Swinton, Greater Manchester
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Swinton is a town in the
City of Salford The City of Salford () is a metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester, England. The borough is named after its main settlement, Salford. The borough covers the towns of Eccles, Swinton, Walkden and Pendlebury, as well as the villages ...
in Greater Manchester, England. southwest of the
River Irwell The River Irwell ( ) is a tributary of the River Mersey in north west England. It rises at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup and flows southwards for to meet the Mersey near Irlam. The Irwell marks the boundary be ...
, northwest of Manchester city centre, adjoining the town of
Pendlebury Pendlebury is a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,069. It lies north-west of Manchester city centre, north-west of Salford and south-east of Bolton. Historically in Lancash ...
and suburb of
Clifton Clifton may refer to: People *Clifton (surname) *Clifton (given name) Places Australia * Clifton, Queensland, a town **Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong *Clifton, Western Australia Canada *Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
. In 2014, it had a population of 22,931.
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, for centuries Swinton was a small hamlet in the township of Worsley, parish of Eccles and hundred of Salfordshire.. The name Swinton is derived from the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
"Swynton" meaning "swine town". In the High Middle Ages, Swinton was held by the religious orders of the Knights Hospitaller and
Whalley Abbey Whalley Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in Whalley, Lancashire, England. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a country house was built on the site. In the 20th century the house was modified ...
. Farming was the main industry, with locals supplementing their incomes by hand-loom woollen weaving in the domestic system. Collieries opened in the Industrial Revolution and Swinton became an important
industrial area Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...
with coal providing the fuel for the
cotton spinning Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
and
brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
making industries. Bricks from Swinton were used for industrial projects including the Bridgewater Canal, which passes Swinton to the south. The adoption of the factory system facilitated a process of unplanned urbanisation in the area, and by the mid-19th century Swinton was an important
mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories, usually cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe Italy * ''Crespi d'Adda'', UNESCO World Her ...
and
coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
district at a convergence of factories, brickworks and a newly constructed road and railway network.. Following the Local Government Act 1894, Swinton was united with neighbouring Pendlebury to become an
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 ...
of Lancashire.
Swinton and Pendlebury Swinton may refer to: Places England * Swinton, Greater Manchester * Swinton, Harrogate, near Masham, North Yorkshire ** Swinton Estate, including Swinton Park * Swinton, Ryedale, near Malton, North Yorkshire * Swinton, South Yorkshire No ...
received a charter of incorporation in 1934, giving it honorific
borough status Borough status is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland, s ...
. In the same year, the United Kingdom's first purpose-built intercity highway—the major A580 road (East Lancashire Road), which terminates at Swinton and Pendlebury's southern boundary—was officially opened by King George V. Swinton and Pendlebury became part of the
City of Salford The City of Salford () is a metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester, England. The borough is named after its main settlement, Salford. The borough covers the towns of Eccles, Swinton, Walkden and Pendlebury, as well as the villages ...
in 1974. Swinton is the seat of Salford City Council and a commuter town, supported by its transport network and proximity to Manchester city centre.


History

The name Swinton derives from the
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''swin'', pigs and ''tun'', an enclosure, farmstead or manor estate. An early form was Swynton. During the Middle Ages, Swinton belonged to
Whalley Abbey Whalley Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey in Whalley, Lancashire, England. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a country house was built on the site. In the 20th century the house was modified ...
. Later, lands at Swinton were granted to Thurston Tyldesley, then o
Wardley Hall
Documents record that certain areas belonged to the Knights Hospitaller. In 1817 some Swinton weavers joined in the Blanketeers' demonstration and marched to London to put their grievances to the Prince Regent. In 1842 some Swinton people took part in Chartist agitations and tried to destroy a local colliery. Sunday schools and libraries were established in Swinton at quite an early period. Swinton Industrial School was visited by Charles Dickens. The school was created by the Manchester Poor Law Union. In contrast with other institutions for the poor around that time, which were places of final resort, the Swinton Industrial School was built in response to a more enlightened attitude. The Manchester Poor Law Union saw the value of a place where children could be cared for and educated. The school opened in 1843 and survived until the 1920s. During demolition of the school buildings in the early 1930s, the foundations proved particularly difficult. Finally explosives were used, which resulted in a huge number of rats being disturbed. It was a number of weeks before council workers could remove the rats from the surrounding streets and houses. Huge nests of baby rats were carried out of the rafters of many buildings. The site was used for the present town hall.


Governance

Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire since the early 12th century, Swinton anciently formed part of the
hundred of Salford The Salford Hundred (also known as Salfordshire) was one of the subdivisions of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England (see:Hundred (county division). Its name alludes to its judicial centre being the township of Salford (the s ...
(civil jurisdiction). Swinton was a
chapelry A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. Status It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel of ease (chapel) which was the communi ...
in the township of Worsley and ecclesiastical parish of Eccles. Swinton's first local authority was a local board of health established in 1867. A regulatory body responsible for standards of hygiene and sanitation, it covered Swinton itself and the majority of the neighbouring township of
Pendlebury Pendlebury is a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,069. It lies north-west of Manchester city centre, north-west of Salford and south-east of Bolton. Historically in Lancash ...
. It changed its name to Swinton and Pendlebury Local Board of Health in 1869. Following the Local Government Act 1894, Swinton became a civil parish, and the area of the local board became Swinton and Pendlebury UD, an
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 ...
of the administrative county of Lancashire. In 1907 there were exchanges of land with the neighbouring
Worsley Urban District Worsley () is a village in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, which in 2014 had a population of 10,090. It lies along Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there is evi ...
, and in 1933 most of
Clifton Clifton may refer to: People *Clifton (surname) *Clifton (given name) Places Australia * Clifton, Queensland, a town **Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong *Clifton, Western Australia Canada *Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
and a part of
Prestwich Prestwich ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury. Historically part of Lancashire, Prestwich was the seat of the ancient parish o ...
Urban District were added to Swinton and Pendlebury. Swinton and Pendlebury received its Charter of Incorporation as a municipal borough from Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby at a ceremony in
Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...
on 29 September 1934. In 1955 a very small part of Worsley Urban District was added to Swinton and Pendlebury. Under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, the Municipal Borough of Swinton of Pendlebury was abolished, and Swinton has since 1 April 1974 formed an unparished area of the
City of Salford The City of Salford () is a metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester, England. The borough is named after its main settlement, Salford. The borough covers the towns of Eccles, Swinton, Walkden and Pendlebury, as well as the villages ...
, a
metropolitan borough A metropolitan borough (or metropolitan district) is a type of local government district in England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts within metropolitan ...
in the
metropolitan county The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, with populations between 1 and 3 million. They were created in 1974 and are each di ...
of Greater Manchester.


Geography

Swinton lies at (53.5122°, -2.3412°), northwest of
central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...
, and west-northwest of Manchester city centre. Topographically, Swinton occupies an area of gently sloping ground, roughly above sea level, and is on the south side of the
River Irwell The River Irwell ( ) is a tributary of the River Mersey in north west England. It rises at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup and flows southwards for to meet the Mersey near Irlam. The Irwell marks the boundary be ...
. Swinton lies in the west-central part of the
Greater Manchester Urban Area The Greater Manchester Built-up Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), consisting of the large conurbation that encompasses the urban element of the city of Manchester and the metropolitan area that forms ...
, the UK's second largest conurbation. The M60 motorway passes Swinton on its northwest side.


Landmarks

The architectural centrepiece of the town is the neoclassical
Salford Civic Centre Salford Civic Centre, formerly Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall, is a municipal building at Chorley Road, in Swinton, Greater Manchester, England. It is the administrative headquarters of Salford City Council. History The Swinton and Pendlebur ...
, which has a 125-foot (38 m) high clock tower. It was built as Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall, when Swinton and
Pendlebury Pendlebury is a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,069. It lies north-west of Manchester city centre, north-west of Salford and south-east of Bolton. Historically in Lancash ...
received its Charter of Incorporation. Before its construction, council meetings were held in Victoria House in
Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to: Places Australia * Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales * Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse * Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...
, but the borough council required larger premises. A competition was launched to design the new
town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
; the winners were architects
Percy Thomas Sir Percy Edward Thomas OBE (13 September 1883 – 19 August 1969) was an Anglo-Welsh architect who worked in Wales for the majority of his life. He was twice RIBA president (1935–37 and 1943–46). Biography Percy Edward Thomas was born on ...
and Ernest Prestwich with a design that closely resembled Swansea Guildhall. It later won the RIBA Gold Medal.Salford City Council websit
Salford Civic Centre
Updated 16 July 2010 (retrieved 2011-11-13)
The site of the former Swinton Industrial School on Chorley Road was purchased for £12,500 and the foundation stone of the new town hall laid on 16 October 1936. The main builders were J. Gerrard's and Son of Swinton. The town hall opened on 17 September 1938. Extensions were built when it became the administrative headquarters of the
City of Salford The City of Salford () is a metropolitan borough within Greater Manchester, England. The borough is named after its main settlement, Salford. The borough covers the towns of Eccles, Swinton, Walkden and Pendlebury, as well as the villages ...
in 1974
Wardley Hall Wardley may refer to: Organisations *Wardley (company), a fish food manufacturer *Wardley, a former merchant banking division of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (), commonl ...
is an early medieval manor house and a Grade I listed building, and is the official residence of the Roman Catholic bishops of Salford.


Transport

Swinton is served by two railway stations on the Manchester-Southport line. Swinton railway station is near the town centre on Station Road (B5231), just over the boundary in
Pendlebury Pendlebury is a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,069. It lies north-west of Manchester city centre, north-west of Salford and south-east of Bolton. Historically in Lancash ...
. The other station is
Moorside railway station Moorside railway station is a railway station serving the town of Wardley, Greater Manchester, England. The station stands on Moorside Road, close to the junction with Chorley Road ( A6). Moorside is a local station on the Atherton Line betwe ...
near the top of Moorside Road, close to its junction with Chorley Road (A6). Until 1974 it was known as ''Moorside and Wardley'' railway station. Several bus lines also run through Swinton, leading to Manchester city centre, Bolton and Trafford, among others.


Sports

Swinton RLFC has an impressive record in rugby league considering the size of the town. The club's six Championship and three
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 ...
wins is better than the record of their local rivals Salford RLFC. The club was based just over the local boundary in
Pendlebury Pendlebury is a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,069. It lies north-west of Manchester city centre, north-west of Salford and south-east of Bolton. Historically in Lancash ...
until 1992, when financial mismanagement necessitated a move from the Station Road ground to play at Gigg Lane in
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
. The financial failure of main creditor and ''de facto'' owner Hugh Eaves in 2002 put the future of the club in jeopardy and it spent a short time regrouping at Moor Lane in
Kersal Kersal is a suburb and district of Salford in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, northwest of Manchester and was historically part of the county of Lancashire. History Kersal has been variously known as Kereshale, Kershal, Ker ...
, as tenants of
Salford City F.C. Salford City Football Club is a professional football club in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club was founded as Salford Central in 1940, and p ...
From 2003, the Lions played home games at Park Lane, Whitefield, home of
Sedgley Park RUFC Sedgley Park Rugby Union Football Club, the 1st XV team of which play under the name of Sedgley Tigers, is a rugby union club based in Whitefield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester. They play in the fourth tier of the En ...
. In 2006, the club acquired land to build a 6,000 capacity stadium with training facilities and community use in Agecroft, Pendlebury. After ground-sharing with
Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staf ...
and Salford, the club moved to
Heywood Road Heywood Road is a rugby stadium in Sale, Greater Manchester, England, which has been the home ground of rugby union side Sale F.C. since 1905. It was the home ground of spin-off professional club Sale Sharks until they moved to Edgeley Park, St ...
, Sale, home of Sale Rugby Union F.C. for the 2016 season onwards. Swinton based junior association football side Deans F.C. was the starting point in the career of
Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs (né Wilson; 29 November 1973) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Giggs played his List of one-club men in association football, entir ...
, who grew up in neighbouring Pendlebury and went on to become a
Manchester United 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 City of Salford, Salford to ...
player, and also of
Dean Holden Dean Thomas John Holden (born 15 September 1979) is an English manager who is currently the manager of League One club Charlton Athletic. During a career which began at Bolton Wanderers in 1998 and ended with a two-year stint at Walsall from 201 ...
.


Schools


Primary

* Mossfield Primary School * Broadoak Primary School * The Deans Primary School * Grosvenor Road Primary School * Moorside Primary School * St Charles' RC Primary School * St Mary's RC Primary School * St Peter's CE Primary School * Wardley CE Primary School


St Peter's CE Primary School

St Peter's CE Primary School ( ) is a Church of England primary school located on Vicarage Road, Swinton; it is next to St Peter's Church and is a two-minute walk from
Swinton Shopping Centre Swinton Square, formerly known as Swinton Shopping Centre, is a shopping centre located between Chorley Road (A6) and Swinton Hall Road in Swinton, near Manchester, England. The centre was built in 1966. Swinton Square houses a diverse number of ...
. The school is also located near
Salford Civic Centre Salford Civic Centre, formerly Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall, is a municipal building at Chorley Road, in Swinton, Greater Manchester, England. It is the administrative headquarters of Salford City Council. History The Swinton and Pendlebur ...
(formerly Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall). St Peter's School is split into two areas, Juniors and Infants. Like most primary schools in England, St. Peter's caters to children aged 3 to 11 (Years 1 to 6). In January 2011 the school placed 12th in the list of most popular primary schools in the city of Salford, with there being 30 places available with 40 parents listing the school as the first choice for their children leaving a surplus of 10 children. St Peter's is a feeder school for Moorside High School. At the time of the previous inspection children's skills on entry to the Nursery were below average but they have declined since then and are now well below average. St. Peter's C. E. Primary School was not originally on the site that it now sits upon (the original 19th century school was where the Swinton Shopping Centre now stands). It was a much smaller school and therefore a much bigger building was needed. The current building started being constructed in 1905 and the work was finished in 1906. The school first opened its doors 1906 and has remained virtually unchanged ever since. The school is subject to frequent outbreaks of vandalism and theft of outdoor and computer equipment. The school made the news in August 2016 when it was discovered that, James King, a teacher and head of year at the school had been stealing laptops and iPads to fund a gambling habit; in total he took the devices into different pawnbrokers to gain £1,620. He has since been banned from teaching indefinitely. The school achieved: *Basic Skills Quality Mark in November 2005. *Healthy Schools Award in spring 2006 and the Artsmark Silver Award in May 2006. School productions have included
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Thi ...
, performed in 2001,
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
, performed in 2002 and
Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a coming-of-age stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before op ...
, performed in 2003. The school staged another prefromance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2008 to say farewell to the then Headteacher, Mrs Walker as this was the first performance she experienced at the school. Notable former pupils include: * Brett Cullen, Groot's stunt double in Guardians of the Galaxy Two. * CBBC Presenter Chris Johnson who attended between 2000 and 2002, Who went on to attend Moorside High School. *
Salford City Radio Salford City Radio is a community radio station based in Salford, Greater Manchester. It launched in September 2007 after securing a five-year FM licence to broadcast full-time on 94.4 MHz. The station broadcasts a mixture of community new ...
Presenter Lewis Ryan who attended until 2002, Who also went on to attend Moorside High School.


Secondary

* Moorside High School, Deans Road, Swinton *
St Ambrose Barlow RC High School St Ambrose Barlow RC High School is a secondary school located in Wardley, Greater Manchester, England. The school is named after St Ambrose Barlow, one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. The school serves a wide range of parishes incl ...
, Ash Drive, Wardley, Swinton * Co-op Academy Swinton


Churches

*St Peter's C of E, Chorley Road, Swinton *All Saints' C of E, Charles Street, Swinton *Holy Rood C of E, Moorside Road, Swinton *St Charles' RC, Moorside Road, Swinton *United Reformed, Worsley Road, Swinton *Worsley Road Methodist, Worsley Road, Swinton *Latter-Day Saints, Partington Lane, Swinton *Bethesda Hall, Worsley Road, Swinton *Manchester Road Methodist, Manchester Road, Swinton *Jehovah's Witnesses, Swinton Hall Road, Swinton


Notable people

* Composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, previously Master of the Queen's Music, was brought up in Swinton after his family moved from Salford when he was four. In 1998, he wrote ''Swinton Jig'', an orchestral work inspired by the sounds and traditional melodies heard in Swinton during his childhood. * Composer and pianist Roger Smalley was born in Swinton in 1943. * Cricketer Charles Woods (1878–1940) was born in Swinton.


See also

* Listed buildings in Swinton and Pendlebury * Victoria Park, Swinton


References


Notes


Bibliography

* *


External links


Salford City Council's history for SwintonSalford City Council's local information for SwintonSwinton and Pendlebury dedicated website Queensmere Heritage trail dedicated siteSt Peter's Church of England Primary School official site
{{Authority control Geography of Salford Towns in Greater Manchester