Wilmslow Road, Manchester
Encyclopedia
Wilmslow Road is a major thoroughfare
in Manchester
, England, running from Parrs Wood
north into Manchester City Centre
. Its name changes to Oxford Road at Whitworth Park
, north of Rusholme
, and changes again to Oxford Street, when it reaches the city centre.
The road runs through the centres of Didsbury
, Withington
, Fallowfield
and Rusholme
. It is a popular bus corridor which crosses the University of Manchester
campus and the All Saints campus of the Manchester Metropolitan University
. A number of hospitals are also to be found near the route.
, which can be traced on modern maps by locating roads which are called (or used to be called) the A34. New designations for this old route, including A3400 and A44, were assigned when motorways and bypasses took the A34 away from its original route. The route goes via Cheadle
, Wilmslow
, Congleton
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
, Stafford
, Birmingham
, Stratford-upon-Avon
, and Woodstock
.
In 1753 the Manchester and Wilmslow Turnpike Trust was created by Act of Parliament
, with powers to build, maintain, and improve the most northerly stretch of the Manchester to Oxford route, funded by the collection of tolls
. In 1755 the Trust built the first stone bridge over the Mersey
. This collapsed in 1756 and was rebuilt in 1758. The bridge was replaced in 1780 and again in 1861.
The improved transport links spurred the development of villages such as Rusholme and Withington along the route. These villages eventually merged
and became part of the city of Manchester
. Chorlton-on-Medlock
, the district nearest the town centre, was developed as a residential suburb in 1793–94 by the three landowners. Most of the important streets were given impressive names, Oxford Street, Cambridge Street and Grosvenor Street being three of these. Over the next fifty years residential development spread southwards as far as High Street. The very few remaining dwellings of that period include Waterloo Place, 323, 325, 327 and 333 Oxford Road, and Grove House (316–324).
In 1861 the Turnpike Trust was threatened with abolition but survived by offering to build Palatine Road from Withington to West Didsbury. All turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were abolished in 1881. Until some time in the 1880s the parts which are now known as Oxford Road and Oxford Street were all Oxford Street (as far south as High Street, the old name of Hathersage Road). The present street and road with different series of house numbers were introduced so that Oxford Street ended at the old township border of the River Medlock. The Chorlton on Medlock section became Oxford Road and from Rusholme onwards was still Wilmslow Road.
. Other buses along sections of route are provided by companies including Arriva
, Bullocks Coaches
and First Manchester
. The number of competing companies has reduced in recent years, as since bus deregulation
in 1986 it had been common for four or five different operators to run services along the length of the route at any one time.
The bus corridor is popular with passengers for its frequent bus services, relatively low fares, and services that run at almost any hour of the day. Other factors responsible for the high patronage include the high density of students and the notable public facilities that can be found along the route. Wilmslow Road is designated a Quality Bus Corridor by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
.
Sorted from north to south, although there is some overlap.
, placing Oxford Road railway station closer to Oxford Street. Oxford Road changes to Wilmslow Road at the junction with Hathersage Road. At the Parrs Wood end, Wilmslow Road crosses Cheadle Bridge over the River Mersey
to become Manchester Road, Cheadle
.
Oxford Street and a section of Oxford Road together form part of the A34. The B5117 comprises the rest of Oxford Road and part of Wilmslow Road. Wilmslow Road also contains part of the A6010
, the whole of the B5093, part of the A5145
and the whole of the B5095. Despite these various names, the road can be considered as a continuous thoroughfare. A different Wilmslow Road exists in Cheadle, which is also part of the Manchester to Oxford route.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
in 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...
, England, running from Parrs Wood
Parrs Wood
Parrs Wood is an area of East Didsbury, in the southern part of the city of Manchester, England. It incorporates part of Wilmslow Road and is home to Parrs Wood High School and Sixth Form Centre, a Tesco supermarket, and Parrs Wood Entertainment Centre. Whilst there are some distinct features to...
north into 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...
. Its name changes to Oxford Road at Whitworth Park
Whitworth Park
See also Darley Dale and Whitworth Park Halls of ResidenceWhitworth Park is a public park in south Manchester, United Kingdom. The Whitworth Art Gallery and some of the University of Manchester student residences, popularly known as "Toblerones", are located there...
, north of Rusholme
Rusholme
-Etymology:Rusholme, unlike other areas of Manchester which have '-holme' in the place name is not a true '-holme'. Its name came from ryscum, which is the dative plural of Old English rysc "rush": "[at the] rushes"...
, and changes again to Oxford Street, when it reaches the city centre.
The road runs through the centres of Didsbury
Didsbury
Didsbury is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre, in the southern half of the Greater Manchester Urban Area...
, Withington
Withington
Withington is a suburban area of the City of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies south of Manchester city centre, about south of Fallowfield, north-east of Didsbury, and east of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, near the centre-to-south edges of the Greater Manchester Urban Area; in the...
, Fallowfield
Fallowfield
Ladybarn is the part of Fallowfield to the south-east. Chancellors Hotel & Conference Centre is used by the University of Manchester: it was built by Edward Walters for Sir Joseph Whitworth, as were the Firs Botanical Grounds.-Religion:...
and Rusholme
Rusholme
-Etymology:Rusholme, unlike other areas of Manchester which have '-holme' in the place name is not a true '-holme'. Its name came from ryscum, which is the dative plural of Old English rysc "rush": "[at the] rushes"...
. It is a popular bus corridor which crosses the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
campus and the All Saints campus of the Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
. A number of hospitals are also to be found near the route.
History
Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road and Oxford Street are part of an 18th-century route from Manchester to OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, which can be traced on modern maps by locating roads which are called (or used to be called) the A34. New designations for this old route, including A3400 and A44, were assigned when motorways and bypasses took the A34 away from its original route. The route goes via 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...
, Wilmslow
Wilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
, Congleton
Congleton
Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Dane, to the west of the Macclesfield Canal and 21 miles south of Manchester. It has a population of 25,750.-History:The first settlements in...
, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
, Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, 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...
, Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, and Woodstock
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
.
In 1753 the Manchester and Wilmslow Turnpike Trust was created by Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
An Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom is a type of legislation called primary legislation. These Acts are passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, or by the Scottish Parliament at Edinburgh....
, with powers to build, maintain, and improve the most northerly stretch of the Manchester to Oxford route, funded by the collection of tolls
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
. In 1755 the Trust built the first stone bridge over the 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....
. This collapsed in 1756 and was rebuilt in 1758. The bridge was replaced in 1780 and again in 1861.
The improved transport links spurred the development of villages such as Rusholme and Withington along the route. These villages eventually merged
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
and became part of 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...
. Chorlton-on-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, the northern border of Chorlton-on-Medlock is the River Medlock which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre. Its other borders roughly correspond to Stockport Road, Hathersage Road, Moss...
, the district nearest the town centre, was developed as a residential suburb in 1793–94 by the three landowners. Most of the important streets were given impressive names, Oxford Street, Cambridge Street and Grosvenor Street being three of these. Over the next fifty years residential development spread southwards as far as High Street. The very few remaining dwellings of that period include Waterloo Place, 323, 325, 327 and 333 Oxford Road, and Grove House (316–324).
In 1861 the Turnpike Trust was threatened with abolition but survived by offering to build Palatine Road from Withington to West Didsbury. All turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were abolished in 1881. Until some time in the 1880s the parts which are now known as Oxford Road and Oxford Street were all Oxford Street (as far south as High Street, the old name of Hathersage Road). The present street and road with different series of house numbers were introduced so that Oxford Street ended at the old township border of the River Medlock. The Chorlton on Medlock section became Oxford Road and from Rusholme onwards was still Wilmslow Road.
Bus corridor
Wilmslow Road is reputed to be the busiest bus corridor in Europe. Several bus companies operate services along all or part of the corridor, competing for the large numbers of passengers who use the route. The main operators are Stagecoach Manchester (along with their low cost brand Magic Bus) and FinglandsEast Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services is a large bus and coach operator which operates throughout Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast and the North York Moors. In and around Scarborough, EYMS operates as Scarborough & District Motor Services...
. Other buses along sections of route are provided by companies including Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
, Bullocks Coaches
Bullocks Coaches
Bullocks Coaches is a Stockport bus company that formerly ran a popular service between Piccadilly Gardens and Woodford seven days a week. They are named after Ralph Bullock, a local entrepreneur, and founder of the business...
and First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
. The number of competing companies has reduced in recent years, as since bus deregulation
Bus deregulation
Bus deregulation in Great Britain came into force on 26 October 1986, as part of the Transport Act 1985.The 'Buses' White Paper was the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the United Kingdom except for Northern Ireland and...
in 1986 it had been common for four or five different operators to run services along the length of the route at any one time.
The bus corridor is popular with passengers for its frequent bus services, relatively low fares, and services that run at almost any hour of the day. Other factors responsible for the high patronage include the high density of students and the notable public facilities that can be found along the route. Wilmslow Road is designated a Quality Bus Corridor by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
Transport for Greater Manchester is the public body responsible for co-ordinating public transport services throughout Greater Manchester, in North West England. The organisation traces its origins to the Transport Act 1968, when the SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive was established to...
.
Landmarks
- The neoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
Manchester Central LibraryManchester Central LibraryManchester Central Library is a circular library south of the extended Town Hall in Manchester, England. It acts as the headquarters of the Manchester Library & Information Service, which also consists of 22 other community libraries.Designed by E...
stands on St Peter's Square at the beginning of Oxford Street - The Odeon Cinema (derelict), originally the Paramount, 1931, in its later period converted to a multi-screen cinema. It once had a fine theatre organ.
- The Tootal, Broadhurst and Lee Building, ManchesterTootal, Broadhurst and Lee Building, ManchesterThe Tootal, Broadhurst and Lee Building at No. 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, England is a late Victorian warehouse and office block built in an Edwardian Baroque style for a firm of textile manufacturers. It was designed by J. Sankey Gibbons and constructed between 1896 and 1898...
(now Churchgate House) - The red brick and terracottaArchitectural terracottaTerracotta, in its unglazed form, became fashionable as an architectural ceramic construction material in England in the 1860s, and in the United States in the 1870s. It was generally used to supplement brick and tiles of similar colour in late Victorian buildings.It had been used before this in...
Refuge Assurance BuildingRefuge Assurance BuildingThe Refuge Assurance Building, now the Palace Hotel or Refuge Building, stands at the corner of Oxford Street and Whitworth Street in Manchester, England....
has a 217 foot tower and now houses the Palace Hotel. - New Broadcasting HouseNew Broadcasting HouseNew Broadcasting House is the home of the BBC on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre. The studios house BBC Manchester, BBC North, BBC North West, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Religion and Ethics department...
is the regional headquarters of the BBC in the North West of EnglandBBC North WestBBC North West is the BBC English Region serving Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Walsden in West Yorkshire, the Isle of Man , north-west Derbyshire, the Yorkshire Dales including Settle and Ribblesdale, and southern Cumbria.BBC North West television output is also broadcast in...
. - The All Saints Campus of Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
, the fourth largest university in the United Kingdom.- MMUnionMMUnionMMUnion is the students' union of Manchester Metropolitan University, an institution of higher education and research in North West England. Named Manchester Metropolitan Students' Union , until July 2005; and Manchester Polytechnic Students' Union before the institution gained its university...
, the students Union for Manchester Metropolitan University
- MMUnion
- The Royal Northern College of MusicRoyal Northern College of MusicThe Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...
has a further 696 students. - The University of ManchesterUniversity of ManchesterThe University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
is the largest "single-site" university in the United Kingdom with over 40,000 students. It includes the neogothicGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
Manchester MuseumManchester MuseumThe Manchester Museum is owned by the University of Manchester. Sited on Oxford Road at the heart of the university's group of neo-Gothic buildings, it provides access to about six million items from every continent and serves both as a resource for academic research and teaching and as a regional...
. - Manchester Royal InfirmaryManchester Royal InfirmaryThe Manchester Royal Infirmary is a hospital in Manchester, England which was founded by Charles White in 1752 as a cottage hospital capable of caring for twelve patients. Manchester Royal Infirmary is part of a larger NHS Trust incorporating several hospitals called Central Manchester University...
is the chief site for Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust. - The Whitworth Art GalleryWhitworth Art GalleryThe Whitworth Art Gallery is an art gallery in Manchester, England, containing about 55,000 items in its collection. The museum is located south of the Manchester University campus, in Whitworth Park....
north of Whitworth ParkWhitworth ParkSee also Darley Dale and Whitworth Park Halls of ResidenceWhitworth Park is a public park in south Manchester, United Kingdom. The Whitworth Art Gallery and some of the University of Manchester student residences, popularly known as "Toblerones", are located there...
. - The Curry MileCurry MileThe Curry Mile is a nickname for the part of Wilmslow Road running through the centre of Rusholme in south Manchester, England. The name is earned from the large number of restaurants, take-aways and kebab houses specialising in the cuisines of South Asia and the Middle East, thought to be the...
is the stretch of Wilmslow Road in central Rusholme: it boasts at least 50 restaurants, take-aways and kebabKebabKebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
houses specialising in the cuisines of South AsiaSouth AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. - Fallowfield CampusFallowfield CampusThe Fallowfield Campus is the main residential campus of the University of Manchester. It is located in Fallowfield, Manchester, 2 miles south of the main university site, to which it is connected by Wilmslow Road and the A34.-History:...
is the main residential campus of the University of Manchester.- Owens ParkOwens ParkOwens Park is a large hall of residence which is located in the Fallowfield district of the city of Manchester, England. The hall is owned by the University of Manchester and houses 1,056 students....
is a large hall of residence housing 1,056 students.
- Owens Park
- Withington Public Library
- The Christie HospitalChristie HospitalThe Christie NHS Foundation Trust is located in Withington, Manchester, and is one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe. The Christie became a NHS Foundation Trust in April 2007 and is also an international leader in cancer research and development, and home to the Paterson Institute...
is one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe. - The Didsbury Campus of the Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
. - Parrs Wood High School is the fourth largest secondary schoolSecondary schoolSecondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in the UK with 2,480 pupils.
Boundaries and designations
Oxford Road and Oxford Street are a continuation of Wilmslow Road into the centre of Manchester. Oxford Street begins at St. Peter's Square. The name changes from Oxford Street to Oxford Road as the road crosses the River MedlockRiver Medlock
The River Medlock is a river of Greater Manchester in North West England. It rises near Oldham and flows, south and west, for ten miles to join the River Irwell in the extreme southwest of Manchester city centre.-Source:...
, placing Oxford Road railway station closer to Oxford Street. Oxford Road changes to Wilmslow Road at the junction with Hathersage Road. At the Parrs Wood end, Wilmslow Road crosses Cheadle Bridge over 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....
to become Manchester Road, 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...
.
Oxford Street and a section of Oxford Road together form part of the A34. The B5117 comprises the rest of Oxford Road and part of Wilmslow Road. Wilmslow Road also contains part of the A6010
A roads in Zone 6 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
List of A roads in zone 6 in Great Britain starting east of the A6 and A7 roads and west of the A1 .-Single- and double-digit roads:-Triple-digit roads:-Four-digit roads :-Four-digit roads :...
, the whole of the B5093, part of the A5145
A roads in Zone 5 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
List of A roads in zone 5 in Great Britain starting north/east of the A5, west of the A6, south of the Solway Firth/Eden Estuary .-Single- and double-digit roads:-Three-digit roads:-Four-digit roads :...
and the whole of the B5095. Despite these various names, the road can be considered as a continuous thoroughfare. A different Wilmslow Road exists in Cheadle, which is also part of the Manchester to Oxford route.