Altrincham

History

Local evidence of prehistoric human activity exists in the form of two Neolithic arrowheads found in Altrincham and, further afield, a concentration of artefacts around Dunham. The remains of a Roman road, part of one of the major Roman roads in North West England connecting the legionary fortresses of Chester (Deva Victrix) and York (Eboracum), run through the Broadheath area. As it shows signs of having been repaired, the road was in use for a considerable period of time. The town's name first appears as Aldringeham, probably meaning "homestead of Aldhere's people". As recently as the 19th century, it was spelt both Altrincham and Altringham. Until the Normans invaded England, the manors surrounding Altrincham were owned by the Saxon thegn Alweard; after the invasion they became the property of Hamon de Massey, though Altrincham is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The earliest documented reference to the town is from 1290, when it was granted its charter as a 'free borough' by Baron Hamon de Massey V. The charter, which still exists and is held by Trafford Council, allowed a weekly market to be held, and it is possible that de Massey established the town to generate income through taxes on trade and tolls. Altrincham was probably chosen as the site of the planned town rather than Dunham, which would have been protected by Dunham Castle, because its good access to roads was important for trade. Altrincham Fair became St James's Fair, or Samjam, in 1319 and continued until 1895. Fair days had their own court of Pye Powder (a corruption of the French for "dusty feet"), presided over by the mayor and held to settle disputes arising from the day's dealings. By 1348, the town had 120 burgage plots (ownership of land used as a measure of status and importance…

Geography

Altrincham lies on the south-western edge of the Greater Manchester Urban Area, immediately south of Sale and south-west of Manchester city centre. It lies in the north-west corner of the Cheshire Plain, just south of the River Mersey. The Bridgewater Canal passes through the Broadheath area of the town. Altrincham's drinking water is supplied by United Utilities. The local bedrock consists mainly of Keuper Waterstone, a type of sandstone, and water retrieved from those rocks is very hard and often saline, making it undrinkable. The town's climate is generally temperate, with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean temperature is slightly above average for the United Kingdom, whereas both annual rainfall and average hours of sunshine are slightly below the average for the UK. Along with Sale, Stretford and Urmston, Altrincham is one of the four major urban areas in Trafford. The Altrincham area, as defined by Trafford Council, comprises the south of Trafford. In addition to the town of Altrincham, it includes the villages of Timperley, Bowdon, Hale and Hale Barns. The Broadheath area of the town was a light industrial centre until the 1970s and is now a retail park. The most densely populated part of the town is around the town centre, with the less populated areas and more green space further from the centre of town in villages such as Bowdon and Hale. The Oldfield Brow area lies on the outskirts of the town beside the Bridgewater Canal and close to Dunham Massey.

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  24,932
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  22,831
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  22,167
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  21,598
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  21,062
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  20,609
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  17,601
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  17,456

Most recent

• M 3.4 — 2025-12-03
  0 km ESE of Carnforth, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2023-06-28
  2 km SE of Cheadle, United Kingdom
• M 3.6 — 2022-05-30
  2 km ESE of Prees, United Kingdom
• M 3.2 — 2022-02-21
  5 km N of Hockley, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2014-10-28
  2 km NNE of Hucknall, United Kingdom
• M 3.2 — 2013-08-25
  23 km W of Cleveleys, United Kingdom