaA conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
) and a new pedestrianised shopping centre. The retail districts of the town have more recently fallen victim to decline due to competition from the nearby
Trafford CentreThe Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre located in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. The planning process for the Trafford Centre was one of the longest and most expensive in the history of the United Kingdom...
and a regenerated Manchester city centre. However the empty shop facilities and run-down sections of the town, are being redeveloped. The Trafford Revised
unitary development planThe development plan is an aspect of Town and country planning in the United Kingdom comprising a set of documents, which set out the Local Authorities policies and proposals for the development and use of land in their area...
, which guides and controls all development in Altrincham, was adopted in June 2006. In 2006 Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council unveiled plans for a £1.5 million face lift for the town centre. The most noticeable current development is the £40m redevelopment of Altrincham's Stamford Shopping Centre, scheduled for completion in September 2009. The redevelopment will create of new retail space and of refurbished space, providing in total.
Another development, costing £150m and nicknamed "Station Location", is scheduled for completion in 2011. The site, bordered by Oakfield Road, Moss Lane and the railway station platform, will include an
extreme sportExtreme sports is a media term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger...
s centre, an ice rink (the home of
Manchester PhoenixThe Manchester Phoenix is a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
ice hockey club) with a 3,000-seat capacity, an 85-bedroom hotel, two new public squares, restaurants, shops, flats, of office space and a 960-space car park. A
temporary ice rinkAltrincham Ice Dome is an ice rink in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It has 2,026 seats according to the floorplan, and up to 500 standing places. despite this, the building has a capacity capped at 2,150 for ice hockey as standing around the plexi glass is not allowed in the...
was opened in February 2007, near to the site, to house Manchester Phoenix until the new, larger rink, is completed.
According to the 2001 UK census, the industry of employment of residents in Altrincham was 18.4% property and business services, 16.0% retail and wholesale, 12.1% manufacturing, 10.7% health and social work, 8.3% education, 8.3% transport and communications, 5.8% finance, 5.7% construction, 4.2% hotels and restaurants, 4.2% public administration and defence, 0.8% agriculture, 0.8% energy and water supply, 0.2% mining, and 4.6% other. This was roughly in line with national figures, except for the town's relatively high percentage of workers in property and business services. The census recorded the economic activity of residents aged 16–74, 5.3% looking after home or family, 4.3% permanently sick or disabled, 3.2% students without jobs, 2.2% students were with jobs, and 2.4% economically inactive for other reasons. The 2.2% unemployment rate of Altrincham was low compared with the national rate of 3.3%.
Landmarks and attractions
On the outskirts of Altrincham is the 18th-century
Dunham Massey HallDunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust...
and its deer park, both now owned by the
National TrustThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. The hall is early
GeorgianGeorgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the...
in style, and it, along with its stables and carriage house, are Grade I
listed buildings. Another of Altrincham's attractions is the historic
marketA market is any one of a variety of different systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby persons trade, and goods and services are exchanged, forming part of the economy. It is an arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to exchange things...
, set up over 800 years ago when the town was first established.
Stamford Park is a park designed by landscape gardener John Shaw. It was opened to the public in 1880, as a sports park with areas for cricket and football and is now owned and run by Trafford Council. The land was donated by
George GreyGeorge Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, 3rd Earl of Warrington , succeeded George Harry Grey as 7th Earl of Stamford and 3rd Earl of Warrington on 26 April 1845...
, the 7th
Earl of StamfordEarl of Stamford was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1628 for Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Groby. The Grey family descended from Lord John Grey, of Pirgo, Essex, younger son of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and younger brother of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk...
. The park is listed as Grade II on the
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in EnglandIn England, the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England safeguards the features and qualities of key landscapes for the future...
, as well as having won a bronze award from the Greenspace award scheme. Trafford council intend to build a £7,000 skate park in Stamford Park as part of a scheme to reduce crime by providing youths with activities. CCTV will be installed to monitor the skate park.
The clock outside the main transport interchange was built in 1880, and has been a Grade II listed building since 1985.
Royd HouseRoyd House is a Grade I listed building in Hale, Greater Manchester. It was designed by architect Edgar Wood as his own home and was built between 1914 and 1916. The building is regarded as one of the most advanced examples of early twentieth century domestic architecture...
was built between 1914 and 1916 by local architect
Edgar WoodEdgar Wood was an architect who practised from Manchester about the turn of the century and gained a considerable reputation both in Britain and abroad, notably in Germany. British design was then of European significance. His work is principally domestic, but he designed several churches and...
as his own residence. It has a flat concrete roof and a concave façade and is faced in Portland red stone and Lancashire brick. It is regarded as one of the most advanced examples of early 20th-century domestic architecture, and is referenced in architectural digests. The house has been a Grade I listed building since 1975, one of six such buildings in Trafford.
The Old Market Place is thought to stand on the site of the original town settlement. Now a registered
conservation areaA conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
it consists of a series of part
timber-framedTimber framing , or half-timbering, is the method of creating framed structures of heavy timber jointed together with pegged mortise and tenon joints.- Naming :...
buildings echoing the
wattle and daubWattle and daub is a building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years, and is...
constructions of the original houses and
burgageBurgage is a medieval land term used in England and Scotland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town rental property , owned by a king or lord. The property usually, and distinctly, consisted of a house on a long and narrow plot of land, with the narrow end facing the street...
plots. The cobblestone paving was replaced in 1896. The Buttermarket which stood in the area near the Old Market Place from the 17th century until the late 19th century was also the site for dispensing early local justice. A courtroom,
stocksStocks are devices used since medieval times for torture, public humiliation, and corporal punishment. The stocks partially immobilized its victims exposing them in public place to the scorn of the local people, who often took to insulting, kicking, spitting and in some cases urinating and...
and
whipping postThe pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal....
saw public floggings take place there until the early 19th century. The whipping post and stocks were restored as a tourist attraction by local traders in the 1990s. However the Buttermarket area was also a site of religious importance, since prospective brides and grooms are thought to have declared their intentions here. In 1814
Thomas de QuinceyThomas de Quincey was an English author and intellectual, best known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater .-Child and student:...
described the Old Market Place in his
Confessions of an English Opium Eater while travelling from Manchester to Chester. He noted how little the place had changed since he had visited 14 years earlier, when he was three, and that "fruits, such as can be had in July, and flowers were scattered about in profusion: even the stalls of the butchers, from their brilliant cleanliness, appeared attractive: and bonny young women of Altrincham were all tripping about in caps and aprons coquettishly disposed".
Cultural events and venues
Altrincham has two theatres, the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse and the Club Theatre. The Altrincham Garrick group was formed in 1913. The Garrick held the world stage premier of Psycho in 1982. In 1998, it received a grant of £675,000 from the
National LotteryThe National Lottery is the largest lottery in the United Kingdom. It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by The National Lottery Commission. The National Lottery undertook a major rebranding programme in 2002...
as part of a £900,000 redevelopment of the theatre, which was completed in 1999. The Club Theatre group began in 1896, as the St Margaret’s Church Institute Amateur Dramatics Society. It provides a venue for the Trafford Youth Theatre production each year, and it runs the Hale One Act Festival, an annual week-long event started in 1972. The Club has received awards from both the Greater Manchester Drama Federation and the Mid-Cheshire Theatre Guild. Altrincham also has Greater Manchester's only Michelin starred restaurant, the Juniper.
Sports
Altrincham F.C.Altrincham Football Club is a football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference National.-History:Altrincham F.C.'s name was Broadheath F.C...
, nicknamed "The Robins", were founded in 1903 and play home matches at
Moss LaneMoss Lane is a multi-purpose stadium in Altrincham, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Altrincham and Manchester United Reserves. The stadium comprises 2 seated stands on one side and three sides of terrace, giving a total capacity of 6,085 people...
. The club plays in the
Football ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, but most of them are semi-professional...
, the highest level of English
non-league footballNon-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
and the fifth tier overall. In the 1970s and 1980s Altrincham F.C. built a reputation for "giant-killing" acts against Football League teams in
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
matches. The club has knocked out Football League opposition on a record 16 occasions, including a 1986 victory against top-flight
Birmingham CityBirmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham F.C. in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City F.C...
. Altrincham won the forerunner of the Football Conference in its first two seasons, but was denied election to the Football League on both occasions, falling a single vote short in 1980. Altrincham has since had mixed fortunes. Relegated to the
Northern Premier LeagueThe Northern Premier League, known in recent years as the UniBond League under a title sponsorship contract, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the...
in 1997, the club earned promotion two years later, but suffered a second relegation after a single season in the Conference. In both the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, Altrincham avoided relegation only as a result of other teams being deducted points, or being expelled from the Conference.
Altrincham is one of the few towns in North West England with an ice rink, and has had an ice hockey team since 1961, when Altrincham Ice Rink was built in
BroadheathBroadheath is a suburb of Greater Manchester, England near Altrincham. It is historically part of the county of Cheshire and has a Warrington postcode.At Broadheath's height as an industrial area, the industries supported perhaps 12,000 employees...
. The Altrincham Aces (later renamed the
Trafford Metros) existed from 1961 until 2003, when Altrincham Ice Rink closed. The town then had a three year period without a rink or ice hockey team, until construction of the 2,500 capacity
Altrincham Ice DomeAltrincham Ice Dome is an ice rink in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It has 2,026 seats according to the floorplan, and up to 500 standing places. despite this, the building has a capacity capped at 2,150 for ice hockey as standing around the plexi glass is not allowed in the...
was completed.
Manchester PhoenixThe Manchester Phoenix is a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
, a professional team in the
Elite Ice Hockey LeagueThe Elite Ice Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom...
, relocated to the Ice Dome during the 2006–07 season, having withdrawn from competition two years earlier due to the high cost of playing matches at Manchester's MEN Arena. When not being used by Phoenix the Altrincham Ice Dome is open to the public for ice skating.
Founded in 1897, Altrincham Kersal RUFC plays rugby union in North One, the competition below the National Leagues, and is amongst the top 80 clubs in England. Altrincham has been promoted five times in the past ten seasons. The club has produced England and
Sale SharksSale Sharks are a professional rugby union team who play in England in the Guinness Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale F.C., which is based in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the process of...
players
Mark CuetoMark John "Frank" Cueto is an English international rugby union player. He plays on the wing for Sale Sharks and England ....
and
Chris JonesChristopher Michael Jones is an English rugby union footballer. He plays as a lock or flanker for Sale Sharks in the Guinness Premiership....
and continues to produce players for the Sale Jets. Altrincham and District Athletics Club was founded in 1961, and provides training facilities for track and field,
road runningRoad running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events normally range from 5 km to long distance, such as half marathons and marathons, and may involve large numbers of runners or wheelchair entrants...
, cross-country running and
fell runningFell running, also known as mountain running and hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty...
. Seamons Cycling Club was formed in 1948, in the area of Altrincham known locally as Seamons Moss.
Education
As Altrincham was part of the parish of Bowdon, children from the township may have gone to the school that was established at Bowdon in the 16th century; however, before then there was no formal education in the town. A school was founded at Oldfield House, endowed by a salt merchant from Dunham Woodhouses, intended for 40 boys aged 8–11 from the surrounding area. Sunday schools run by were set up in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The increasing population in Altrincham necessitated the need for more schools in the early 19th century. In 1856, there were 9 schools, 1 college, and 23 teachers. The introduction of compulsory education in the second half of the 19th century meant there was a need for more schools, and in 1886 there were 12 church schools and 8 private schools.
Cheshire County CouncilCheshire County Council was a County Council, of the second highest level of United Kingdom Government for the residents of Cheshire. Founded in 1889, it ceased to exist on 1 April 2009, when it and the district councils in Cheshire were replaced by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and...
became responsible for education in the town in 1903, and Loreto Convent, the County High School for Girls, and Altrincham County High School for Boys were founded in 1909, 1910, and 1912 respectively. These schools are still open and known are called
Altrincham Grammar School for GirlsAltrincham Grammar School for Girls is an all girls secondary school situated on Cavendish Road in Bowdon, in Greater Manchester, England...
,
Altrincham Grammar School for BoysAltrincham Grammar School for Boys is an all boys school situated in the town of Altrincham in Greater Manchester, England. Whilst the school is non-fee paying, it has foundation school status which allows it to have a degree of independence from the local education authority.The school is a short...
, and
Loreto Grammar SchoolLoreto Grammar School is an all girls Catholic grammar school in Altrincham, in the borough of Trafford. Although it is a non fee-paying school, pupils must sit an entrance exam to enter, and fulfil several other entrance requirements. It is part of the worldwide Loreto community, and the...
. The schools were built after the First World War due to a population boom caused by a post-war housing programme. Altrincham received evacuees during the Second World War, and it was in this period that
St. Ambrose CollegeSt. Ambrose College is a Voluntary Aided, Christian Brothers' Roman Catholic boys' grammar school located in Hale Barns, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
was founded.
There are 18 primary schools, one
special schoolA special school is a school catering to students who have special educational needs due to severe learning difficulties or physical disabilities. An alternative is a special classroom, also called a self-contained classroom, which is a separate room dedicated solely to the education of students...
, and 8 secondary schools in the Altrincham area, including 5 grammar schools; the Trafford district maintains a selective education system assessed by the
Eleven PlusIn the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education. The name derives from the student age group: 11–12 years. The Eleven Plus examination was once used throughout the UK but is now only used in a number of...
exam. Several of the secondary schools in the Altrincham area have
specialist statusThe specialist schools programme is a UK government initiative which encourages secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust is responsible for the delivery of the programme...
:
Altrincham College of ArtsAltrincham College of Arts holds the specialist Arts College status. The college doesn't operate selection procedures. The headteacher is Peter Brooks. There are approximately 60 teachers in the school and approximately 800 pupils. Recent additions to the school include a large sports hall with...
(
artsArts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
); Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (
languageLanguage Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
); Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (language);
Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic CollegeBlessed Thomas Holford Catholic College is a secondary school based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. The school specialises in maths and computing, and is named after Blessed Thomas Holford, a 16th-century priest from Cheshire...
(
maths and computingMathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...
); Loreto Grammar School for Girls (
scienceScience Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Science...
); and St. Ambrose College (maths and computing). Altrincham Grammar School for Girls was described in its 2005 Ofsted report as "outstanding with an outstanding sixth form". Loreto Grammar – a Voluntary Aided, Catholic grammar school – was also described in its 2005 Ofsted report as "outstanding with an outstanding sixth form".
Brentwood Special SchoolBrentwood Special School is a special, mixed, 11-19 secondary school in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. The school is a special school, catering to students with special needs and severe learning difficulties....
is a mixed school for 11–19 years olds who have special needs or learning difficulties.
Religion
During the medieval and post-medieval period, the township of Altrincham was part of the Bowdon parish. Before the
English ReformationThe English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, the inhabitants of Sale were predominantly Catholic, but afterwards were members of the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches...
. Altrincham did not have a church until the late 18th century because of a low population density in the area. A growing population in led to the Anglican church establishing a
chapel of easeA chapel of ease is a church building other than the main church of a parish.- Reasons for chapels of ease :...
in the town in 1799. Nonconformists were also present in Altrincham,
MethodistsMethodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to Reverend John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement in the Anglican Church. His younger brother...
set up a
chapelA chapel is a building used as a place for fellowship and of worship for Christians. It may be attached to an institution such as a large church, a college, a hospital, a palace, a prison or a cemetery, or may be an entirely free-standing building, sometimes with its own grounds...
in 1790
BaptistA Baptist is a Christian who subscribes to a theology and may belong to a church that, among other things, is committed to believer's baptism and, with respect to church polity, favors the congregational model...
s built one in the 1870s. Irish immigrants in the 1830s and 1840s brought Catholicism back to the area, and the first Catholic church built in Trafford was St Vincent's in 1860 Altrincham
There are five Grade II
listed churches in Altrincham: Christ Church, the Church of St Alban, the
Church of St GeorgeSt George's Church, Altrincham is in the town of Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England . The church is a Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Bowdon.-History:The original church was...
, the Church of St John the Evangelist, and Trinity United Reformed Church. All these churches have been listed buildings since 1985. There are three Grade II* listed churches in Altrincham out of only nine Grade II* buildings in Trafford: the Church of St Margaret, the Church of St John the Divine, and Hale Chapel in
Hale BarnsHale Barns is an affluent village in Altrincham in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, Hale Barns lies about south of Manchester city centre, 2 miles west of Manchester Airport and close to the River Bollin...
. As of the 2001 UK census, 78.8% of Altrincham's residents reported themselves as being Christian, 1.1% Jewish, 1.1% Muslim, 0.4% Hindu, 0.2% Buddhist and 0.1% Sikh. The census recorded 12.1% as having no religion, 0.2% with an alternative religion, and 6.1% not stating their religion. Altrincham is in the Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury, and the Church of England Diocese of Chester. The nearest
synagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer....
, belonging to Hale and District Hebrew Congregation, is on Shay Lane in Hale, and there are plans to build another close by to cater for
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
s of
SephardiSephardi Jews are a subgroup of Jews originating in the Iberian Peninsula, usually defined in contrast to Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews.-Definition:A...
origin.
Transport
In 1754, a stretch of road south of Altrincham, along the Manchester to Chester route, was turnpiked. Turnnpikes were toll roads which taxed passengers for the maintenance of the road. Further sections were turnpiked in 1765 from Timperley to Sale, and 1821 from Altrincham to Stockport. The maintenance of roads local authorities in 1888, although by then most turnpike trusts had already declined.
Construction on the Bridgewater began in 1759, and on its completion in 1776, it provided a link by water between Manchester and the Irish Sea, via Altrincham. Canals were a quicker and more economical means of travel than roads. The Bridgewater Canal is still in use, although now by leisure craft rather than commercial.
After a bill was passed in Parliament in 1845, construction of the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway began. It was opened in 20 October 1849 and ran services from Manchester London Road via Sale to Altrincham. In 1931, the MSJAR line was
electrifiedRailway electrification in Great Britain describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to railways and tramways in Great Britain with a chronological record of development, a list of lines using each system, and a history and a technical description of each...
(1500 V DC
OLEOverhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
), one of the first electrified railway lines, supplied by overhead current, in Great Britain. At the same time a further Altrincham station was opened on that line, at Navigation Road, to serve the housing developments in the area. By 1937, there were 130 train services daily between Manchester and Altrincham. The line was renovated in the early 1990s and is now part of the
MetrolinkManchester Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of three lines which converge in Manchester city centre and serve the surrounding towns of Bury, Altrincham and Eccles...
.
Broadheath railway stationBroadheath railway station was a station that served Broadheath and the northern part of Altrincham in Cheshire, England between its opening in 1853 and closure in 1962.-Station construction, opening and ownership:...
served the northern part of Altrincham between 1853 and 1962, on the line from Manchester, via Lymm to Warrington.
Altrincham railway stationAltrincham station, or Altrincham Interchange, serves the town of Altrincham in Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It was originally named Altrincham and Bowdon and is located on Stamford New Road, adjacent to the Altrincham Ice Dome—home to the Manchester Phoenix ice hockey team...
is the southern terminus of one of the lines of the
Manchester MetrolinkManchester Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of three lines which converge in Manchester city centre and serve the surrounding towns of Bury, Altrincham and Eccles...
light rail system, which connects it with the centre of Manchester and locations in Greater Manchester such as
SaleSale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
and
BuryBury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester. Bury is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, of which Bury is the...
. The Metrolink service also serves the
Navigation Road railway stationNavigation Road railway station serves the Broadheath area of Altrincham in Greater Manchester, England. The station also serves as a Manchester Metrolink station...
. Metrolink services leave around every six minutes between 7:15 and 18:30, and every 12 minutes at other times of the day.
National RailNational Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
services link Altrincham and Navigation Road stations with
ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
via
NorthwichNorthwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
, and with Manchester via
StockportStockport is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Tame, southeast of the city of Manchester...
. Altrincham Interchange, next to the railway station, is a hub for local bus routes. Manchester Airport, the largest in the UK outside London, is to the southeast of the town.
Notable people
Altrincham has been home to notable people, both past and present.
Helen AllinghamHelen Allingham was a well-known watercolour painter and illustrator of the Victorian era.-Biography:...
lived in Altrincham and then
BowdonBowdon is an affluent village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
as a child.
Alison UttleyAlison Uttley , née Alice Jane Taylor, was a prolific British writer of over 100 books. She is now best known for her children's series about Little Grey Rabbit, and Sam Pig....
wrote the Little Grey Rabbit books while living in Bowdon. The dramatist
Ronald GowRonald Gow was an English dramatist, best known for Love on the Dole .Born in Heaton Moor, Stockport, Cheshire, the son of a bank manager, Gow attended Altrincham County High School. After training as a chemist, he returned to his old school as a teacher...
lived in Altrincham in his youth and later taught at the local
grammar schoolA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally schools teaching classical languages but more recently academically-oriented types of secondary school.The original purpose of...
. It was the birthplace of the actress
Angela CartwrightAngela Margaret Cartwright is an English-born American actress, primarily known for her roles in movies and television...
.
Altrincham is home to professional footballers (including
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
and
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. The team is currently a member of the Premier League.The first known competitive fixture was played in November 1880, when the side was known as St...
players), other sport stars,
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
personalities, particularly
Coronation StreetCoronation Street is an award-winning prime time soap opera set and produced in Manchester created by Tony Warren...
actors and music industry celebrities.
Ian BrownIan George Brown is an English musician and former lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses. He is widely considered to be one of the pioneering members of the Madchester scene....
and
John SquireJohn Squire is an English musician, songwriter and artist....
of the
The Stone RosesThe Stone Roses were an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1984. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
both attended Altrincham Grammar School for boys. In addition, Paul Young from Mike and the Mechanics and
Sad CaféSad Café were an English soft rock band, which formed in Manchester in the late 1970s. Band members included Paul Young. They are best known for their song "Every Day Hurts" which reached Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979.-Career:...
, lived in Altrincham until his death in 2000. Cricketer
Paul AllottPaul John Walter Allott is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire, Minor Counties cricket for Staffordshire and first-class cricket in New Zealand for Wellington as well as 13 Test match appearances and 13 One Day International appearances for England...
was born in Altrincham and played
test cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. It is generally considered the ultimate test of playing ability in the sport.The name "Test" may have arisen from the idea that the matches are a "test of strength and competency" between the sides involved...
for England. Allott played for
LancashireLancashire County Cricket Club, one of the eighteen clubs which make up the English County Championship, represents the historic county of Lancashire. Its limited-overs team is called Lancashire Lightning. Their kit colours are dark blue with red trim and the shirt sponsor is the Thwaites beer...
between 1978 and 1991 and played his 13 tests between 1981 and 1985. Altrincham born
Bill SpeakmanWilliam Speakman-Pitt, VC is an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the first man to receive a VC from Queen Elizabeth II...
received the Victoria Cross for valour in 1951 in the Korean War.
Sir Michael PollockAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Michael Patrick Pollock, GCB, LVO, DSC was a British officer in the Royal Navy who rose to become First Sea Lord from 1971 to 1974...
, an officer in the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
who rose to the position of
First Sea LordThe First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, was born in Altrincham.
External links