Altrincham in Greater Manchester - A Great Place To Live

Altrincham is a town in the Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester with a population of around forty thousand. Home to Altrincham Football Club and Manchester Phoenic Ice Hocket Club it is a commuter town with great transport links.

Altrincham (or Altringham) became a market town in 1290, when most communities were still firmly rooted in agricultural life. The Bridgewater Canal was built in 1765, and this boosted the local economy, as did the arrival of the railway like in the nineteenth century. As Altrincham grew, it swallowed up some surrounding villages. It is an affluent town populated with many commuters thanks to good transport links. Though the local economy has changed, the Old Market Place is a conservation area.

Situated in the South West of Greater Manchester, Altrincham is close to the Cheshire Plain and the River Mersey. The Bridgewayer Canal passes through Broadheath, and the drinking water is supplied from the Lake District.

Altrincham, Sale, Stretford and Urmston are the four major urban areas in Trafford, but there are also quieter areas with more green space on the outskirts of Altrincham like Hale and Bowdon.

Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council are investing in the town centre, redeveloping the Stamford Shopping Centre. Another development is a sports centre, housing the Manchester Phoenic ice hockey club with a 3, 000 seat capacity, hotel, restaurants, shops flats and office space.

On the outskirts of Altrincham you can find Dunham Massey Hall, built in the 18th century. The hall is early Georgian architecture, with stables and a carriage house, earning it Grade I listed status.The grounds are now owned by the National Trust who are using it is a deer park.

Stamford Park is also a local attraction, and is a sixteen acre park opened in 1880, with areas for cricket and football, maintained by Trafford Council. They plan to build a skate park at some point in the future.

Altrincham is also home to two theatres - Altrincham Garrick Plathouse and the Club Theatre. The former was formed in 1913 and premiered Psycho in 1982. Thanks to lotteryy grants it has been redeveloped and refurbished. The Club Theatre was established in 1896 under the name of St Margaret's Church Institute of Amateur Dramatics. The Trafford Youth Theatre performs there every year.

Altrincham didn't have its own church until late in the eighteenth century, but there are now five Grade II listed churches in the area - Christ Church, the Church of St Alban, the Church of St George, the Church of St John the Evangelist and the Trinity United Reformed Church, all of which have been listed buildings since 1985.

Jack D Richardson writes on a number of subjects including WA15 Homes for Sale, WA15 Houses for sale and WA14 Houses to buy.