Stockport
Encyclopedia
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester
, England. It lies on elevated ground 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Manchester city centre
, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame
join and create the River Mersey
. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name
. As of the 2001 Census
the town had a population of 136,082 and the wider borough 281,000.
Stockport in the 16th century was a small town entirely on the southbank of the Mersey, and known for the cultivation of hemp
and rope
manufacture. 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. The town's hatting heritage is preserved at 'Hat Works
– the Museum of Hatting'.
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. This structure featured as the background in many paintings by L.S. Lowry.
stoc, a market place, with port, a hamlet (but more accurately a minor settlement within an estate); hence, a market place at a hamlet. Older derivations include stock, a stockaded place or castle, with port, a wood, hence a castle in a wood. The castle probably refers to Stockport Castle
, a 12th century motte-and-bailey
first mentioned in 1173.
Other derivations are based on early variants such as Stopford and Stockford. There is evidence that a ford across the Mersey existed at the foot of Bridge Street Brow. Stopford retains a use in the adjectival form, Stopfordian, for Stockport-related items, and pupils of Stockport Grammar School
style themselves Stopfordians. By contrast, former pupils of Stockport School are known as Old Stoconians. Stopfordian is the general term used for people from Stockport, much as someone from London would be a Londoner.
Stockport has never been a sea or river port. The Mersey is not navigable to anything much above canoe size; in the centre of Stockport it has been culvert
ed and the main shopping street, Merseyway, built above it.
s from the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic
period (the Middle Stone Age, about 8000–3500 BC) and weapons and stone tool
s from the Neolithic
period (the New Stone Age, 3500–2000 BC). Early Bronze Age (2000–1200 BC) remains include stone hammers, flint knives, palstave
s (bronze axe heads), and funerary urns; all finds have been chance discoveries, rather than a systematic search of a known site. There is a gap in the age of finds between about 1200 BC and the start of the Roman period in about 70 AD. This may indicate depopulation, possibly due to a poorer climate.
Despite a strong local tradition, there is little evidence of a Roman military station at Stockport. It is assumed that roads from Cheadle
to Ardotalia
(Melandra) and Manchester to Buxton
crossed close to the town centre. The preferred site is at a ford over the Mersey, known to be paved in the 18th century, but it has never been proved that this or any roads in the area are Roman. Hegginbotham reported (in 1892) the discovery of Roman mosaics at Castle Hill (around Stockport market) in the late 18th century, during the construction of a mill, but noted it was "founded on tradition only"; substantial stonework has never been dated by modern methods. However, Roman coins and pottery were probably found there during the 18th century. A cache of coins dating from 375–378 AD may have come from the banks of the Mersey at Daw Bank; these were possibly buried for safekeeping at the side of a road.
Six coins from the reigns of the Anglo-Saxon
English Kings
Edmund
(reigned 939–946) and Eadred
(reigned 946–955) were found during ploughing at Reddish Green in 1789. There is contrasting source material about the significance of this; Arrowsmith takes this as evidence for the existence of a settlement at that time, but Morris states the find could be "an isolated incident". The small cache is the only Anglo-Saxon find in the area. However, the etymology Stoc-port suggests inhabitation during this period.
of 1086. The area north of the Mersey was part of the hundred of Salford, which was poorly surveyed. The area south of the Mersey was part of the Hamestan
(Macclesfield) hundred. (Cheadle, Bramhall, Bredbury, and Romiley are mentioned, but these all lay just outside the town limits.) The survey includes valuations of the Salford hundred as a whole and Cheadle (etc.) for the times of Edward the Confessor
(i.e. just before the Norman invasion of 1066
) and the time of the survey. The reduction in value is taken as evidence of destruction by William the Conqueror's men in the campaigns generally known as the Harrying of the North
. The omission of Stockport was once taken as evidence that destruction was so complete that a survey was not needeed (see e.g. Husain).
Arrowsmith argues from the etymology that Stockport may have still been a market place associated with a larger estate, and so would not be surveyed separately. The Anglo-Saxon landholders in the area were dispossessed and the land divided amongst the new Norman rulers. The first borough charter
was granted in about 1220 and was the only basis for local government for six hundred years.
A castle held by Geoffrey de Costentin is recorded as a rebel stronghold against Henry II
in 1173–1174 when his sons revolted. There is an incorrect local tradition that Geoffrey was the king's son, Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
, who was one of the rebels. Dent gives the size of the castle as about 31 by, and suggests it was similar in pattern to those at Pontefract
and Launceston
. The castle was probably ruinous by the middle of the 16th century, and in 1642 it was agreed to demolish it. Castle Hill, possibly the motte, was levelled in 1775 to make space for Warren's mill, see below. Nearby walls, once thought to be either part of the castle or of the town walls, are now thought to be revetments to protect the cliff face from erosion.
Stockport was one of the prototype textile towns
. In the early 18th century, England was not capable of producing silk of sufficient quality to be used as the warp
in woven fabrics. Suitable thread had to be imported from Italy, where it was spun on water-powered machinery. In about 1717 John Lombe
travelled to Italy and copied the design of the machinery. On his return he obtained a patent on the design, and went into production in Derby. When Lombe tried to renew his patent in 1732, silk spinners from towns including Manchester, Macclesfield, Leek, and Stockport successfully petitioned parliament to not renew the patent. Lombe was paid off, and in 1732 Stockport's first silk mill (indeed, the first water-powered textile mill in the north-west of England) was opened on a bend in the Mersey. Further mills were opened on local brooks.
Silk weaving expanded until in 1769 two thousand people were employed in the industry. By 1772 the boom had turned to bust, possibly due to cheaper foreign imports; by the late 1770s trade had recovered. The cycle of boom and bust would continue throughout the textile era.
The combination of a good water power site (described by Rodgers as "by far the finest of any site within the lowland" [of the Manchester region]) and a workforce used to textile factory work meant Stockport was well-placed to take advantage of the phenomenal expansion in cotton processing in the late 18th century. Warren's mill in the market place was the first. Power came from an undershot water wheel in a deep pit, fed by a tunnel from the River Goyt. The positioning on high ground, unusual for a water powered mill, contributed to an early demise, but the concept of moving water around in tunnels proved successful, and several tunnels were driven under the town from the Goyt to power mills. In 1796, James Harrisson drove a wide cut from the Tame which fed several mills in the Park, Portwood
. Other water-powered mills were built on the Mersey.
Hatmaking was established in north Cheshire and south-east Lancashire by the 16th century. In the early 19th century the number of hatters in the area began to increase, and a reputation for quality work was created. The London firm of Miller Christy bought out a local firm in 1826, a move described by Arrowsmith as 'a watershed'. By the latter part of the century hatting had changed from a manual to a mechanised process, and was one of Stockport's primary employers; the area, with nearby Denton, was the leading national centre. Support industries, such as blockmaking, trimmings, and leatherware, became established.
The First World War
cut off overseas markets, which established local industries and eroded Stockports eminence. Even so, in 1932 over 3,000 people worked in the industry, making it the third biggest employer, after textiles and engineering. The depression of the 1930s and changes in fashion greatly reduced the demand for hats, and the demand that existed was met by cheaper wool products made elsewhere, for example the Luton area. By 1966–1967 all the major companies merged to form Associated British Hat Manufacturers, leaving Christy's and Wilson's (at Denton) as the last two factories in production. First Wilson's, and then (in 1997) Christy's closed, bringing to an end over 400 years of hatting in the area. The industry is commemorated the UK's only dedicated hatting museum, Hat Works
.
From the 17th century Stockport became a centre for the hatting industry and later the silk industry. Stockport expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution
, helped particularly by the growth of the cotton manufacturing industries. However, economic growth took its toll, and 19th century philosopher Friedrich Engels
wrote in 1844 that Stockport was "renowned as one of the duskiest, smokiest holes in the whole of the industrial area". The town was connected to the national canal
network by the 5 miles (8 km) of the Stockport branch
of the Ashton Canal
opened in 1797 which continued in use until the 1930s. Much of it is now filled in, but there is an active campaign to re-open it for leisure uses.
occurred, when a British Midland Airways
C-4 Argonaut
aeroplane crashed in the Hopes Carr area of the town, resulting in 72 deaths among the passengers and crew.
In recent years, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
has embarked on an ambitious regeneration scheme, known as Future Stockport. The plan is to bring over 3,000 residents into the centre of the town, and revitalise its residential property and retail markets, in a similar fashion to the nearby city of Manchester
. Many ex-industrial areas around the town's core will be brought back into productive use as mixed-use residential and commercial developments.
Hundred
within the historic county
of Cheshire
with a small part on the north side of the Mersey in Lancashire
. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835
made Stockport a municipal borough
divided into six wards with a council consisting of 14 aldermen and 42 councillors. Under the terms of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
, Stockport Poor Law Union
was established on 3 February 1837 and was responsible for an area covering 16 parishes with a total population of 68,906. Stockport Union built a workhouse
at Shaw Heath in 1841.In 1888, its status was raised to County Borough
, becoming the County Borough of Stockport
. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
Stockport amalgamated with neighbouring districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in the metropolitan county
of Greater Manchester.
In 1986, Greater Manchester County Council
was abolished and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
assumed many of its functions, effectively becoming a unitary authority
.
In 2011 Stockport bid to be given city status as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Competition for this status includes Bolton, Blackpool and Reading. A decision will be made in 2012.
, Cheadle, Hazel Grove
, and Denton and Reddish. Stockport has been represented by Labour
MP Ann Coffey
since 1992
; Mark Hunter
has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle since a 2005 by-election
; and Andrew Stunell
has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove since 1997
. The constituency of Denton and Reddish bridges Stockport and Tameside
; the current member is Andrew Gwynne
.
, at the confluence
of the rivers Goyt and Tame
, creating the River Mersey. It shares a common boundary with the City of Manchester
.
As of the 2001 UK census
, Stockport had a population of 136,082. The 2001 population density was 11,937 per mi² (4,613 per km²), with a 100 to 94.0 female-to-male ratio. Of those over 16 years old, 32% were single (never married) and 50.2% married. Stockport's 58,687 households included 33.1% one-person, 33.7% married couples living together, 9.7% were co-habiting
couples, and 10.4% single parents with their children, these figures were similar to those of Stockport Metropolitan Borough and England.• Retrieved on 17 August 2008. Of those aged 16–74, 29.2% had no academic qualifications
, significantly higher than that of 25.7% in all of Stockport Metropolitan Borough but significantly similar to 28.9% in all of England.
Although suburbs such as Woodford
, Bramhall
and Hazel Grove
rank amongst the wealthiest areas of the United Kingdom and 45% of the borough is green space, districts such as Adswood
and Brinnington
suffer from widespread poverty and post-industrial decay. In the north-west of the borough are the relatively prosperous areas of Heaton Moor
and Heaton Mersey
, which together with Heaton Chapel
and Heaton Norris
comprise the so-called Four Heatons.
or The Peel Centre
. Grand Central Leisure boasts an Olympic sized swimming pool, a ten-screen cinema, bars, a bowling
alley, health complex, and several restaurants. Stockport is located six miles (10 km) from Manchester, making it convenient for commuters and shoppers. In 2008, the council's £500M plans to redevelop the town centre were cancelled. The construction company, Lend Lease Corporation
, pulled out of the project, blaming the credit crunch for their choice.
Stockport Town Hall
designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas, has a ballroom described by John Betjeman
as 'magnificent' containing the largest Wurlitzer
theatre organ in Britain. The War memorial and art gallery are located on Greek Street opposite the town hall. Underbank Hall
is a Grade II* listed late 16th century timber framed building which was the townhouse of the Arderne family from Bredbury
who occupied it until 1823. Since 1824, it has been used as a bank and its main banking hall lies behind the 16th-century structure and dates from 1915.
Stockport Viaduct
is 111 feet (34 m) high, and carries four railway tracks over the River Mersey on the line to Manchester Piccadilly. The viaduct built of 11,000,000 bricks, a major feat of Victorian engineering, was completed in 21 months at a cost of £70,000. The structure is Grade II* listed.
Beside the M60 motorway is the Stockport Pyramid, a distinctive structure designed by Maxwell Hutchinson. It has a steel frame covered with mostly blue glass and clear glass paneling at the apex and was intended to be the signature building for a much larger development planned in 1987. Construction began in the early 1990s and it was completed in 1992 but an economic downturn caused the project to be abandoned as the developers went into administration. The building lay empty until 1995 when the Co-operative Bank
repossessed it and opened it as a call centre
.
Vernon Park, the main municipal park, located to the east towards Bredbury
, was opened on September 20, 1858 on the anniversary of the Battle of Alma
in the Crimean War
. It was named after Lord Vernon who presented the land to the town.
Stockport has 12 local nature reserves
, (Abney Hall
Park, Carr Wood, Chadkirk Country Estate, Etherow Country Park
, Gatley Carrs, Heaton Mersey Common, Happy Valley, Mersey Vale Nature Park, Poise Brook, Reddish Vale
Country Park, Woodbank Park and Wright's Wood.
St Elisabeth's Church, Reddish and the model village
are parts a mill community designed in the main by Alfred Waterhouse
for workers of Houldsworth Mill
, which was once the largest cotton mill
in the world.
The Manchester orbital M60 motorway
and A6 road to London cross at Stockport. Stockport railway station
is a mainline station on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line
. Stockport is connected with Central London
by Virgin trains
with services departing every twenty minutes. Stockport Tiviot Dale station
also served the town centre between 1865 and 1967, lying on routes from Liverpool, Derby and Sheffield. The station site now lies under the M60 motorway.
Manchester Airport (Ringway), the busiest in the UK outside London, is located five miles (8 km) southwest of the town. Stockport is also home to Stockport bus station
, which serves as a terminus for many services across the borough. A free bus service links the bus and rail stations with other parts of Stockport, including shopping areas.
has sites in the town centre and Heaton Moor. Also Stockport is home to Stockport Grammar School established in 1487, the oldest in the North of England
is the town's oldest place of worship was the centre of a large ecclesiastical parish which covered Bramhall, Bredbury, Brinnington, Disley, Dukinfield, Hyde, Marple, Norbury, Offerton, Romiley, Stockport Etchells, Torkington and Werneth. Chapels and churches were built in these townships and the parish today covers a much smaller area. Parts of the church, situated by the market place, date to the early 14th century and it houses the Stockport Heritage
centre run by volunteers on market days. The church is Grade I listed.
Stockport's museums include the "Hat Works
", based in Wellington Mill, was a thriving hat factory in Victorian times
and Stockport Air Raid Shelters
based around the underground tunnels dug during World War II
to protect local inhabitants during air raids. Staircase House
is a Grade II* listed medieval townhouse which is probably the town's oldest secular building housing the Stockport Story Museum.
The Plaza
is a Grade II* listed Super Cinema and Variety Theatre built in 1932. It is the last venue of its kind operating in its original format making it of international significance.
Stockport has three athletics clubs — Manchester Harriers & AC, Stockport Harriers & AC, and DASH Athletics Club. Manchester Harriers train at William Scholes' Playing Fields in Gatley, and they organise highly-regarded schools cross country races throughout the winter. Stockport Harriers are based at Woodbank Park in Offerton, and have several International middle-distance and endurance athletes including Steve Vernon. DASH Athletics Club are the newest Club in Stockport based at both Hazel Grove Recreation Centre,and the Manchester Regional Arena
at Sportcity in Manchester. In 2006 DASH AC Coach Geoff Barratt was UK Athletics' Development Coach of the Year, and in 2007 the club won England Athletics North West Junior Club and North West Overall Club of The Year accolades.
Football
Stockport County F.C.
play in the Conference National
league. The club was formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, changing its name to Stockport County in 1890 reflecting the town's status as a county borough
. It joined the Football League in 1900. Its most successful season was the 1996-97 season
, when it reached the Football League Cup
semi-finals and won promotion into the Championship.
Lacrosse
Stockport Lacrosse Club which plays at Stockport Cricket Club, Cale Green, was founded in 1876, and its first match was played as Shaw Heath Villa. It is reputed to be the oldest club in the world and has men's, ladies', and junior teams. There are lacrosse clubs at Norbury (Hazel Grove) Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Mersey Guild, and Mellor. Stockport Grammar School old boys (Old Stopfordians) play at Disley. Edgeley Park hosted the 1978 Lacrosse World Cup.
Swimming
Stockport Metro Swimming Club, based at Grand Central Pools, is the most successful British swimming club, through the last three Olympic Games. Stockport Metro swimmers have claimed 50% of British swimming's medal haul. At the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Graeme Smith
won bronze in the 1500m freestyle
, and, at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Steve Parry
won bronze in the 200m butterfly
. Most recently, at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, Keri-Anne Payne
and Cassie Patten
won silver and bronze, respectively, in the 10 km open water swim
.
Tennis
Stockport is the birthplace of tennis player, Fred Perry
the last Briton to win the Men's Singles titles at Wimbledon
and the US Open (in 1936), making him the last British male to win a Grand Slam
title.
Rugby league
When the rugby football
schism occurred in 1895, Stockport, founded in 1895, became a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League
). Stockport played for eight seasons from the 1895–96 season to the end of 1902–1903 season, the latter two seasons played at Edgeley Park
, the club finished 17th of 22 in the initial combined league, then 5th, 11th, 11th, 9th, 12th, 6th, in the 14-club Lancashire Senior Competition, and then 18th of 18 in Division 2 of the recombined league, after which it withdrew from the Northern Rugby Football Union.
Rugby Union
Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club
have played at Edgeley Park since 2002
in France.
Stockport is twinned
with:
Béziers
, France
(1972) Heilbronn
, Germany
(1982)
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 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 the...
, England. It lies on elevated ground 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame
River Tame, Greater Manchester
The River Tame flows through Greater Manchester, England.-Source:The Tame rises on Denshaw Moor in Greater Manchester, close to the border with West Yorkshire but within the historic West Riding of Yorkshire.-Course:...
join and create the River Mersey
River Mersey
The 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....
. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
The Metropolitan Borough of Stockport is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in north west England, centred around the town of Stockport. It has a population of about 280,600 and includes the outyling areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme, Marple, Bredbury, Reddish and Romiley...
. As of the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the town had a population of 136,082 and the wider borough 281,000.
Stockport in the 16th century was a small town entirely on the southbank of the Mersey, and known for the cultivation of hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
and rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
manufacture. In the 18th century the town had one of the first mechanised silk factories in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. However, Stockport's predominant industries of the 19th century were the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
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. The town's hatting heritage is preserved at 'Hat Works
Hat Works
The Hat Works is a museum located in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The museum opened in 2000. Prior to that, smaller displays of hatting equipment were exhibited firstly in Stockport Museum and then from 1993 in the former Battersby's hat factory....
– the Museum of Hatting'.
Dominating the western approaches to the town is the Stockport Viaduct
Stockport Viaduct
The Stockport Viaduct is a large brick-built bridge which carries a main railway line across the valley of the River Mersey, inStockport, Greater Manchester .Designed by George Watson Buck and completed in 1840, the viaduct is high...
. Built in 1840, the viaduct's 27 brick arches carry the mainline railways from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
over the River Mersey. This structure featured as the background in many paintings by L.S. Lowry.
History
Toponymy
Stockport was recorded as "Stokeport" in 1170. The currently accepted etymology is Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
stoc, a market place, with port, a hamlet (but more accurately a minor settlement within an estate); hence, a market place at a hamlet. Older derivations include stock, a stockaded place or castle, with port, a wood, hence a castle in a wood. The castle probably refers to Stockport Castle
Stockport Castle
Stockport Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle in Stockport, Cheshire. The castle was in the medieval town, overlooking a ford over the River Mersey. It was first documented in 1173, but the next mention of it is in 1535 when it was in ruins. What remained of the castle was demolished in...
, a 12th century motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
first mentioned in 1173.
Other derivations are based on early variants such as Stopford and Stockford. There is evidence that a ford across the Mersey existed at the foot of Bridge Street Brow. Stopford retains a use in the adjectival form, Stopfordian, for Stockport-related items, and pupils of Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School
Stockport Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Stockport, England, founded in 1487 by the 1482 Lord Mayor of London Sir Edmund Shaa.The school motto is "Vincit qui patitur" – He who endures, conquers....
style themselves Stopfordians. By contrast, former pupils of Stockport School are known as Old Stoconians. Stopfordian is the general term used for people from Stockport, much as someone from London would be a Londoner.
Stockport has never been a sea or river port. The Mersey is not navigable to anything much above canoe size; in the centre of Stockport it has been culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
ed and the main shopping street, Merseyway, built above it.
Early history
The earliest evidence for human occupation in the wider area are microlithMicrolith
A microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. It is produced from either a small blade or a larger blade-like piece of flint by abrupt or truncated retouching, which leaves a very typical piece of waste,...
s from the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period (the Middle Stone Age, about 8000–3500 BC) and weapons and stone tool
Stone tool
A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made either partially or entirely out of stone. Although stone tool-dependent societies and cultures still exist today, most stone tools are associated with prehistoric, particularly Stone Age cultures that have become extinct...
s from the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period (the New Stone Age, 3500–2000 BC). Early Bronze Age (2000–1200 BC) remains include stone hammers, flint knives, palstave
Palstave
A Palstave is a type of early bronze axe. It was common in the mid Bronze Age in north, western and south-western Europe. In the technical sense, although precise definitions differ, an axe is generally deemed to be a palstave if it is hafted by means of a forked wooden handle kept in place with...
s (bronze axe heads), and funerary urns; all finds have been chance discoveries, rather than a systematic search of a known site. There is a gap in the age of finds between about 1200 BC and the start of the Roman period in about 70 AD. This may indicate depopulation, possibly due to a poorer climate.
Despite a strong local tradition, there is little evidence of a Roman military station at Stockport. It is assumed that roads from Cheadle
Cheadle, Greater Manchester
Cheadle is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It borders the districts of Cheadle Hulme, Gatley, Heald Green and Cheadle Heath in Stockport, and the East Didsbury area of Manchester. As of 2001 it had a population of 14,261.-Early history:There has...
to Ardotalia
Ardotalia
Ardotalia is a Roman fort in Gamesley, near Glossop in Derbyshire, England .Ardotalia was constructed by Cohors Primae Frisiavonum—The First Cohort of Frisiavones. Evidence for the existence of this unit exists not only from the building stone found at the site but also from various diplomas and...
(Melandra) and Manchester to Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
crossed close to the town centre. The preferred site is at a ford over the Mersey, known to be paved in the 18th century, but it has never been proved that this or any roads in the area are Roman. Hegginbotham reported (in 1892) the discovery of Roman mosaics at Castle Hill (around Stockport market) in the late 18th century, during the construction of a mill, but noted it was "founded on tradition only"; substantial stonework has never been dated by modern methods. However, Roman coins and pottery were probably found there during the 18th century. A cache of coins dating from 375–378 AD may have come from the banks of the Mersey at Daw Bank; these were possibly buried for safekeeping at the side of a road.
Six coins from the reigns of the Anglo-Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
English Kings
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
Edmund
Edmund I of England
Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his...
(reigned 939–946) and Eadred
Edred of England
Eadred was the king of England from 946 until his death in 955, in succession to his elder brother Edmund I.-Background and succession:...
(reigned 946–955) were found during ploughing at Reddish Green in 1789. There is contrasting source material about the significance of this; Arrowsmith takes this as evidence for the existence of a settlement at that time, but Morris states the find could be "an isolated incident". The small cache is the only Anglo-Saxon find in the area. However, the etymology Stoc-port suggests inhabitation during this period.
Medieval period
No part of Stockport appears in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086. The area north of the Mersey was part of the hundred of Salford, which was poorly surveyed. The area south of the Mersey was part of the Hamestan
Hundreds of Cheshire
The Hundreds of Cheshire, as with other Hundreds in England were the geographic divisions of Cheshire for administrative, military and judicial purposes. They were introduced in Cheshire some time before the Norman conquest...
(Macclesfield) hundred. (Cheadle, Bramhall, Bredbury, and Romiley are mentioned, but these all lay just outside the town limits.) The survey includes valuations of the Salford hundred as a whole and Cheadle (etc.) for the times of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
(i.e. just before the Norman invasion of 1066
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
) and the time of the survey. The reduction in value is taken as evidence of destruction by William the Conqueror's men in the campaigns generally known as the Harrying of the North
Harrying of the North
The Harrying of the North was a series of campaigns waged by William the Conqueror in the winter of 1069–1070 to subjugate Northern England, and is part of the Norman conquest of England...
. The omission of Stockport was once taken as evidence that destruction was so complete that a survey was not needeed (see e.g. Husain).
Arrowsmith argues from the etymology that Stockport may have still been a market place associated with a larger estate, and so would not be surveyed separately. The Anglo-Saxon landholders in the area were dispossessed and the land divided amongst the new Norman rulers. The first borough charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
was granted in about 1220 and was the only basis for local government for six hundred years.
A castle held by Geoffrey de Costentin is recorded as a rebel stronghold against Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
in 1173–1174 when his sons revolted. There is an incorrect local tradition that Geoffrey was the king's son, Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany
Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond was Duke of Brittany between 1181 and 1186, through his marriage with the heiress Constance. Geoffrey was the fourth son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine.-Family:He was a younger maternal half-brother of Marie de...
, who was one of the rebels. Dent gives the size of the castle as about 31 by, and suggests it was similar in pattern to those at Pontefract
Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle is a castle in the town of Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It was the site of the demise of Richard II of England, and later the place of a series of famous sieges during the English Civil War-History:...
and Launceston
Launceston Castle
Launceston Castle is located in the town of Launceston, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. .-Early history:The castle is a Norman motte and bailey earthwork castle raised by Robert, Count of Mortain, half-brother of William the Conqueror shortly after the Norman conquest, possibly as early as 1067...
. The castle was probably ruinous by the middle of the 16th century, and in 1642 it was agreed to demolish it. Castle Hill, possibly the motte, was levelled in 1775 to make space for Warren's mill, see below. Nearby walls, once thought to be either part of the castle or of the town walls, are now thought to be revetments to protect the cliff face from erosion.
Industrialisation
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
. In the early 18th century, England was not capable of producing silk of sufficient quality to be used as the warp
Warp (weaving)
In weaving cloth, the warp is the set of lengthwise yarns that are held in tension on a frame or loom. The yarn that is inserted over-and-under the warp threads is called the weft, woof, or filler. Each individual warp thread in a fabric is called a warp end or end. Warp means "that which is thrown...
in woven fabrics. Suitable thread had to be imported from Italy, where it was spun on water-powered machinery. In about 1717 John Lombe
John Lombe
John Lombe was a silk spinner in the 18th century Derby, England.-Biography:Lombe was born in Norwich in approximately 1693, the son of a worsted weaver...
travelled to Italy and copied the design of the machinery. On his return he obtained a patent on the design, and went into production in Derby. When Lombe tried to renew his patent in 1732, silk spinners from towns including Manchester, Macclesfield, Leek, and Stockport successfully petitioned parliament to not renew the patent. Lombe was paid off, and in 1732 Stockport's first silk mill (indeed, the first water-powered textile mill in the north-west of England) was opened on a bend in the Mersey. Further mills were opened on local brooks.
Silk weaving expanded until in 1769 two thousand people were employed in the industry. By 1772 the boom had turned to bust, possibly due to cheaper foreign imports; by the late 1770s trade had recovered. The cycle of boom and bust would continue throughout the textile era.
The combination of a good water power site (described by Rodgers as "by far the finest of any site within the lowland" [of the Manchester region]) and a workforce used to textile factory work meant Stockport was well-placed to take advantage of the phenomenal expansion in cotton processing in the late 18th century. Warren's mill in the market place was the first. Power came from an undershot water wheel in a deep pit, fed by a tunnel from the River Goyt. The positioning on high ground, unusual for a water powered mill, contributed to an early demise, but the concept of moving water around in tunnels proved successful, and several tunnels were driven under the town from the Goyt to power mills. In 1796, James Harrisson drove a wide cut from the Tame which fed several mills in the Park, Portwood
Portwood
Portwood is an area in Stockport, England, lying just outside the town centre, and based around Great Portwood Street. It is a mixed area, with the part closest to the town centre mainly given over to shops and the further part residential...
. Other water-powered mills were built on the Mersey.
Hatmaking was established in north Cheshire and south-east Lancashire by the 16th century. In the early 19th century the number of hatters in the area began to increase, and a reputation for quality work was created. The London firm of Miller Christy bought out a local firm in 1826, a move described by Arrowsmith as 'a watershed'. By the latter part of the century hatting had changed from a manual to a mechanised process, and was one of Stockport's primary employers; the area, with nearby Denton, was the leading national centre. Support industries, such as blockmaking, trimmings, and leatherware, became established.
The First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
cut off overseas markets, which established local industries and eroded Stockports eminence. Even so, in 1932 over 3,000 people worked in the industry, making it the third biggest employer, after textiles and engineering. The depression of the 1930s and changes in fashion greatly reduced the demand for hats, and the demand that existed was met by cheaper wool products made elsewhere, for example the Luton area. By 1966–1967 all the major companies merged to form Associated British Hat Manufacturers, leaving Christy's and Wilson's (at Denton) as the last two factories in production. First Wilson's, and then (in 1997) Christy's closed, bringing to an end over 400 years of hatting in the area. The industry is commemorated the UK's only dedicated hatting museum, Hat Works
Hat Works
The Hat Works is a museum located in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The museum opened in 2000. Prior to that, smaller displays of hatting equipment were exhibited firstly in Stockport Museum and then from 1993 in the former Battersby's hat factory....
.
From the 17th century Stockport became a centre for the hatting industry and later the silk industry. Stockport expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, helped particularly by the growth of the cotton manufacturing industries. However, economic growth took its toll, and 19th century philosopher Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
wrote in 1844 that Stockport was "renowned as one of the duskiest, smokiest holes in the whole of the industrial area". The town was connected to the national canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
network by the 5 miles (8 km) of the Stockport branch
Stockport Branch Canal
The Stockport Branch Canal was a 5 mile branch of the Ashton Canal from Clayton to Stockport-Route:The canal left the main line of the Ashton Canal at Stockport Junction , between locks 10 and 11 at Clayton, and it terminated at Stockport Basin just beyond the top of Lancashire Hill...
of the Ashton Canal
Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in North West England.-Route:The Ashton leaves the Rochdale Canal at Ducie St. Junction in central Manchester, and climbs for through 18 locks, passing through Ancoats, Holt Town, Bradford-with-Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw, Droylsden,...
opened in 1797 which continued in use until the 1930s. Much of it is now filled in, but there is an active campaign to re-open it for leisure uses.
Recent history
Since the start of the 20th century Stockport has moved away from being a town dependent on cotton and its allied industries to one with a varied base. It makes the most of its varied heritage attractions, including a national museum of hatting, a unique system of underground Second World War air raid tunnel shelters in the town centre, and a late medieval merchants' house on the 700-year-old Market Place. In 1967, the Stockport Air DisasterStockport Air Disaster
The Stockport Air Disaster was the crash of a Canadair C-4 Argonaut aircraft owned by British Midland Airways, registration G-ALHG, near the centre of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England on Sunday 4 June 1967. 72 of the 84 aboard were killed in the accident. Of the 12 survivors, all were...
occurred, when a British Midland Airways
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
C-4 Argonaut
Canadair North Star
The Canadair North Star was a 1940s Canadian development of the Douglas C-54 / DC-4 aircraft. Instead of radial piston engines found on the Douglas design, Canadair employed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in order to achieve a 35 mph faster cruising speed. The prototype flew on 15 July 1946 and...
aeroplane crashed in the Hopes Carr area of the town, resulting in 72 deaths among the passengers and crew.
In recent years, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The council is currently in no overall control since the 2011 local elections when the Liberal Democrats lost their majority. The Liberal Democrats now have 31...
has embarked on an ambitious regeneration scheme, known as Future Stockport. The plan is to bring over 3,000 residents into the centre of the town, and revitalise its residential property and retail markets, in a similar fashion to the nearby city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Many ex-industrial areas around the town's core will be brought back into productive use as mixed-use residential and commercial developments.
Civic history
Stockport was a township mostly within the MacclesfieldMacclesfield (hundred)
The hundred of Macclesfield was an ancient division of the historic county of Cheshire, in northern England. It was known to have been in existence at least as early as 1242, and it was formed to a great extent from the earlier Domesday hundred of Hamestan...
Hundred
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
within the historic county
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
with a small part on the north side of the Mersey in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The 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...
made Stockport a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district 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...
divided into six wards with a council consisting of 14 aldermen and 42 councillors. Under the terms of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, sometimes abbreviated to PLAA, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system . It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the...
, Stockport Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
was established on 3 February 1837 and was responsible for an area covering 16 parishes with a total population of 68,906. Stockport Union built a workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
at Shaw Heath in 1841.In 1888, its status was raised to County Borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
, becoming the County Borough of Stockport
County Borough of Stockport
Stockport was a local government district centred on Stockport in the northwest of England from 1835 to 1974.The district was created by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 when the existing Borough of Stockport was reformed as a municipal borough. Until 1835 the town was governed by a charter...
. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The 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....
Stockport amalgamated with neighbouring districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in the metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
of Greater Manchester.
In 1986, Greater Manchester County Council
Greater Manchester County Council
The Greater Manchester County Council — also known as the Greater Manchester Council — was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater Manchester from 1974 to 1986...
was abolished and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The council is currently in no overall control since the 2011 local elections when the Liberal Democrats lost their majority. The Liberal Democrats now have 31...
assumed many of its functions, effectively becoming a unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
.
In 2011 Stockport bid to be given city status as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Competition for this status includes Bolton, Blackpool and Reading. A decision will be made in 2012.
Parliamentary representation
There are four parliamentary constituencies in the Stockport Metropolitan Borough: StockportStockport (UK Parliament constituency)
Stockport is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, Cheadle, Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove (UK Parliament constituency)
Hazel Grove is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, and Denton and Reddish. Stockport has been represented by Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP Ann Coffey
Ann Coffey
Ann Coffey is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Stockport since 1992.-Early life:...
since 1992
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
; Mark Hunter
Mark Hunter (politician)
Mark James Hunter is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is the current Member of Parliament for Cheadle.-Education and background:...
has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle since a 2005 by-election
Cheadle by-election, 2005
The Cheadle by-election, in Greater Manchester, England, was caused by the death of Patsy Calton, the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Cheadle on 29 May 2005. The election was held on 14 July 2005....
; and Andrew Stunell
Andrew Stunell
Robert Andrew Stunell, known as Andrew Stunell, OBE is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is the Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove, and was first elected at the 1997 general election...
has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove since 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
. The constituency of Denton and Reddish bridges Stockport and Tameside
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
; the current member is Andrew Gwynne
Andrew Gwynne
Andrew John Gwynne is a British Labour Party politician and has been the Member of Parliament for Denton and Reddish since 2005, replacing the retiring Andrew Bennett.-Early life:...
.
Geography
At 53°24′30"N 2°8′58"W (53.408°, -2.149°), and 157 miles (253 km) northwest of London, Stockport stands on elevated ground, 6.1 miles (9.8 km) southeast of Manchester city centreManchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the rivers Goyt and Tame
River Tame, Greater Manchester
The River Tame flows through Greater Manchester, England.-Source:The Tame rises on Denshaw Moor in Greater Manchester, close to the border with West Yorkshire but within the historic West Riding of Yorkshire.-Course:...
, creating the River Mersey. It shares a common boundary with the City of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Divisions and suburbs
Demography
| Stockport Compared | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK census | Stockport | Stockport MB• Retrieved on 17 August 2008. | England |
| Total population | 136,082 | 284,528 | 49,138,831 |
| White | 95.5% | 95.7% | 91% |
| Asian | 2.0% | 2.1% | 4.6% |
| Black | 0.5% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Christian | 74.9% | 75.4% | 72% |
| Muslim | 1.8% | 1.8% | 3.1% |
| No religion | 15.3% | 14.2% | 15% |
As of the 2001 UK census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Stockport had a population of 136,082. The 2001 population density was 11,937 per mi² (4,613 per km²), with a 100 to 94.0 female-to-male ratio. Of those over 16 years old, 32% were single (never married) and 50.2% married. Stockport's 58,687 households included 33.1% one-person, 33.7% married couples living together, 9.7% were co-habiting
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
couples, and 10.4% single parents with their children, these figures were similar to those of Stockport Metropolitan Borough and England.• Retrieved on 17 August 2008. Of those aged 16–74, 29.2% had no academic qualifications
National Qualifications Framework
The National Qualifications Framework is a credit transfer system developed for qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
, significantly higher than that of 25.7% in all of Stockport Metropolitan Borough but significantly similar to 28.9% in all of England.
Although suburbs such as Woodford
Woodford, Greater Manchester
Woodford is a suburban village at the southern extent of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies south of Stockport, north-northwest of Macclesfield, and south-southeast of Manchester...
, Bramhall
Bramhall
Bramhall is a suburb of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of about 25,500.Research by the University of Sheffield has placed Bramhall as the "least lonely" place in Britain. Bramhall is also regarded as an affluent area where most residents...
and Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove
-Education:Hazel Grove has a number of primary schools and Hazel Grove High School, the local high school. Some do decide to go to other local high schools, such as local Marple Hall, in neighbouring village Marple. The main primary schools in the area are, Hazel Grove Primary School, Torkington...
rank amongst the wealthiest areas of the United Kingdom and 45% of the borough is green space, districts such as Adswood
Adswood
Adswood is a suburb of Stockport in England in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester. Adswood has a civic amenity site.The name Adswood is said to be derived from 'Adders wood'...
and Brinnington
Brinnington
Brinnington is a north-eastern suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester. It is known locally as "Brinny".It is situated on a bluff above a bend in the Tame Valley and is an area of vast regeneration, including the demolition of the Top Shops in 2007, which were replaced by new shops, 53 shared...
suffer from widespread poverty and post-industrial decay. In the north-west of the borough are the relatively prosperous areas of Heaton Moor
Heaton Moor
Heaton Moor is a suburb located in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is one of the Four Heatons and borders onto Heaton Chapel, Heaton Norris and Heaton Mersey...
and Heaton Mersey
Heaton Mersey
Heaton Mersey is a suburb of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The area is situated on the north-western border of Stockport, and is adjacent to Didsbury and Burnage which are both in Manchester....
, which together with Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel
Heaton Chapel is an area in the northern part of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It borders the Manchester districts of Levenshulme to the north, the Stockport districts of Heaton Moor to the west, Reddish and Heaton Norris to the east and Heaton Mersey to the west and south...
and Heaton Norris
Heaton Norris
Heaton Norris is now a mainly residential area of Stockport, England bordering on Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor. Formerly it was the name of the parish, that included Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor and was in Lancashire....
comprise the so-called Four Heatons.
Population change
| Population growth Population growth Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement.... in Stockport since 1901 |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 |
| Population | 92,832 | 108,682 | 123,309 | 125,490 | 134,132 | 141,650 | 142,543 | 139,598 | 136,792 | 132,813 | 136,082 |
| County Borough 1901–1971 Urban Subdivision 1981–2001 |
|||||||||||
Economy
Stockport's principal commercial district is located in the town centre, with branches of most high-street stores to be found in the Merseyway Shopping CentreMerseyway Shopping Centre
Merseyway Shopping Centre is a large Shopping Centre in Stockport, England, forming the basis of the town's shopping area. It was opened in 1965 and extensively refurbished in 1995. It consists mainly of a large pedestrianised street, where at one point there are two levels of walkways for...
or The Peel Centre
Stockport Peel Centre
The Peel Centre is a shopping park located in Stockport, Greater Manchester. It currently contains nineteen units, with fourteen currently occupied It is owned and operated by the Peel Land and Property Division of The Peel Group. It currently extends to , with units varying in size...
. Grand Central Leisure boasts an Olympic sized swimming pool, a ten-screen cinema, bars, a bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
alley, health complex, and several restaurants. Stockport is located six miles (10 km) from Manchester, making it convenient for commuters and shoppers. In 2008, the council's £500M plans to redevelop the town centre were cancelled. The construction company, Lend Lease Corporation
Lend Lease Corporation
Lend Lease Group is a global property and infrastructure company headquartered in Sydney, Australia...
, pulled out of the project, blaming the credit crunch for their choice.
Landmarks
Stockport town hall
Stockport Town Hall is a building in Stockport, England, that houses government and administrative functions. It was designed by architect Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas, and opened by the then Prince and Princess of Wales in July 1908...
designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas, has a ballroom described by John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
as 'magnificent' containing the largest Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
theatre organ in Britain. The War memorial and art gallery are located on Greek Street opposite the town hall. Underbank Hall
Underbank Hall
Underbank Hall is a 16th Century town house in the centre of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . The hall dates back to the 15th Century and is a Grade II* listed building. It was home of the Arden family of Bredbury until 1823 when it became a bank. A banking hall was then added to the rear...
is a Grade II* listed late 16th century timber framed building which was the townhouse of the Arderne family from Bredbury
Bredbury
Bredbury is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England, located south east of Manchester, east of Stockport and south west of Hyde...
who occupied it until 1823. Since 1824, it has been used as a bank and its main banking hall lies behind the 16th-century structure and dates from 1915.
Stockport Viaduct
Stockport Viaduct
The Stockport Viaduct is a large brick-built bridge which carries a main railway line across the valley of the River Mersey, inStockport, Greater Manchester .Designed by George Watson Buck and completed in 1840, the viaduct is high...
is 111 feet (34 m) high, and carries four railway tracks over the River Mersey on the line to Manchester Piccadilly. The viaduct built of 11,000,000 bricks, a major feat of Victorian engineering, was completed in 21 months at a cost of £70,000. The structure is Grade II* listed.
Beside the M60 motorway is the Stockport Pyramid, a distinctive structure designed by Maxwell Hutchinson. It has a steel frame covered with mostly blue glass and clear glass paneling at the apex and was intended to be the signature building for a much larger development planned in 1987. Construction began in the early 1990s and it was completed in 1992 but an economic downturn caused the project to be abandoned as the developers went into administration. The building lay empty until 1995 when the Co-operative Bank
Co-operative Bank
The Co-operative Bank plc is a commercial bank in the United Kingdom and Guernsey, with its headquarters in Manchester.The bank markets itself as an ethical bank, and refuses to invest in companies involved in the arms trade, global climate change, genetic engineering, animal testing and use of...
repossessed it and opened it as a call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
.
Vernon Park, the main municipal park, located to the east towards Bredbury
Bredbury
Bredbury is a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England, located south east of Manchester, east of Stockport and south west of Hyde...
, was opened on September 20, 1858 on the anniversary of the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. It was named after Lord Vernon who presented the land to the town.
Stockport has 12 local nature reserves
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
, (Abney Hall
Abney Hall
Abney Hall is a substantial Victorian house surrounded by a park in Cheadle, Stockport, England . The hall dates back to 1847 and is a Grade II* listed building.-Early history:...
Park, Carr Wood, Chadkirk Country Estate, Etherow Country Park
Etherow Country Park
Etherow Country Park is situated at Compstall, England between Marple Bridge and Romiley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester....
, Gatley Carrs, Heaton Mersey Common, Happy Valley, Mersey Vale Nature Park, Poise Brook, Reddish Vale
Reddish Vale
Reddish Vale is a loosely defined area in the Tame Valley close to Reddish in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The generally-accepted centre of the vale is around the bottom of Reddish Vale Road. Reddish Vale Country Park is a country park managed by Stockport...
Country Park, Woodbank Park and Wright's Wood.
St Elisabeth's Church, Reddish and the model village
Model village
A model village is a type of mostly self-contained community, in most cases built from the late eighteenth century onwards by industrialists to house their workers...
are parts a mill community designed in the main by Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
for workers of Houldsworth Mill
Houldsworth Mill, Reddish
Houldsworth Mill, also known as Reddish Mill, is a former mill in built in 1865 in Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Designed by Abraham Stott, it was constructed for Henry Houldsworth, a prominent mill owner at the time...
, which was once the largest cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
in the world.
Transport
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
and A6 road to London cross at Stockport. Stockport railway station
Stockport railway station
Stockport railway station is in Greater Manchester, England, 8 miles south-east of Manchester Piccadilly station on the West Coast Main Line from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, following completion of the large...
is a mainline station on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. Stockport is connected with Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
by Virgin trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
with services departing every twenty minutes. Stockport Tiviot Dale station
Stockport Tiviot Dale railway station
Stockport Tiviot Dale was one of two main railway stations serving the town of Stockport, Cheshire, England, the other being Stockport Edgeley .-Location and operating companies:...
also served the town centre between 1865 and 1967, lying on routes from Liverpool, Derby and Sheffield. The station site now lies under the M60 motorway.
Manchester Airport (Ringway), the busiest in the UK outside London, is located five miles (8 km) southwest of the town. Stockport is also home to Stockport bus station
Stockport bus station
Stockport bus station in Stockport, Greater Manchester serves as a bus terminus for approximately 65 bus services in the Greater Manchester area. It was opened in 1981 and was formerly a car park. It is adjacent to the headquarters of Stagecoach Manchester....
, which serves as a terminus for many services across the borough. A free bus service links the bus and rail stations with other parts of Stockport, including shopping areas.
Education
Stockport CollegeStockport College
Stockport College is a large educational institute providing further education and Higher Education to those age over 15. It has a well-established history and plays a major role in providing educational opportunities for the community including school leavers, businesses and overseas students.The...
has sites in the town centre and Heaton Moor. Also Stockport is home to Stockport Grammar School established in 1487, the oldest in the North of England
Religion
St Mary's ChurchSt Mary's Church, Stockport
St Mary's Church, Stockport is the oldest parish church in the town of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It stands in Churchgate overlooking the market place . The church is a Grade I listed building...
is the town's oldest place of worship was the centre of a large ecclesiastical parish which covered Bramhall, Bredbury, Brinnington, Disley, Dukinfield, Hyde, Marple, Norbury, Offerton, Romiley, Stockport Etchells, Torkington and Werneth. Chapels and churches were built in these townships and the parish today covers a much smaller area. Parts of the church, situated by the market place, date to the early 14th century and it houses the Stockport Heritage
Stockport Heritage
Stockport Heritage was formed by volunteers in 1987 as a campaigning conservation group to help preserve and regenerate historic and architecturally sensitive buildings in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England....
centre run by volunteers on market days. The church is Grade I listed.
Culture
Hat Works
The Hat Works is a museum located in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The museum opened in 2000. Prior to that, smaller displays of hatting equipment were exhibited firstly in Stockport Museum and then from 1993 in the former Battersby's hat factory....
", based in Wellington Mill, was a thriving hat factory in Victorian times
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and Stockport Air Raid Shelters
Stockport Air Raid Shelters
The Stockport Air Raid Shelters are a system of almost 1 mile of underground air-raid shelters dug under Stockport, six miles south of Manchester, during World War II to protect local inhabitants during air raids....
based around the underground tunnels dug during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to protect local inhabitants during air raids. Staircase House
Staircase House
Staircase House is a Grade II* listed medieval building dating from around 1460 situated in Stockport, historically in Cheshire, now within Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
is a Grade II* listed medieval townhouse which is probably the town's oldest secular building housing the Stockport Story Museum.
The Plaza
Plaza Cinema, Stockport
The Plaza Cinema in Stockport is a cinema in built in the early 1930s in Greater Manchester, England . It was designed in 1929 although work did not start until three years later, in 1932. It was completed the following year in 1933 and is now a Grade II* listed building, one of few completed in...
is a Grade II* listed Super Cinema and Variety Theatre built in 1932. It is the last venue of its kind operating in its original format making it of international significance.
Sports
AthleticsStockport has three athletics clubs — Manchester Harriers & AC, Stockport Harriers & AC, and DASH Athletics Club. Manchester Harriers train at William Scholes' Playing Fields in Gatley, and they organise highly-regarded schools cross country races throughout the winter. Stockport Harriers are based at Woodbank Park in Offerton, and have several International middle-distance and endurance athletes including Steve Vernon. DASH Athletics Club are the newest Club in Stockport based at both Hazel Grove Recreation Centre,and the Manchester Regional Arena
Manchester Regional Arena
The Manchester Regional Arena is a multipurpose stadium in Manchester, England primarily used for athletics and association football. It was originally developed as the warm-up track for the 2002 Commonwealth Games held at the adjacent City of Manchester Stadium...
at Sportcity in Manchester. In 2006 DASH AC Coach Geoff Barratt was UK Athletics' Development Coach of the Year, and in 2007 the club won England Athletics North West Junior Club and North West Overall Club of The Year accolades.
Football
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
play in the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
league. The club was formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, changing its name to Stockport County in 1890 reflecting the town's status as a county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
. It joined the Football League in 1900. Its most successful season was the 1996-97 season
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
, when it reached the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
semi-finals and won promotion into the Championship.
Lacrosse
Stockport Lacrosse Club which plays at Stockport Cricket Club, Cale Green, was founded in 1876, and its first match was played as Shaw Heath Villa. It is reputed to be the oldest club in the world and has men's, ladies', and junior teams. There are lacrosse clubs at Norbury (Hazel Grove) Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Mersey Guild, and Mellor. Stockport Grammar School old boys (Old Stopfordians) play at Disley. Edgeley Park hosted the 1978 Lacrosse World Cup.
Swimming
Stockport Metro Swimming Club, based at Grand Central Pools, is the most successful British swimming club, through the last three Olympic Games. Stockport Metro swimmers have claimed 50% of British swimming's medal haul. At the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith (swimmer)
Graeme Smith is a former British freestyle swimmer.He won the bronze medal in the 1500 m freestyle at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. Three years later, at the European Short Course Swimming Championships 1999 in Lisbon, he captured the golden medal in the same event...
won bronze in the 1500m freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
, and, at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Steve Parry
Stephen Parry (swimmer)
Stephen Benjamin Parry is a former British butterfly swimmer. He competed internationally in 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly distances....
won bronze in the 200m butterfly
Butterfly stroke
The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The butterfly kick was developed separately, and is also known as the "dolphin kick"...
. Most recently, at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, Keri-Anne Payne
Keri-Anne Payne
Keri-Anne Payne is a British swimmer, specialising in marathon open water swimming, and long-distance freestyle swimming in the pool. She is a two-time World 10 km Open Water champion, and an Olympic silver medallist.Payne was born in South Africa to British parents...
and Cassie Patten
Cassie Patten
Cassandra Lily Patten is a British freestyle swimmer.-Early life:Cassie's first swimming club was Bodmin and District in Cornwall where she trained under the coaches Phil Goldman and Joe Dixon, she then attended Plymouth College as a swimming scholar from the age of 11 to 18 where she was the...
won silver and bronze, respectively, in the 10 km open water swim
Open water swimming
Open water swimming takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, canals, and reservoirs.The beginning of the modern age of open water swimming is sometimes taken to be May 3, 1810, when Lord Byron swam several miles to cross the Hellespont from Europe to Asia.In...
.
Tennis
Stockport is the birthplace of tennis player, Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
the last Briton to win the Men's Singles titles at Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
and the US Open (in 1936), making him the last British male to win a Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
title.
Rugby league
When the rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
schism occurred in 1895, Stockport, founded in 1895, became a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
). Stockport played for eight seasons from the 1895–96 season to the end of 1902–1903 season, the latter two seasons played at Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park is an association football and rugby union stadium in Stockport, England. The stadium was initially built for the rugby league club Stockport in 1901, but by 1902, the rugby club was defunct and in the same year, Stockport County Football Club, who were looking for a bigger ground,...
, the club finished 17th of 22 in the initial combined league, then 5th, 11th, 11th, 9th, 12th, 6th, in the 14-club Lancashire Senior Competition, and then 18th of 18 in Division 2 of the recombined league, after which it withdrew from the Northern Rugby Football Union.
Rugby Union
Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
have played at Edgeley Park since 2002
Youth organisations
The Stockport area is covered by several different squadrons of the Air Training Corps. Two of these Squadrons are 162 (Stockport) Squadron based on the A6 opposite St George's Church and 1804 (Four Heatons) Squadron based on Reddish Road. There is also a vast amount of youth basketball teams, and currently the Stockport Senior mens league team are in D3 of the EBL league after their promotion earlier last season from Division 4.Twin towns — sister cities
Since 1972, Stockport has been twinned with in BéziersBéziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
in France.
Stockport is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
BéziersBéziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1972) Heilbronn
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(1982)