Woodford, Greater Manchester
Encyclopedia
Woodford is a suburb
an village at the southern extent of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
, in Greater Manchester
, England. It lies 5.2 miles (8.4 km) south of Stockport
, 5.7 miles (9.2 km) north-northwest of Macclesfield
, and 10.7 miles (17.2 km) south-southeast of Manchester
. Woodford, the most southerly point of Greater Manchester, broadly consists of a ribbon of properties concentrated along the A5102 road, around which is open countryside.
Historically
a part of Cheshire
, Woodford throughout the Middle Ages was a hamlet
within the parish of Prestbury
. It was incorporated into the Urban District of Hazel Grove and Bramhall
in 1939 and then the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in 1974. Woodford Aerodrome opened in 1924 for Avro
, and produced aircraft such as the Avro Lancaster
, used in World War II
. It is now owned by BAE Systems
—a major employer in the area—and has a Met Office
weather station used for regional weather forecasting
.
Woodford has attracted residents such as George Best
and Cristiano Ronaldo
. Its comparatively large and expensive properties include New Hall
, a 17th century cottage and one of the Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester.
of Stockport. Land was cleared and improved for agriculture in the late 13th century and a cornmill existed by 1296. The barony shrank during the 14th century, and in 1355 land at Woodford was granted to the Davenport family
. At this time Woodford was a hamlet on the edge of the Macclesfield Forest
.
The Davenports are known to have extended the old hall at least once, and built the New Hall
in the early 17th century. The exact building date is unknown, a lintel is inscribed '1630', but the building may have existed a few years earlier. The hall is the earliest surviving brick building in the area. The Davenports left the area for the considerably grander Capesthorne
in the early 18th century, following a marriage described by Arrowsmith as "fortuitous".
marks the post-1974 county boundary between Cheshire and Greater Manchester. The A5102, Wilmslow Road, crosses the river at the Deanwater bridge. It was at the crossing that James Andrew of Compstall Bridge
built the Dane Water calico printing mill in 1837, possibly on the site of an earlier calico printing mill. Deanwater House was built as the manager's house. The mill closed in 1848. It was bought and resold to the Davenports on the conditions that it was demolished. It was a sizeable concern employing 172 people, of which half lived in the parish of Woodford. It was driven by water with a supplementary 25 hp steam engine. It burnt down in 1851.
James Andrew built up to 40 cottages for his workforce on King Street, and showed in interest in the building of the parish church of Christ Church. Christ Church was built in 1841 but not consecrated until 29 July 1872. The Methodist Chapel, Dean Row, on the other bank of the River Dean was opened in 1839. There was a Baptist chapel in Woodford.
A school was built in 1847 at the instigation of the Bromley-Davenport
family. It was a junior school. The senior school, for the few who went, was in Wilmslow. The population of Woodford in 1848 was 564.
Deanwater house continued to have textile connections. Robert Platt was living at Deanwater in 1851. He was a cotton spinner from Stalybridge
, who used to host annual parties for his 900 operatives and families, laying on a special train to bring them. Robert Platt moved to Dunham Massey Hall. James Butler Kelly lived in Deanwater around 1881. He had been born in Wakefield, Yorkshire and was the Bishop of Newfoundland. Then in 1891, Charles Edmondson, an engraver, and his family were the occupants of Deanwater. This calico printer had a wife and four children and employed four servants. Deanwater is now a hotel.
during late 1924 following their eviction from Alexandra Park in Manchester. The first recorded air display was in 1925. Avro became a part of the Hawker Siddeley Group in the mid-1930s, and several new buildings were erected prior to the start of the Second World War. The major project during the mid 1930s to early wartime was the building of many thousands of twin-engined Avro Anson
s for use as patrol aircraft, trainers and light transports.
The early part of the war saw a production run of 200 Avro Manchester
bombers. The unreliability of their twin Rolls Royce Vulture engines prompted the development of the Avro Lancaster
, powered by four Rolls Royce Merlins. Over 4000 Lancasters were assembled at the plant and these formed the backbone of RAF Bomber Command
.
The Lancasters were followed by Lincoln
bombers and then from 1949 the Shackleton
maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The delta-winged Vulcan
four-jet nuclear bomber rolled from the Woodford factory between the mid 1950s and early 1960s. Vulcan B2 XM603 is preserved at the airfield for static show purposes. From 1960 onwards, a series of civil airliners was built at Woodford, starting with the HS 748, then the BAe ATP, followed by the BAe 146
jet airliner. In the 2000s the Nimrod reconnaissance plane has been assembled at the plant.
From 1968 to 2000 an annual air show was held at the Aerodrome, organised by the Royal Air Forces Association
. Now, as part of BAE Systems Regional Aircraft
, the airfield is the site of the company's Customer Training and Engineering department.
In 1989, 3000 people were employed on the site. On 3 April 2008 BAE Systems announced it would be losing 134 jobs from the Woodford site. On 15 September 2009 BAE announced that the site would close in 2012, with the loss of the final 630 jobs.
. It was in the Prestbury
ecclesiastical parish and, later, in the Poor Law Union
of Macclesfield
. By the Early Modern period
, Woodford constituted a township
, which in 1939 became part of the Urban District
of Hazel Grove and Bramhall
. The urban district was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972
in 1974; Woodford became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
, a local government district of the metropolitan county
of Greater Manchester
.
where the millstone grits and coal measures
of the Carboniferous
period, made a 200 metres (656.2 ft) downfall, to be covered with glacial tills. The soils of Woodford consist of clay
. It is close to the South Pennines
and the Peak District
. Forming the most southern point of Greater Manchester, the River Dean
marks the border with Cheshire
. To Woodford's north and northwest are the M60
and M56 motorway
s, providing road links to the rest of North West England
.
Woodford's Met Office
weather station recorded a temperature of -17.6 C on 8 January 2010, during the Winter of 2009-2010 in the United Kingdom.
to Prestbury. It is built of brick with stone used only for windows and other architectural features.
A district chapelry was assigned to the church in 1873 which meant that Christ Church became a separate parish.
(Queensgate Primary and Bramhall High School
). Additionally, a private school was run on Chester Road until it was closed in 2002.
and Poynton
. However, there are bus links provided to Bramhall, Stockport and Manchester, from a terminus situated next to the Davenport Arms public house. A regular service numbered X57 runs to Manchester every 30 minutes via Bramhall, Cheadle, and Didsbury, and two journeys on service 390 run from Bramhall to Stockport via Woodford, Poynton, Hazel Grove and Offerton. A school service numbered 877 also runs to Bramhall High School
from Grove Lane in Cheadle Hulme, via Woodford. All bus services in Woodford are provided by Stagecoach Manchester.
, and George Best
, both former wingers for Manchester United F.C.
.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an village at the southern extent of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
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...
, 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. It lies 5.2 miles (8.4 km) south of Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground 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...
, 5.7 miles (9.2 km) north-northwest of Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
, and 10.7 miles (17.2 km) south-southeast 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...
. Woodford, the most southerly point of Greater Manchester, broadly consists of a ribbon of properties concentrated along the A5102 road, around which is open countryside.
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 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...
, Woodford throughout the Middle Ages was a 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 parish of Prestbury
Prestbury, Cheshire
Prestbury is a village, civil parish and ecclesiastical parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Prestbury is a long, narrow parish covering 1,165 hectares to the west of the Peak Park foothills and to the east of the sandstone ridge which is...
. It was incorporated into the Urban District of Hazel Grove and Bramhall
Hazel Grove and Bramhall
Hazel Grove and Bramhall was a civil parish and urban district in north east Cheshire, England from 1900 to 1974.It was created in 1900 covering, from Stockport Rural District, the former area of the civil parishes of:*Bosden*Bramhall*Norbury*Offerton...
in 1939 and then the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in 1974. Woodford Aerodrome opened in 1924 for Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
, and produced aircraft such as the Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
, used in 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...
. It is now owned by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
—a major employer in the area—and has a Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
weather station used for regional weather forecasting
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
.
Woodford has attracted residents such as George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
. Its comparatively large and expensive properties include New Hall
New Hall, Woodford
New Hall is a 17th century cottage in Woodford, in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Above the door, there is a Tudor-arched lintel with the date '1630' along with the initials 'WDED' and the family shield. The same Davenport family owned Bramall Hall in...
, a 17th century cottage and one of the Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester.
History
In 1248 the manor of Woodford was one of several in the BaronyBarony (administrative division)
Tenure by barony was the higher feudal tenure of a lord who had subordinate knights. Originally, a barony was the land subject to a baron and could, in England after the Norman Conquest, consist of estates scattered throughout the country or in several regions (Not to be confused with...
of Stockport. Land was cleared and improved for agriculture in the late 13th century and a cornmill existed by 1296. The barony shrank during the 14th century, and in 1355 land at Woodford was granted to the Davenport family
Bromley-Davenport
The Davenport family is first recorded in pipe rolls dating before 1254. Roger de Davenport, Lord of Davenport held the hereditary office of Master Serjeant of the Peace for Macclesfield, Cheshire, England in the 1250s. Their residence was at Woodford and then at Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfield,...
. At this time Woodford was a hamlet on the edge of the Macclesfield Forest
Macclesfield Forest
Macclesfield Forest is an area of woodland, predominantly conifer plantation, located around south east of Macclesfield in the civil parish of Macclesfield Forest and Wildboarclough, in Cheshire, England. The existing woodland is the last substantial remnant of the Royal Forest of Macclesfield, a...
.
The Davenports are known to have extended the old hall at least once, and built the New Hall
New Hall, Woodford
New Hall is a 17th century cottage in Woodford, in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England . Above the door, there is a Tudor-arched lintel with the date '1630' along with the initials 'WDED' and the family shield. The same Davenport family owned Bramall Hall in...
in the early 17th century. The exact building date is unknown, a lintel is inscribed '1630', but the building may have existed a few years earlier. The hall is the earliest surviving brick building in the area. The Davenports left the area for the considerably grander Capesthorne
Capesthorne Hall
Capesthorne Hall is a country house in Cheshire, England. The house and its surrounding wall have been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building....
in the early 18th century, following a marriage described by Arrowsmith as "fortuitous".
Dane Water Mill
The River DeanRiver Dean
The River Dean rises at Longclough in Macclesfield Forest on the western edge of the Peak District foothills above the village of Rainow in north east Cheshire, England.Together with a number of tributary streams it is impounded by the dam at Lamaload...
marks the post-1974 county boundary between Cheshire and Greater Manchester. The A5102, Wilmslow Road, crosses the river at the Deanwater bridge. It was at the crossing that James Andrew of Compstall Bridge
Compstall
Compstall is a suburban village within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England, between Marple Bridge and Romiley. It was formerly a mill village, built by George Andrew in the 1820s to house his 800 workers...
built the Dane Water calico printing mill in 1837, possibly on the site of an earlier calico printing mill. Deanwater House was built as the manager's house. The mill closed in 1848. It was bought and resold to the Davenports on the conditions that it was demolished. It was a sizeable concern employing 172 people, of which half lived in the parish of Woodford. It was driven by water with a supplementary 25 hp steam engine. It burnt down in 1851.
| Adults over 21 | Youngsters 13-18 | Children under 13 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 47 | 22 | 22 | 91 |
| Female | 29 | 35 | 17 | 81 |
| Total | 76 | 57 | 39 | 172 |
James Andrew built up to 40 cottages for his workforce on King Street, and showed in interest in the building of the parish church of Christ Church. Christ Church was built in 1841 but not consecrated until 29 July 1872. The Methodist Chapel, Dean Row, on the other bank of the River Dean was opened in 1839. There was a Baptist chapel in Woodford.
A school was built in 1847 at the instigation of the Bromley-Davenport
Bromley-Davenport
The Davenport family is first recorded in pipe rolls dating before 1254. Roger de Davenport, Lord of Davenport held the hereditary office of Master Serjeant of the Peace for Macclesfield, Cheshire, England in the 1250s. Their residence was at Woodford and then at Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfield,...
family. It was a junior school. The senior school, for the few who went, was in Wilmslow. The population of Woodford in 1848 was 564.
Deanwater house continued to have textile connections. Robert Platt was living at Deanwater in 1851. He was a cotton spinner from Stalybridge
Stalybridge
Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
, who used to host annual parties for his 900 operatives and families, laying on a special train to bring them. Robert Platt moved to Dunham Massey Hall. James Butler Kelly lived in Deanwater around 1881. He had been born in Wakefield, Yorkshire and was the Bishop of Newfoundland. Then in 1891, Charles Edmondson, an engraver, and his family were the occupants of Deanwater. This calico printer had a wife and four children and employed four servants. Deanwater is now a hotel.
Woodford Aerodrome
Woodford Aerodrome is a factory and large airfield south of the village. The airfield was created from farmland by AvroAvro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
during late 1924 following their eviction from Alexandra Park in Manchester. The first recorded air display was in 1925. Avro became a part of the Hawker Siddeley Group in the mid-1930s, and several new buildings were erected prior to the start of the Second World War. The major project during the mid 1930s to early wartime was the building of many thousands of twin-engined Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
s for use as patrol aircraft, trainers and light transports.
The early part of the war saw a production run of 200 Avro Manchester
Avro Manchester
|-See also:-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935–1950. Hickley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1857801798....
bombers. The unreliability of their twin Rolls Royce Vulture engines prompted the development of the Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
, powered by four Rolls Royce Merlins. Over 4000 Lancasters were assembled at the plant and these formed the backbone of RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
.
The Lancasters were followed by Lincoln
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II...
bombers and then from 1949 the Shackleton
Avro Shackleton
The Avro Shackleton was a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft for use by the Royal Air Force. It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber with a new fuselage...
maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The delta-winged Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
four-jet nuclear bomber rolled from the Woodford factory between the mid 1950s and early 1960s. Vulcan B2 XM603 is preserved at the airfield for static show purposes. From 1960 onwards, a series of civil airliners was built at Woodford, starting with the HS 748, then the BAe ATP, followed by the BAe 146
BAe 146
The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
jet airliner. In the 2000s the Nimrod reconnaissance plane has been assembled at the plant.
From 1968 to 2000 an annual air show was held at the Aerodrome, organised by the Royal Air Forces Association
Royal Air Forces Association
The Royal Air Forces Association, more often known as RAF Association, or simply RAFA, is a UK based charitable organization which provides care and support to serving and retired members of the "Royal Air Forces" and their dependents.The organisation, which was formed in 1943, receives no funding...
. Now, as part of BAE Systems Regional Aircraft
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft
thumb|300px|An Avro RJ85. BAE Systems Regional Aircraft still leases a large number of these jets.BAE Systems Regional Aircraft produced the last fully UK-built airliner in November 2001, the Avro RJX...
, the airfield is the site of the company's Customer Training and Engineering department.
In 1989, 3000 people were employed on the site. On 3 April 2008 BAE Systems announced it would be losing 134 jobs from the Woodford site. On 15 September 2009 BAE announced that the site would close in 2012, with the loss of the final 630 jobs.
Governance
Woodford lies within the historic county boundaries of CheshireCheshire
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...
. It was in the Prestbury
Prestbury, Cheshire
Prestbury is a village, civil parish and ecclesiastical parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Prestbury is a long, narrow parish covering 1,165 hectares to the west of the Peak Park foothills and to the east of the sandstone ridge which is...
ecclesiastical parish and, later, in the 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...
of Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
. By the Early Modern period
Early Modern Britain
Early modern Britain is the history of the island of Great Britain, roughly corresponding to the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Major historical events in Early Modern British history include the English Renaissance, the English Reformation and Scottish Reformation, the English Civil War, the...
, Woodford constituted a 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...
, which in 1939 became part of the 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 Hazel Grove and Bramhall
Hazel Grove and Bramhall
Hazel Grove and Bramhall was a civil parish and urban district in north east Cheshire, England from 1900 to 1974.It was created in 1900 covering, from Stockport Rural District, the former area of the civil parishes of:*Bosden*Bramhall*Norbury*Offerton...
. The urban district was abolished by 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....
in 1974; Woodford became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport
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...
, a local government district 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
Woodford forms a semi-rural area of mostly ribbon developments. The village has an open level aspect to it, most of the village is between 90 metres (295.3 ft) and 95 metres (311.7 ft) above mean sea level. This is due to being 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west of the Red Rock Fault at PoyntonPoynton
Poynton is a town within the civil parish of Poynton-with-Worth, and the unitary authority area of Cheshire East, England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of the county of Cheshire. Poynton is located at the eastern most fringe of the Cheshire Plain, north of Macclesfield, south of Stockport...
where the millstone grits and 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...
of the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
period, made a 200 metres (656.2 ft) downfall, to be covered with glacial tills. The soils of Woodford consist of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. It is close to the South Pennines
South Pennines
South Pennines is a region of moorland and hill country in northern England lying towards the southern end of the Pennines. It is bounded to the west by the Forest of Rossendale and the Yorkshire Dales to the north...
and the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
. Forming the most southern point of Greater Manchester, the River Dean
River Dean
The River Dean rises at Longclough in Macclesfield Forest on the western edge of the Peak District foothills above the village of Rainow in north east Cheshire, England.Together with a number of tributary streams it is impounded by the dam at Lamaload...
marks the border with 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...
. To Woodford's north and northwest are the M60
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 M56 motorway
M56 motorway
The M56 Motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, is in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, England. It runs from Junction 4 of the M60 to Dunkirk, Cheshire and is in length. It is often busy with long-distance commuter traffic towards North Wales...
s, providing road links to the rest of North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
.
Woodford's Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
weather station recorded a temperature of -17.6 C on 8 January 2010, during the Winter of 2009-2010 in the United Kingdom.
Religion
Woodford Christ Church was completed in 1841 as a chapel of easeChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
to Prestbury. It is built of brick with stone used only for windows and other architectural features.
A district chapelry was assigned to the church in 1873 which meant that Christ Church became a separate parish.
Education
Woodford has no schools, the closest being in BramhallBramhall
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...
(Queensgate Primary and Bramhall High School
Bramhall High School
Bramhall High School is a comprehensive high school in Bramhall, Stockport, England.-Admissions:The school is a Science College and a Reed College of Enterprise. It is also a teacher training school in connection with Manchester Metropolitan University...
). Additionally, a private school was run on Chester Road until it was closed in 2002.
Transport
Woodford does not have its own railway station, with the nearest being BramhallBramhall railway station
Bramhall railway station serves the district of Bramhall in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The station is 16 km south of Manchester Piccadilly on the Stafford to Manchester Line, and was opened in 1845 by the London & North Western Railway.-Services:There...
and Poynton
Poynton railway station
Poynton railway station serves the town of Poynton in Cheshire, England.The station has listed building status because it was built in 1887.It has been adopted by Brookside Garden Centre who maintain the garden....
. However, there are bus links provided to Bramhall, Stockport and Manchester, from a terminus situated next to the Davenport Arms public house. A regular service numbered X57 runs to Manchester every 30 minutes via Bramhall, Cheadle, and Didsbury, and two journeys on service 390 run from Bramhall to Stockport via Woodford, Poynton, Hazel Grove and Offerton. A school service numbered 877 also runs to Bramhall High School
Bramhall High School
Bramhall High School is a comprehensive high school in Bramhall, Stockport, England.-Admissions:The school is a Science College and a Reed College of Enterprise. It is also a teacher training school in connection with Manchester Metropolitan University...
from Grove Lane in Cheadle Hulme, via Woodford. All bus services in Woodford are provided by Stagecoach Manchester.
Notable people
Woodford has been the place of residence for Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
, and George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
, both former wingers for Manchester United F.C.
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...
.