Altrincham Old Market Place

Altrincham (pronounced ”ol trinc ham”) is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about 8 miles (12.9 km) southwest of Manchester city centre, 3 miles (4.8 km) south-southwest of Sale and 10 miles (16 km) east of Warrington.  As of the 2001 UK census, it had a population of 41,000.  

Historically a part of Cheshire, 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 Canal 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 Hall, formerly the home of the Earl of Stamford, and now a tourist attraction with three Grade I listed buildings and a deer park.  

Altrincham today is an affluent commuter town, partly because of its transport links.  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. and an English Premier League ice hockey club, Manchester Phoenix.  

History

Milestone showing 'Altrincham' spelt 'Altringham'

There is evidence of human activity in the area during prehistoric times in the form of two Neolithic 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 road running through the Broadheath area of the town. It is part of one of the major Roman roads in North West England, and is linked to the legionary fortresses of Chester (Deva Victrix) and York (Eboracum). 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 century, the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain. The name Altrincham first appears as “Aldringeham”, probably meaning “homestead of Aldhere’s people”. The name evolved into the modern spelling, but as late as the 19th century, it was spelt both Altrincham and Altringham.  

A milestone along the Barton Bridge and Moses Gate turnpike road near Eccles. Note the spelling of ‘Altringham’. 

Until the Norman invasion, the manors surrounding Altrincham were owned by the Saxon thegn Alweard; after the invasion they became the property of Hamon de Massey.  Altrincham was not mentioned in the Domesday Book. The earliest documented reference to the town was in 1290, when it was granted its charter 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 Castle, as it had good access to roads, allowing ease of trade.    

Seamons Moss Bridge over the Bridgewater Canal

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 Stamford. 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 Macclesfield and above Stockport and Knutsford.   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 Group 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 War, men from Altrincham fought for the Parliamentarian Sir George Booth. During the war, armies camped several times on nearby Bowdon Downs.   

The extension of the Bridgewater Canal to Altrincham in 1765 stimulated the development of market gardening, 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 Sea.  In July 1845, the Act of Parliament allowing for the construction of the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (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: Altrincham on Stockport Road, and one called Bowdon – 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 Railway (later the Cheshire Lines Committee) 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” barges 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 250 acres (1.0 km²), 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 Company. 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 II. Although experiencing some bombing as part of the Luftwaffe’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 Trafford. 

During the last five or six years Altrincham has seen a number of significant developments including:

- Around £100,000 refurbishment of Altrincham Market 2006-2010 including structural repairs, decorative work on the steel structure of the covered market and incorporation of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act to improve access. This has been complemented with the introduction of key events at the market including the annual Taste Sensation event, now in its fourth year attracting more than 3000 visitors, and a new producers market on a Sunday.

- £10m development of Altrincham Town Hall, including 49 apartments, 10,000sq ft of office space, a day nursery and refurbishment of the town hall.

The new Stamford Shopping Quarter

- £40 m development of the Stamford Shopping Quarter. The two phases have provided 146,000 sqft of additional retail space, with new retailers and a much improved 700 space car park. The majority of units have now been let and options for a third phase are currently being investigated.

- £3.2m leisure development at Denmark Street, including new cinema, restaurants, residential properties and improved access via a new road at the junction of Denmark Street and Lloyd Street.

- A year round temporary ice rink, home to Manchester Phoenix, was secured.

- £5m Kingsway Development offering residential, retail and office accommodation.

- 20,000 sq ft retail redevelopment further along George Street, complementing the design of the Stamford Quarter shopping centre.

- £1.5m improvement works on Stamford New Road including improved traffic signals, better facilities for pedestrians and vehicles and safer access for pedestrians.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.