Stretford

Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough Of Trafford , in Greater Manchester , England . It lies approximately to the southwest of Manchester City Centre , within the Historic County Boundaries of Lancashire , and has a population of around 37,000. Stretford is contiguous with the towns of Chorlton-cum-Hardy to the east, Urmston to the west, Salford to the north, and Sale to the south. The River Mersey runs just to the south of the town, and the Manchester Ship Canal passes to the north. The Bridgewater Canal cuts through the town.

During much of the 19th century, Stretford was a largely agricultural village, known locally as ''Porkhampton'', a reference to the large number of pigs produced for the nearby Manchester market. The arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, and the subsequent development of the Trafford Park Industrial Estate in the north of the town, accelerated the industrialisation which began in the late 19th century. Today, less than 1% of the population of Stretford is employed in agriculture.

Stretford has been the home of Manchester United Football Club since 1910, and the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1864. Notable residents have included the industralist and philanthropist John Rylands , the Sufragette Emmeline Pankhurst , the painter L. S. Lowry , Morrissey of 80s alternative rock band The Smiths , and Jay Kay of Jamiroquai .

HISTORY

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