Stretford is a small town found in Trafford, Greater Manchester. It is located about 4 miles outside of Manchester City Centre, and three miles from Salford. It is perhaps best-known around the world for being home to Manchester United Football Club, arguably the most-supported football team in the world.
The Rise of Stretford
While the area where Stretford is located has been inhabited since 2000BC, it was never really a large or particularly important area until the mid-19th Century. At this time, it became a fashionable place to live for Victorians, with a plethora of gardens and art exhibitions being showcased in the area.
It was the end of the 19th Century that Stretford started to develop into the town that it is today. In 1894, the Manchester Ship Canal opened up. This gave rise to Trafford Industrial Estate. This was the first planned industrial estate in the world and it absolutely catapulted the growth of the area. In fact, in just 10 years, the population of Stretford exploded by 40%. At one point, this single industrial estate provided jobs for 75,000 people. While it is no longer that high, it is still a major source of employment with 45,000 people being employed at Trafford Industrial Estate. This figure is actually higher than the population of Stretford.
Owing to Stretford being a town of industry, it was called upon to assist during World War II. It produced many of the Roll-Royce engines used in the Spitfire and Lancaster aircraft. It should probably come as no surprise that this meant that Stretford was often the target of bombing runs. Many of the children of Stretford, and Manchester as a whole, were evacuated from the area for their protection.
Longford Cinema
One of the most striking buildings in Stretford is Longford Cinema, although it was not necessarily loved by the residents of the town when it was built in 1936. It has been designed in Art Deco style, with the facade intended to look like a cash register. It has since closed down, although there are plans on the table to turn this building into amenities for the local university.
Longford Cinema closing down means that there is little to do of an evening in Stretford, with most people needing to head into Manchester. There are no restaurants beyond pubs.
Housing
The variety of housing is not great, with most houses having roofs of slate or tile.
Great Stone
This is one landmark which nobody is quite sure where it came from. It is simply a stone. There are several theories floated about the Great Stone. Some people claim that it was used during the Great Plague for people to deposit coins. It is said that depositing coins in the stone would help quell the spread of the disease. Others believe that it is a marker placed by the Romans. Others (certainly not the majority), believe that if the stone is ever moved, the world will end. That didn’t stop somebody moving it in the 19th Century and in 1925, though. The world did not end either time.
Sports
One of the biggest and most successful teams in the world, Manchester United, calls Stretford their home. They play at Old Trafford. Lancashire Cricket Club also play at Old Trafford, although it is a completely different stadium (for added confusion, they have named one of their stands the same as the Manchester United Counterpart). There are plans to replace this cricket ground with a new one. The new home for Lancashire Cricket Club will boast a cricket field, a hotel, leisure facilities, and shops.
The sporting history of Stretford does not end here, though. Stretford Stadium can also be found in the area. It is here that one of the best athletic clubs in the United Kingdom competes. Over 100 Olympians got their start at this athletics club.