Ellenbrook, Greater Manchester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ellenbrook |
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 Ellenbrook Chapel of St Mary the Virgin |
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 Ellenbrook
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| OS grid reference | SD726016 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MANCHESTER |
| Postcode district | M28 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Ellenbrook is a small area or 'suburb' located near Worsley, in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. It's about 6.8 kilometers (4.2 miles) west of Manchester. It's also about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) west of Salford and 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) south of Bolton. Long ago, it was part of Lancashire. Ellenbrook is close to other places like Astley, Mosley Common, and Walkden, and is near the East Lancashire Road.
Contents
A Look Back: Ellenbrook's History
What's in a Name?
The name Ellenbrook comes from two parts. The second part, "brook," definitely means a small stream, from an old English word. The first part, "Ellen," isn't fully known. Ellenbrook is located by the Ellen Brook, which later becomes the Stirrup Brook in Boothstown.
A very old stone once marked important boundaries near Ellenbrook. It showed where two large historical areas called "Hundreds" met: Salford and West Derby. It also marked the edges of old church areas (parishes) like Eccles and Leigh, and local areas (townships) such as Tyldesley, Worsley, and Little Hulton. Today, it would be where the modern areas of Wigan and Salford meet.
The Old Church
Historically, Ellenbrook had a small church area called a "chapelry" within the larger church parish of Eccles. We don't know the exact start date, but sometime between 1272 and 1295, a local church leader allowed Richard de Worsley to have a small chapel. This was allowed as long as a small yearly payment was made. It was a distant chapel, as the closest main churches were in Eccles, Leigh, and Deane in Bolton.
The original chapel was taken down. A new church, St. Mary's Church, was rebuilt with bricks in 1725. It was later repaired and improved in the 1860s. The money for these repairs came from the 2nd Earl of Ellesmere. He passed away before the work was finished. The church's organ, which was put in as a memorial to the Earl, also dates from this time. The church is built in the Norman style, which is an old European building style. It is now a Grade II Listed building, meaning it's an important historical building.
Ellenbrook and the Industrial Revolution
Before 1770, the Duke of Bridgewater owned small coal mines (collieries) in areas like Crookes Meadow, Grundy Common, and Clays. Between 1810 and 1820, more mine shafts were opened at Common, Swiney Lane, and Millhough.
In the 1830s, a special track was built for horse-drawn carts. This "tramway" connected the Duke of Bridgewater's coal pits north of Ellenbrook, in a place called New Manchester, to the Bridgewater Canal at Boothstown. This helped move coal more easily. Later, in 1861, a railway line was built through Ellenbrook. This railway connected Eccles to Wigan. A large new coal mine, Mosley Common Colliery, had many railway tracks (sidings) at Ellenbrook to help with coal transport.
How Ellenbrook is Governed
Since the 11th century, Ellenbrook was part of the area known as Worsley. This was within the ancient church parish of Eccles, in the larger historical area of Salford, and the county of Lancashire.
Today, Ellenbrook is part of the UK parliament area called Worsley & Eccles South. The person who represents this area in parliament is Barbara Keeley, who is a member of the Labour party.
Locally, Ellenbrook is part of the Boothstown and Ellenbrook ward within the Salford City Council. This ward is represented by three councillors from the Conservative party: Les Turner, Darren Ward, and Bob Clarke. These councillors help make decisions for the local area.
Getting Around Ellenbrook
Ellenbrook used to have its own train station. This station was on a railway line called the Tyldesley Loopline, which ran between Eccles and Leigh.
Now, the old railway track from Leigh to Manchester has been turned into a special road for buses, called the Leigh-Salford-Manchester Bus Rapid Transit. The rest of the old trackbed, leading to Eccles, is now a green pathway for walking and cycling.
Schools and Community Life
Ellenbrook has a local school called Ellenbrook Community Primary School. This school received an "Outstanding" rating in its most recent inspection in May 2023.
The area also has a church, two public houses (the Boundary Stone and the Woodside), a Co-operative Food shop, places to get takeaway food, a pharmacy, and a doctors' surgery. These places help make Ellenbrook a lively community.
