Altrincham
Altrincham has been a trading place for hundreds of years and is still busy doing business today. It officially became a market town in 1290, when its Royal Charter was granted. The Market Hall that you can see today was opened in 1880.
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.
The Old Market Place
The Old Market Place - which is also home to the stocks and whipping post - is surrounded by a collection of wonderful historical buildings including the old bank (above). Nowadays these establishments are mostly restaurants, but they have have seen many changes - including the gathering of Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops on 1st December 1745, getting ready for battle with the English.
But the biggest revolution to hit Altrincham was the Industrial one. In 1790 cutting work began on the Bridgewater Canal, which brought a flood of industrial activity to the area. Cotton weaving flourished and continued to be the main industry in the town until the 1980s when light industry began to take its place.
Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway
Sixty years after the canal, the railway arrived - the first train of the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway left the town station on 20th July 1849. Steam trains were replaced in 1931, when the Altrincham to Manchester line was electrified, making it one of the first electric passenger railways in the world.
Altrincham Girls' Grammar doubled as an air raid shelter in the last world war: 'The Devisdale', which is now an astro-turfed hockey field, was the site of an underground shelter where the children could continue their lessons during raids. Local people also found refuge there from the bombs. Manchester produced the widest variety of military products anywhere in Britain 1939-45 and so was a prime target for air attack.
Wikipedia entry for Altrincham
Altrincham on Curious Fox
Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society
Altrincham History Society
Sale
Sale, which includes Sale Moor and Ashton-on-Mersey, is situated on the A56 (Washway Road/Cross Street) - a Roman road linking the fortress towns of Mancunium (Manchester) to Londinium (London) where it ends as Watling Street.
The growth of Sale coincides with the Railway Age, specifically the building of the Manchester-Altrincham line in 1849. But the main factor to transform this residential and agricultural area (Sale was famed for its rhubarb) into the bustling town of today was the building of Trafford Park and Broadheath industrial complexes at the beginning of the 20th century.
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.
The roof of the Town Hall was set alight by incendiary bombs in the heavy air-raids on Manchester and surrouding areas in late December 1940.
The Manchester Mummy
Sale is also the scene of a very strange occurrence that took place in Victorian times: The Case of the Manchester Mummy. Dr Charles White who lived in 'The Priory' in Sale was bequeathed a large sum of money by a Miss Hannah Beswick on the condition that when she died she was embalmed and not buried for 100 years. Miss Beswick had a terrible fear of being buried alive because her sister had nearly been prematurely buried while in a coma. Hannah's body was kept in an old clock case. Dr White died in 1813 and the body passed to his friend Dr Ollier who left it to the Natural History Museum. In 1868, after the required 100 years, the body was interred at Harpurhey Cemetery.
Wikpedia entry for Sale
Curious Fox - Sale (genealogy website)
Bridgewater Canal
Laying claim to being the first commercial canal in Britain, the Bridgewater Canal runs from Leigh to Runcorn passing through Sale, Timperley and Altrincham. The original section was built between 1759 and 1763 by Francis Egerton, the Duke of Bridgewater to connect his coal mines in Worsley to the centre of Manchester, and crossed the Mersey and Irwell Navigation at Barton via an ambitious stone aquaduct that became a visitor attraction when it opened in 1761.
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.
The 40 miles of canal is unusual for having no locks along its length. A notable feature of the canal is the Barton Swing Aqueduct across the Manchester Ship Canal (built 100 years later along the route of the Irwell Navigation), which replaced original stone aquaduct to allow ships to pass.
Maps
Famous Residents
James Prescott Joule (1818 - 1889): Physicist after whom the SI unit of measure for energy is named. Born in Salford and lived in Sale until his death. Buried in Brooklands Cemetery.
Robert Bolt (1925 - 1995): Playwright, whose works include "A Man for All Seasons", "Dr Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia". Bolt was born in Sale and the theatre in the Sale Waterside complex is named after him.
William Speakman V.C. (1927 - ): Born in Altrincham, Speakman was awarded the Victoria Cross whilst serving with the Black Watch in Korea.
Ian Brown (1963 - ) and John Squire (1962 - ): founding members of the Stone Roses - both grew up in Timperley, and attended Altrincham Grammar School then South Trafford College.
Morrissey (1959 - ): Solo artist, and former front-man with The Smiths lived in Altrincham in the 1990's as did former band-mates Ian Marr (guitar) and Mike Joyce (drums).
Book References
Confessions of an English Opium-Eater Thomas de Quincey
Almanac of British Politics Robert Waller, Byron Criddle
Cheshire - Its Traditions and History Alfred Ingham
Public Sculpture of Greater Manchester Terry Wyke
