The area of Greater Manchester has a population of over 2.5 million people and is home to some famous old towns and two cities, including Manchester itself. Here, we look at some of Manchester’s lesser-known, but equally attractive, neighbours.
Salford QuaysBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is 10 miles northwest of the city of Manchester and surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the administrative centre. Historically, Bolton was a renowned centre of cotton milling and is still the largest town in the Greater Manchester area with a population of 140,000. Like many of the towns in Greater Manchester, Bolton has seen a growth in popularity in the last 10 years due to the Northern Powerhouse initiative. New housing developments include Bellway’s Barton Quarter, where you can pick up a lovely semi-detached 3 bedroom home for under £200,000.
Sale
Sale is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester. It is located on the south bank of the River Mersey, 5.2 miles southwest of Manchester and has a population of 135,000. Evidence of Stone Age, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon activity has been discovered locally. By the 17th century, Sale had a cottage industry manufacturing garthweb, the woven material from which horses' saddle girths were made.The Bridgewater Canal reached the town in 1765, stimulating Sale's urbanisation. The arrival of the railway in 1849 triggered Sale's growth as a commuter town for Manchester, leading to an influx of middle class residents; by the end of the 19th century the town's population had more than tripled.Sale has continued to thrive as a commuter town, supported by its proximity to the M60 motorway and the Manchester Metrolink network.You can buy a luxury 5 bedroom home in The Chippings development for £695,000.
Rochdale
Rochdale sits at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, 9.8 miles northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, and has a population of around 110,000. Rochdale rose to prominence in the 19th century as a mill town and centre for textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the first industrialised towns.The Rochdale Canal was a highway of commerce during this time used for the haulage of cotton, wool and coal to and from the area. The socioeconomic change brought by the success of Rochdale's textile industry in the 19th century led to its rise to borough status and it remained a dominant settlement in its region. However, during the 20th century Rochdale's spinning capacity declined towards an eventual halt. Rochdale today is a predominantly residential town. Rochdale Town Hall—a Grade I listed building—dates from 1871 and is one of the United Kingdom's finest examples of Victorian Gothic revival architecture. A 2 bedroom apartment in the beautiful managed development Butterworth Grange would set you back just £255,000.
Stockport
Stockport is a major town, 7 miles south-east of Manchester city centre, where the River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey. Historically, most of the town was in Cheshire, but the area to the north of the Mersey was in Lancashire. Stockport in the 16th century was a small town entirely on the south bank of the Mersey, known for the cultivation of hemp and manufacture of rope. In the 18th century, the town had one of the first mechanised silk factories in the British Isles. However, Stockport's predominant industries of the 19th century were the cotton and allied industries. Stockport was also at the centre of the country's hatting industry, which by 1884 was exporting more than six million hats a year; the last hat works in Stockport closed in 1997.Dominating the western approaches to the town is the Stockport Viaduct. Built in 1840, the viaduct's 27 brick arches carry the mainline railways from Manchester to Birmingham and London over the River Mersey. These days, Stockport has become a desirable place to live, with its many riverside pubs and country walks but close proximity to manchester, it is the ideal commuter town. You can get a brand new 4 bedroom semi-detached home in the Brinnington Road development for a staggering £295,000.
Salford
Salford is an area and the main component of the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, directly west of Manchester city centre in a meander of the River Irwell, which forms part of its boundary with Manchester.The city has a population of 105,000.Salford became a major cotton and silk spinning and weaving factory town and inland port on the Manchester Ship Canal in the 18th and 19th centuries. Industries declined in the 20th century, causing economic depression, and Salford became a place of contrasts, but turned its fortunes around with regenerated inner-city areas like Salford Quays. Salford is home to the University of Salford, and has seen several firsts, including the world's first free public library, and the first street to be lit by gas. Salford's MediaCityUK became the headquarters of CBBC and BBC Sport in 2011, joined by ITV Granada in 2013. You could get a luxury 3 bedroom apartment in the city centre’s Regent Plaza for as little as £365,000.
