Swinton, Greater Manchester
Encyclopedia
Swinton is a town within the City of Salford
, in Greater Manchester
, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell
, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway
. It is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) west-northwest of Salford, and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) west-northwest of Manchester
. Swinton and the adjoining town of Pendlebury
together have a population of 41,347.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, for centuries Swinton was a small hamlet
within the township
of Worsley
, parish of Eccles
and hundred of Salfordshire
. This hamlet is thought to have centred around an ancient pig farm or market; the name Swinton is derived from the Old English "Swynton" meaning "swine town". During the High Middle Ages
Swinton was broadly held by the religious orders of the Knights Hospitaller
and Whalley Abbey
. Farming was the main industry of this rural area during the Middle Ages, with locals supplementing their incomes by hand-loom woollen weaving in the domestic system.
Coal Measures
underlie the area, and a series of collieries opened during the Industrial Revolution
gave rise to Swinton as an important industrial area
. Locally sourced coal provided the fuel for a variety of cotton spinning
and brick
making industries. Bricks from Swinton were used for the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater's
ambitious industrial projects, including the Bridgewater Canal
, which passes Swinton to the south. The adoption of the factory system
facilitated a process of unplanned urbanisation in the area, and by the mid-19th century Swinton had emerged as an important mill town
and coal mining
district at a convergence of factories, brickworks and a newly constructed road and railway network.
Following the Local Government Act 1894
, Swinton was united with neighbouring Pendlebury to become an urban district
of Lancashire. Swinton and Pendlebury
received a charter of incorporation
in 1934, giving it honorific borough status
. In the same year, the United Kingdom's first purpose-built intercity highway—the major A580 road (East Lancashire Road)
, which terminates at Swinton and Pendlebury's southern boundary—was officially opened by King George V
. Swinton and Pendlebury became part of the City of Salford in 1974. As such, Swinton has continued to grow as the seat of Salford City Council and as a commuter town
, supported by its transport network and close proximity to Manchester city centre
.
During the Middle Ages, Swinton belonged to Whalley Abbey
. Later, lands at Swinton were granted to Thurston Tyldesley, then of Wardley Hall. Documents record that certain areas belonged to the Knights Hospitaller
.
In 1817 some Swinton weavers joined in the 'Blanketeer' demonstration and marched to London to put their grievances to the Prince Regent. In 1842 some Swinton people took part in Chartist
agitations and tried to destroy a local colliery.
Sunday schools and libraries were established in Swinton at quite an early period. An industrial school was visited by Charles Dickens
. The school opened in 1843 and survived until the 1920s. During demolition of the school buildings in the early 1930s, the foundations proved particularly difficult. Finally explosives were used, which resulted in a huge number of rats being disturbed. It was a number of weeks before council workers were able to remove the rats from the surrounding streets and houses. Huge nests of baby rats were carried out of the rafters of many buildings. The site was used for the present town hall.
Lying within the historic county boundaries
of Lancashire
since the early 12th century
, Swinton anciently formed part of the hundred of Salford
for civil jurisdiction. Swinton was a chapelry
in the township
of Worsley
and ecclesiastical parish of Eccles
.
Swinton's first local authority was a local board of health
established in 1867. A regulatory body responsible for standards of hygiene and sanitation, it covered Swinton itself and the majority of the neighbouring township of Pendlebury
. It changed its name to Swinton and Pendlebury Local Board of Health in 1869. Following the Local Government Act 1894
, Swinton became a civil parish
, and the area of the local board became Swinton and Pendlebury
, an urban district
of the administrative county
of Lancashire. In 1907 there were exchanges of land with the neighbouring Worsley Urban District, and in 1933 most of Clifton
and a part of Prestwich
Urban District were added to Swinton and Pendlebury. Swinton and Pendlebury received its Charter of Incorporation as a municipal borough
from Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
at a ceremony in Victoria Park
on 29 September 1934. In 1955 a very small part of Worsley Urban District was added to Swinton and Pendlebury.
Under the Local Government Act 1972
, the Municipal Borough of Swinton of Pendlebury was abolished, and Swinton has, since 1 April 1974, formed an unparished area
of the City of Salford
, a metropolitan borough
of the metropolitan county
of Greater Manchester
.
, and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) west-northwest of Manchester city centre
. Topographically
, Swinton occupies an area of gently sloping ground, roughly 213 feet (65 m) above sea level, and is on the south side of the River Irwell
. Swinton lies in the west-central part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area
, the UK's third largest conurbation. The M60 motorway
passes Swinton on its northwest side.
The architectural centre-piece of the town is the neo-classical Salford Civic Centre
, which has a 125 foot (38 m) high clock tower. It was built as Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall, when Swinton and Pendlebury
received its Charter of Incorporation. Before its construction, council meetings were held in Victoria House in Victoria Park
but the borough council required larger premises. A competition was launched to design the new town hall, the winners were architects Percy Thomas
and Ernest Prestwich with a design that closely resembled Swansea Guildhall. It later won the R.I.B.A.
Gold Medal.
The site of the former Swinton Industrial School
on Chorley Road was purchased for £12,500 and the foundation stone of the new town hall laid on 17 October 1936. The main builders were J. Gerrards and Son of Pendlebury. The town hall opened on 17 September 1938. Extensions were built when it became the administrative headquarters of the City of Salford
in 1974.
It was once reported that Swinton had the greatest number of chip shops per capita in Britain.
Wardley Hall is an early medieval
manor house
and a Grade I listed building which is the official residence of the Roman Catholic bishops of Salford.
has an impressive record in rugby league
considering the size of the town. The club's six Championships and three Challenge Cup
wins betters that of their local rivals Salford RLFC
. The club was based in the town until 1992, when financial mis-management necessitated a relocation from the Station Road ground to play at Gigg Lane
in Bury
. The financial failure of main creditor and de facto owner Hugh Eaves in 2002 put the future of the club in jeopardy and it spent a short time regrouping at Moor Lane in Kersal
, as tenants of Salford City F.C.
. Since 2003 the Lions have played their home games in nearby Whitefield
, at - Sedgley Park RUFC. In 2006, the return of the club to Swinton and Pendlebury was taken one step further when club chairman John Kidd announced on the 9th August in a meeting held at the masonic hall in Pendlebury, that on the 7 August the club acquired land to build a 6,000 capacity stadium with training facilities and community use in Agecroft, Pendlebury.
Swinton based junior sssociation football side Deans F.C. was the starting point in the career of Ryan Giggs
, who grew up in neighbouring Pendlebury and went on to become a Manchester United
player.
is a television scriptwriter born in Swinton in 1936. He is best known as the creator of Coronation Street
, an award-winning soap opera
and one of the longest-running television programmes in the United Kingdom. Manchester United's Ryan Giggs
grew up in nearby Pendlebury after moving from South Wales
with his family when his father Danny Wilson switched rugby codes to sign for Swinton R.L.F.C.
. In 2009, Giggs was granted the freedom of Salford.
Composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
, presently Master of the Queen's Music
, was brought up in Swinton after his family moved from Salford when he was four. In 1998, he wrote Swinton Jig, an orchestral work inspired by the sounds and traditional melodies heard in Swinton during his childhood.
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
, in Greater Manchester
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. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway
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...
. It is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) west-northwest of Salford, and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) west-northwest 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...
. Swinton and the adjoining town of Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
together have a population of 41,347.
Historically
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...
a part of 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...
, for centuries Swinton was a small hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
within the township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
of Worsley
Worsley
Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
, parish of Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
and hundred of Salfordshire
Salford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
. This hamlet is thought to have centred around an ancient pig farm or market; the name Swinton is derived from the Old English "Swynton" meaning "swine town". During the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
Swinton was broadly held by the religious orders of the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
and Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in Whalley, Lancashire, England. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a country house was built on the site. In the 20th century the house was modified and it is now the Retreat and Conference House of the...
. Farming was the main industry of this rural area during the Middle Ages, with locals supplementing their incomes by hand-loom woollen weaving in the domestic system.
Coal Measures
Coal Measures
The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
underlie the area, and a series of collieries opened 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...
gave rise to Swinton as an important industrial area
Industrial district
Industrial district was initially introduced as a term to describe an area where workers of a monolithic heavy industry live within walking-distance of their places of work...
. Locally sourced coal provided the fuel for a variety of cotton spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
and brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
making industries. Bricks from Swinton were used for the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater's
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater , known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748, was a British nobleman, the younger son of the 1st Duke...
ambitious industrial projects, including the Bridgewater Canal
Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
, which passes Swinton to the south. The adoption of the factory system
Factory system
The factory system was a method of manufacturing first adopted in England at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 1750s and later spread abroad. Fundamentally, each worker created a separate part of the total assembly of a product, thus increasing the efficiency of factories. Workers,...
facilitated a process of unplanned urbanisation in the area, and by the mid-19th century Swinton had emerged as an important mill town
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:...
and coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
district at a convergence of factories, brickworks and a newly constructed road and railway network.
Following the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, Swinton was united with neighbouring Pendlebury to become an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of Lancashire. Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury was a local government district of the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It was created in 1894 as an urban district and enlarged in 1934, gaining the status of municipal borough.-Constituent civil parishes:...
received a charter of incorporation
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...
in 1934, giving it honorific borough status
Borough status in the United Kingdom
Borough status in the United Kingdom is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district...
. In the same year, the United Kingdom's first purpose-built intercity highway—the major A580 road (East Lancashire Road)
A580 road
The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as Liverpool-East Lancashire Road. Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for...
, which terminates at Swinton and Pendlebury's southern boundary—was officially opened by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. Swinton and Pendlebury became part of the City of Salford in 1974. As such, Swinton has continued to grow as the seat of Salford City Council and as a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
, supported by its transport network and close proximity to 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...
.
History
The name Swinton is said to derive from pig-rearing - an early form was Swynton (Swine Town).During the Middle Ages, Swinton belonged to Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey
Whalley Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in Whalley, Lancashire, England. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a country house was built on the site. In the 20th century the house was modified and it is now the Retreat and Conference House of the...
. Later, lands at Swinton were granted to Thurston Tyldesley, then of Wardley Hall. Documents record that certain areas belonged to the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
.
In 1817 some Swinton weavers joined in the 'Blanketeer' demonstration and marched to London to put their grievances to the Prince Regent. In 1842 some Swinton people took part in Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
agitations and tried to destroy a local colliery.
Sunday schools and libraries were established in Swinton at quite an early period. An industrial school was visited by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
. The school opened in 1843 and survived until the 1920s. During demolition of the school buildings in the early 1930s, the foundations proved particularly difficult. Finally explosives were used, which resulted in a huge number of rats being disturbed. It was a number of weeks before council workers were able to remove the rats from the surrounding streets and houses. Huge nests of baby rats were carried out of the rafters of many buildings. The site was used for the present town hall.
Governance
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 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...
since the early 12th century
History of Lancashire
The History of Lancashire begins with its establishment as a county of England in 1182, making it one of the youngest of the historic counties of England.-Early history:In the Domesday Book, some of its lands had been treated as part of Yorkshire...
, Swinton anciently formed part of the hundred of Salford
Salford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
for civil jurisdiction. Swinton was a chapelry
Chapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
in the township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
of Worsley
Worsley
Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
and ecclesiastical parish of Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
.
Swinton's first local authority was a local board of health
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
established in 1867. A regulatory body responsible for standards of hygiene and sanitation, it covered Swinton itself and the majority of the neighbouring township of Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
. It changed its name to Swinton and Pendlebury Local Board of Health in 1869. Following the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, Swinton became a civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
, and the area of the local board became Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury was a local government district of the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It was created in 1894 as an urban district and enlarged in 1934, gaining the status of municipal borough.-Constituent civil parishes:...
, an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire. In 1907 there were exchanges of land with the neighbouring Worsley Urban District, and in 1933 most of Clifton
Clifton, Greater Manchester
Clifton is a small town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley in the northern part of the City of Salford....
and a part of Prestwich
Prestwich
Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury....
Urban District were added to Swinton and Pendlebury. Swinton and Pendlebury received its Charter of Incorporation as 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...
from Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
Edward John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby MC , known as Lord Stanley from 1938 to 1948, was a British peer....
at a ceremony in Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Swinton
Victoria Park is a park in Swinton, Greater Manchester. It opened as a public park in 1897. Victoria Park is made up of the grounds of Swinton Old Hall; the hall itself being demolished in 1993...
on 29 September 1934. In 1955 a very small part of Worsley Urban District was added to Swinton and Pendlebury.
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....
, the Municipal Borough of Swinton of Pendlebury was abolished, and Swinton has, since 1 April 1974, formed an unparished area
Unparished area
In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish. Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparished. Many towns and some cities in otherwise rural districts are also unparished areas and therefore no longer have a town council or city...
of the City of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
, a metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of 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
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...
.
Geography
Swinton lies at 53°30′44"N 2°20′28"W (53.5122°, -2.3412°), 167 miles (269 km) northwest of central LondonCentral 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,...
, and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) west-northwest 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...
. Topographically
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
, Swinton occupies an area of gently sloping ground, roughly 213 feet (65 m) above sea level, and is on the south side of the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
. Swinton lies in the west-central part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area
Greater Manchester Urban Area
The Greater Manchester Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics consisting of the large conurbation that encompasses the city of Manchester and the continuous metropolitan area that spreads outwards from it, forming much of Greater Manchester in North West England...
, the UK's third largest conurbation. The M60 motorway
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...
passes Swinton on its northwest side.
Landmarks
Salford Civic Centre
Salford Civic Centre is located in Salford, Great Manchester, England. It is the location for the Council Chamber and committee rooms, as well as being the administrative headquarters, for Salford City Council....
, which has a 125 foot (38 m) high clock tower. It was built as Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall, when Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury was a local government district of the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It was created in 1894 as an urban district and enlarged in 1934, gaining the status of municipal borough.-Constituent civil parishes:...
received its Charter of Incorporation. Before its construction, council meetings were held in Victoria House in Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Swinton
Victoria Park is a park in Swinton, Greater Manchester. It opened as a public park in 1897. Victoria Park is made up of the grounds of Swinton Old Hall; the hall itself being demolished in 1993...
but the borough council required larger premises. A competition was launched to design the new town hall, the winners were architects Percy Thomas
Percy Thomas
Sir Percy Edward Thomas OBE , was an award-winning British architect based in Wales for the majority of his life. He was twice RIBA president ....
and Ernest Prestwich with a design that closely resembled Swansea Guildhall. It later won the R.I.B.A.
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
Gold Medal.
The site of the former Swinton Industrial School
Industrial school
In Ireland the Industrial Schools Act of 1868 established industrial schools to care for "neglected, orphaned and abandoned children". By 1884 there were 5,049 children in such institutions....
on Chorley Road was purchased for £12,500 and the foundation stone of the new town hall laid on 17 October 1936. The main builders were J. Gerrards and Son of Pendlebury. The town hall opened on 17 September 1938. Extensions were built when it became the administrative headquarters of the City of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
in 1974.
It was once reported that Swinton had the greatest number of chip shops per capita in Britain.
Wardley Hall is an early medieval
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture is a term used to represent various forms of architecture common in Medieval Europe.-Characteristics:-Religious architecture:...
manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
and a Grade I listed building which is the official residence of the Roman Catholic bishops of Salford.
Sports
Swinton RLFCSwinton Lions
Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:...
has an impressive record in rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
considering the size of the town. The club's six Championships and three Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
wins betters that of their local rivals Salford RLFC
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
. The club was based in the town until 1992, when financial mis-management necessitated a relocation from the Station Road ground to play at Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it was built for Bury F.C. in 1885, and has been their home ever since.-History:...
in Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
. The financial failure of main creditor and de facto owner Hugh Eaves in 2002 put the future of the club in jeopardy and it spent a short time regrouping at Moor Lane in Kersal
Kersal
Kersal is an inner city area of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. The centre of Kersal is northwest of Manchester city centre, and north-northwest of Salford's conventional centre at Greengate....
, as tenants of Salford City F.C.
Salford City F.C.
Salford City F.C. are a semi-professional football club based in the Kersal area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. They are the only semi-professional side in the City of Salford, with Manchester United the closest league club. Salford City currently play in the Northern Premier League...
. Since 2003 the Lions have played their home games in nearby Whitefield
Whitefield, Greater Manchester
Whitefield is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the south bank of the River Irwell, south-southeast of Bury, and to the north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, at - Sedgley Park RUFC. In 2006, the return of the club to Swinton and Pendlebury was taken one step further when club chairman John Kidd announced on the 9th August in a meeting held at the masonic hall in Pendlebury, that on the 7 August the club acquired land to build a 6,000 capacity stadium with training facilities and community use in Agecroft, Pendlebury.
Swinton based junior sssociation football side Deans F.C. was the starting point in the career of Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
, who grew up in neighbouring Pendlebury and went on to become a Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
player.
Notable people
Tony WarrenTony Warren
Anthony McVay Simpson MBE , better known by his stage name Tony Warren, is an award-winning English television scriptwriter, best known for creating the soap opera Coronation Street...
is a television scriptwriter born in Swinton in 1936. He is best known as the creator of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, an award-winning soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
and one of the longest-running television programmes in the United Kingdom. Manchester United's Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
grew up in nearby Pendlebury after moving from South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
with his family when his father Danny Wilson switched rugby codes to sign for Swinton R.L.F.C.
Swinton Lions
Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:...
. In 2009, Giggs was granted the freedom of Salford.
Composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:...
, presently Master of the Queen's Music
Master of the Queen's Music
Master of the Queen's Music is a post in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The holder of the post originally served the monarch of England.The post is roughly comparable to that of Poet Laureate...
, was brought up in Swinton after his family moved from Salford when he was four. In 1998, he wrote Swinton Jig, an orchestral work inspired by the sounds and traditional melodies heard in Swinton during his childhood.