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Fallowfield is a suburb of Manchester, England, with a population at the 2011 census of 15,211.
Historically History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
in Lancashire, it lies south of Manchester city centre and is bisected east–west by Wilmslow Road and north–south by Wilbraham Road. The former
Fallowfield Loop railway line The Fallowfield Loop railway line was a local railway route in south Manchester, England. Trains on the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) line (later, the Great Central Railway line) from Sheffield Victoria and Guide Bridg ...
, now a shared use path, follows a route nearly parallel with the east–west main road (Moseley Road/Wilbraham Road). The area has a very large student population. The University of Manchester's main accommodation complex – the
Fallowfield Campus The Fallowfield Campus is the main residential campus of the University of Manchester. It is located in Fallowfield, Manchester, 2 miles (3 km) south of the main university site, to which it is connected by Wilmslow Road and the A34 road (En ...
 – occupies a large area in the north; these are adjacent to the university's Owens Park halls of residence and the
Firs Botanical Grounds Uttley House (formerly named The Firs), is a Grade II listed building and Halls of residence in Fallowfield, Manchester, England. It was designed and built in 1850 by Edward Walters, who was also responsible for Manchester’s Free Trade Hall. O ...
. In the north-west of the suburb is Platt Fields Park; this is formed from part of the land which once belonged to the Platts of Platt Hall.


History

The early medieval linear earthwork Nico Ditch passes through Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield and dates from the 8th or 9th century. Early Fallowfield was an ill-defined area north of Withington until the mid-19th century. The first mention of Fallowfield is in a deed of 1317 (as "Fallafeld"). During the 14th century at least part of the land in Fallowfield was held by Jordan de Fallafeld. In 1530 it was mentioned as "Falowfelde". Withington formed a sub-manor within the large Manor of Manchester. The Platt Estate in the north was first owned by the Platts and later by the Worsleys. The building of Wilbraham Road to connect Fallowfield with Edge Lane in Chorlton-cum-Hardy in 1869 enabled development west of the Wilmslow Road crossing. Some wealthy people (e.g. Joseph Whitworth, "The Firs", and the Behrens family, "The Oaks") built mansions in the area and in the early 20th century the university began to establish halls of residence (the earliest being
Ashburne Hall Ashburne Hall (to which Sheavyn House is an annex) is a University of Manchester hall of residence for students on the Fallowfield Campus, situated 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the main university campus (the Oxford Road Campus). The hall has ...
, 1910, in a house donated by the family of Behrens) which have since become very extensive. There was a second period of building houses by members of the prosperous middle class in the 1850s: these included Egerton Lodge, Norton House and Oak House, while the Manchester architect
Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known f ...
built Barcombe Cottage as his own home on Oak Drive. Under the Poor Law Fallowfield formed part of the Chorlton Poor Law Union (administered from Chorlton-on-Medlock). From 1876 to 1894 Fallowfield was included in the area of the Withington Local Board of Health which was replaced by the Withington Urban District Council in 1894. (In 1895 Rusholme and the northern part of Fallowfield were incorporated into the city of Manchester. In 1904 the whole of the
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
was absorbed into the city of Manchester, though until 1914 there was a separate Withington Committee of the Corporation and rates were lower than in the rest of the city. In 1891
Fallowfield railway station Fallowfield railway station is a disused station that is located on Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield, a southern suburb of Manchester, England. It was on the Fallowfield Loop railway line, a suburban railway which looped around the south of the cit ...
on the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway's line from Chorlton-cum-Hardy to Fairfield was opened. During the first half of the 20th century the Manchester Corporation tramway on Moseley and Wilbraham Roads provided access to other southern suburbs and via Princess Road to the city centre. In 1986 the UK's first drive-through McDonald's opened in Fallowfield. and more recently a Sainsbury's supermarket has been opened on the site of the railway station.


Governance

Following boundary changes in 2018, different parts of the Fallowfield ward (which does not coincide with the area popularly known as Fallowfield) are parts of
Manchester Gorton Manchester Gorton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Labour's Afzal Khan, who was elected at the 2017 general election. It is the safest Labour seat in Greater Manchester by numerical majority and ...
and Manchester Central parliamentary constituencies. ;Councillors Fallowfield ward is represented on
Manchester City Council Manchester City Council is the local authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. Manchester is the sixth largest city in England by population. Its city council is composed of 96 councillors, three ...
by three councillors, Ali Ilyas, Zahra Alijah and Jade Doswell of the Labour Party. Former Fallowfield Councillor Peter Morrison served as an Honorary Alderman for the city. indicates seat up for re-election. indicates seat won in by-election.


Geography

Ladybarn Ladybarn is a small suburban area in Manchester, England, around Ladybarn Lane. It is now part of Manchester's urban sprawl but some of the village's original cobbled streets remain. The oldest properties are probably Rose Cottages, dating from th ...
is the part of Fallowfield to the south-east. Chancellors Hotel & Conference Centre is used by the University of Manchester: it was built by Edward Walters for Sir Joseph Whitworth, as were the Firs Botanical Grounds.


Religion

Holy Innocents Church (
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
) stands on Wilbraham Road: the church was built in 1870–72 by the architects Price & Linklater using sandstone masonry. The style is Gothic revival and in 1983–84 the interior of the church was altered to designs by the Ellis Williams Partnership. The church was damaged by fire in 1954. The tower is at the south-east corner and is topped by an octagonal spire. The stained glass windows are mostly of the 1890s. After the closing of the nearby parish church of St James, Birch, in 1979 the two parishes were united under the name of the parish of Holy Innocents and St James. There is a student-friendly independent church meeting in the 256 bar next door (Ivy Fallowfield Church) and a Union Baptist Chapel not far away southwards. There is also a Seventh-day Adventist church in Wilbraham Road. Wilbraham Road is also the site of the stylistically eclectic and, for its time, structurally innovative former
South Manchester Synagogue The name South Manchester Synagogue refers to both an Orthodox Jewish community in south Manchester, England and to the buildings that it occupies. In 2002, the community relocated from synagogue buildings in the Fallowfield district of Mancheste ...
(1913–2003); the building has been converted to other uses. Platt Chapel on Wilmslow Road south of Grangethorpe Road was a family chapel of the Worsleys of Platt Hall built in 1699. The present building is a rebuilding of 1790 modified in 1874–75. The congregation began as Independents (Congregationalists) and became Unitarian during the early 19th century. Since it ceased to be used for worship in 1970 it has been used by various local societies. The graveyard, which used to be larger, is surrounded by Platt Fields Park.


Education

Lady Barn House School, an independent primary school, was founded in Fallowfield in 1873 by
William Henry Herford William Henry Herford (1820–1908) was an English Unitarian minister, writer and educator. He was interested in education and married a school head mistress, Louisa Carbutt. Early life Born at Coventry, 20 October 1820, he was fourth son in a fa ...
and took its name from the existing Ladybarn House which became its second home. In the 1950s, it moved to Cheadle. Other schools and colleges in Fallowfield are: * Holy Innocents Primary School (the former school buildings are next to the Holy Innocents Church and have been converted to other uses, they were built in 1882 to the designs of F. H. Oldham) * Manchester Grammar School, a notable independent school which moved to Old Hall Lane from the city centre * Moseley Road School (
Levenshulme High School Levenshulme High School for Girls, also known as Levenshulme High School, is a girls' secondary school with Academy (English school), academy status located in the Levenshulme area of Manchester, England. History The school was opened by the Kat ...
and Lower School) *
Princess Christian Princess Helena (Helena Augusta Victoria; 25 May 1846 – 9 June 1923), later Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Helena was educated by private tutors chosen ...
College (for the training of nannies) on Wilbraham Road *
Manchester High School for Girls Manchester High School for Girls is an English independent day school for girls and a member of the Girls School Association. It is situated in Fallowfield, Manchester. The head mistress is Helen Jeys who took up the position in September 2020 ...
on Grangethorpe Road * Hollings College (also known as the Toast Rack building) campus of the Manchester Metropolitan University at the junction of Old Hall Lane with Wilmslow Road. Hollings campus was closed down in 2013 and then sold.


Transport


Buses

Fallowfield has an excellent bus service along Wilmslow Road and other services connect it with Levenshulme and Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Sheffield and
Manchester Airport Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2019, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers and the busiest of those n ...
. Services are operated by Go North West, Hulleys of Baslow and Stagecoach Manchester. Local bus routes include: * CrossCity 41: Sale - Fallowfield - Hospitals - Manchester - Cheetham Hill - Middleton * 42/42A/42B/42C: Manchester - Stockport (some services extending to Reddish, Woodford and Handforth Dean) * 43: Manchester Airport - Wythenshawe - Manchester * 142: East Didsbury – The Christie – Fallowfield – Manchester Royal Infirmary – Manchester * 143: West Didsbury – Fallowfield – Rusholme – Manchester * Snake X57: Manchester Airport - Fallowfield - Manchester - Glossop - Sheffield


Railway

The nearest National Rail station is Mauldeth Road, on the Styal Line. Services connect
Manchester Airport Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2019, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers and the busiest of those n ...
and
Manchester Piccadilly Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. Opened as Store Street in 1842, it was renamed Manchester London Road in 1847 and became Manchester Piccadilly in 1960. Located to the south-east of Manchester city ...
with other locations in the North-West, including Liverpool and
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. Until 1958, Fallowfield had its own railway station, located on Wilmslow Road, which provided trains between Manchester Central Station and Fairfield and . The site is now occupied by a Sainsbury's supermarket and a block of flats; the station building itself serving as a Sainsbury's cafe. The railway line continued as a freight line until it was closed in 1988. After years of the line lying derelict, the old trackbed was repurposed around 2001 as a shared use path and, today, the Fallowfield Loop route runs from Fairfield station to
St Werburgh's Road Metrolink station St Werburgh's Road is a tram stop on the South Manchester Line (SML) and Airport Line of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. It was built as part of Phase 3a of the network's expansion and opened ...
. The route is run by Sustrans and forms part of Routes 6 and 60 of the National Cycle Network. File:Bus at Yew Tree Road, Fallowfield.jpg, Yew Tree Road, Fallowfield


Sport

The
1893 FA Cup Final The 1893 FA Cup Final was a football game contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton. Wolves won by a single goal, scored by Harry Allen. This was the only time the final was staged at Fallowfield Stadium. Although the official attenda ...
was played at
Fallowfield Stadium Fallowfield Stadium was an athletics stadium and velodrome in Fallowfield, Manchester, England. It opened in May 1892 as the home of Manchester Athletics Club after it was forced to move from its home next to Old Trafford Cricket Ground. Fallowfi ...
, in which Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Everton 1–0, with Harry Allen scoring the only goal of the game. The stadium also hosted the cycling events for the
1934 British Empire Games The 1934 British Empire Games were the second edition of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games, held in England, from 4–11 August 1934. The host city was London, with the main venue at Wembley Park, although the track cycling events wer ...
, the
Amateur Athletic Association The Amateur Athletic Association of England or AAA (pronounced 'three As') is the oldest national governing body for athletics in the world, having been established on 24 April 1880. Historically it effectively oversaw athletics throughout Britai ...
championships in 1897 and 1907 and two Northern Rugby Football Union (later Rugby Football League)
Challenge Cup The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
finals in 1899 and 1900. It was demolished in 1994, and the site is now Manchester University's Richmond Park Halls of Residence.


Musical associations

A TV broadcast called the Gospel and Blues Train featuring Muddy Waters,
Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her Gospel music, gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spir ...
,
Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and oc ...
and Brownie McGhee and other blues singers was recorded by Granada TV at
Wilbraham Road railway station Wilbraham Road railway station was in Whalley Range, Manchester, England, on the Fallowfield Loop line between and Fairfield, via Chorlton. Opened as Alexandra Park in 1892 by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, it was near t ...
on Thursday, 7 May 1964, after the station was closed to passenger traffic. Fallowfield was the subject of the penultimate track on Manchester band
the Courteeners Courteeners are an English band formed in Middleton in 2006 by Liam Fray (lead guitar/vocals), Michael Campbell (drums/backing vocals), Daniel "Conan" Moores (rhythm guitar) and Mark Cuppello (bass); the latter was replaced by the band's produc ...
debut album, ''St Jude'', entitled "Fallowfield Hillbilly". The Chemical Brothers met at the University of Manchester and played their first gig at 'The Bop', a popular student night that was located within the University of Manchester's Owens Park halls of residence. Garage vocal group Platnum who had hit singles "What’s It Gonna Be" and "Love Shy" reaching number 2 in the UK charts with the former. Platnum members Aaron Evers and Michelle Mckenna's families still reside in the suburb


Notable residents

* John Cassidy, sculptor, art lecturer. * Sir Edward Donner, entrepreneur and philanthropist *
Anthony "White Tony" Johnson Anthony James "White Tony" Johnson (22 July 1968 – 22 February 1991) was an English criminal, one-time member of the Cheetham Hill Gang in Manchester. He was gunned down in 1991 in the car park of the Penny Black pub, Cheetham Hill. Desmond N ...
, criminal, one-time head of the Cheetham Hill Gang. *Sir John Alcock KBE, DSC, who with Lieut. Sir Arthur Whitten Brown made the first non-stop aeroplane crossing of the Atlantic, lived on Kingswood Road. *Dr
Thomas Arthur Helme Dr Thomas Arthur Helme FRSE MRCS MRCP (1866 – 5 September 1921) was an English physician and obstetrician. He was noted for his work in social care and advancements in gynaecology. Life He was born in Preston the son of Margaret Waterhouse (18 ...
FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
served as a GP in the area * Alexander Maclaren, minister of the Union Chapel * Pat Phoenix, famous for her role as Elsie Tanner in ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...
'', was born in Fallowfield in 1923 * Shaun Ryder, musician and television personality, best known as a member of the Happy Mondays and Black Grape, lived in Fallowfield during the late 1980s * C. P. Scott, editor of the ''
Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' lived at ''The Firs'' * John Stopford, Baron Stopford of Fallowfield, anatomist and academic, Vice-Chancellor of the Victoria University of Manchester * Thomas Tout, medieval historian, Professor of History, Victoria University of Manchester * Frank Whitcombe, Welsh Rugby League Lance Todd Trophy winner, signed for Broughton Rangers and lived in Withington * Sir Joseph Whitworth, engineer, lived at '' The Firs'' * Neil Young,
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
footballer, born in Fallowfield in 1944


See also

*
Listed buildings in Manchester-M14 Manchester is a city in Northwest England. The M14 postcode area is to the south of the city centre, and contains the areas of Fallowfield, Moss Side, and Rusholme. The postcode area contains 59 listed buildings that are recorded in the N ...


References

;Notes ;Bibliography *


Further reading

* * * * * * {{Authority control All articles with unsourced statements Areas of Manchester Manchester City Council Wards Student quarters