Sale, Greater Manchester

Sale is a large town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, it is located on the south bank of the River Mersey. Evidence of Stone Age, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon activity has previously been discovered locally. In 2011, the town had a population of 134,122, making it one of the largest commuter towns in the UK.

About Sale, Greater Manchester in brief

Summary Sale, Greater ManchesterSale is a large town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, it is located on the south bank of the River Mersey, 1. 9 miles south of Stretford, 2. 5 miles northeast of Altrincham, and 5. 2 miles southwest of Manchester. Evidence of Stone Age, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon activity has previously been discovered locally. The Bridgewater Canal reached the town in 1765, stimulating Sale’s urbanisation. The arrival of the railway in 1849 triggered Sale’s growth as a commuter town for Manchester, leading to an influx of middle class residents. By the end of the 19th century the town’s population had more than tripled. In 2011, the town had a population of 134,122, making it one of the largest commuter towns in the UK. Sale was once a rural township, linked ecclesiastically with neighbouring Ashton upon Mersey. In the Middle Ages, Sale had a cottage industry manufacturing garthweb, the woven material from which horses’ saddle girths were made. In 1745, Crossford Bridge, which dated back at least 13 years, was torn down to slow the advance of Jacobite forces during the Jacobite rising. The main Jacobite army later marched south through Cheadle Stockport and Stockport instead of Sale. Sale Old Hall was built in about 1603 for James Massey, probably to replace a medieval manor house, and was one of first buildings in northwest England to be made of brick.

It was rebuilt in 1840 and demolished in 1920, but two buildings in its grounds have survived: its dovecote, now in Walkden Gardens, and its lodge, the latter now occupied by Sale Golf Club. The Old English salh, from which \”Sale\” is derived, means ‘at the sallow tree’ and Ashton uponMersey means “village or farm near the ash trees’. Sale lies along the line of the Roman road which runs between the fortresses at Chester and York, via the fort at Manchester ; the present-day A56 follows the route of the road through the town. After the Roman departure from Britain in the early-5th century, Britain was invaded by the Anglo- Saxons. Some local field and road names, and the name of Sale itself, are Anglo/Saxon in origin, which indicates the town was founded in the 7th or 8th centuries. The first recorded occurrences of Sale and Ashton on Mersey are in 1199–1216 and 1260 respectively. The settlements were referred to as townships rather than manors, which suggests further evidence of Anglo- saxon origins as townsships were developed by the Saxons, which may be because only a partial survey was taken. The increase in population led to the granting of a charter in 1935, giving Sale honorific borough status. The town is supported by its proximity to the M60 motorway and the Manchester Metrolink network.