Sale, Greater Manchester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sale
Sale Town Hall
Sale
Population	54,515 (2021 census)
OS grid reference	SJ785915
• London	162 mi (261 km) SE
Metropolitan borough	Trafford
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SALE
Postcode district	M33
Dialling code	0161
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Altrincham and Sale West Wythenshawe and Sale East
List of places UK England Greater Manchester 53°25′26″N 2°19′19″W / 53.424°N 2.322°W / 53.424; -2.322

Sale is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. It's located in the historic county of Cheshire, on the south side of the River Mersey. Sale is about 2 miles (3 km) south of Stretford, 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Altrincham, and 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Manchester. In 2021, about 54,515 people lived here.

Long ago, people lived in Sale during the Stone Age, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon times. In the Middle Ages, Sale was a small farming area. Its fields were used to grow crops and raise cattle. By the 1600s, people in Sale started making garthweb. This was a woven material used for horse saddles.

The Bridgewater Canal arrived in Sale in 1765. This helped the town grow bigger and more like a city. When the railway opened in 1849, Sale became an important town for people traveling to and from Manchester. Many middle-class families moved here. By the late 1800s, the town's population had more than tripled. Farming slowly became less important as service industries (like shops and offices) grew.

Sale grew so much that it joined with nearby Ashton upon Mersey in 1930. In 1935, Sale was given special "borough status". This meant it could govern itself more. Today, Sale continues to be a key town in Trafford. It's close to the M60 motorway and has good transport links to Manchester.

History of Sale

How Sale Began

A flint arrowhead found in Sale shows that people lived here in prehistoric times. But we don't have much more evidence until the Roman period. A collection of 46 Roman coins from the 300s was found nearby. Sale is also on the route of an old Roman road. This road connected important Roman forts in Chester and York, passing through Manchester. Today, the A56 follows this ancient path through Sale. After the Romans left Britain in the early 400s, the Anglo-Saxons arrived.

Some local names, including Sale itself, come from Anglo-Saxon words. This suggests the town was founded in the 600s or 700s. The Old English word salh means "at the sallow tree". Ashton upon Mersey means "village near the ash trees". Sale and Ashton upon Mersey were not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. This might be because only part of the area was surveyed. The first written records of Sale are from 1199–1216. These places were called "townships," not "manors." This also points to their Anglo-Saxon beginnings.

Early Times in Sale

The dovecote is all that remains of Sale Old Hall.

In the 1100s, Sale was one of 30 areas owned by William FitzNigel. He was a powerful baron in Cheshire. He shared control of Sale with Thomas de Sale and Adam de Carrington. They acted as Lords of the Manor for him. Over time, the land passed through the Holt and Massey families. In the 1600s, their lands were sold. Sale Old Hall was built around 1603 for James Massey. It was likely a replacement for an older medieval manor house. It was one of the first brick buildings in northwest England. The hall was rebuilt in 1840 and taken down in 1920. But two buildings from its grounds still stand: its dovecote (now in Walkden Gardens) and its lodge (now used by Sale Golf Club).

A 1777 map of Sale. It shows the townships of Sale and Ashton upon Mersey.

In 1745, Crossford Bridge was destroyed. This bridge had been there since at least 1367. The government ordered many bridges over the River Mersey to be torn down. This was to slow down the Jacobite army during their uprising. The Jacobites fixed the bridge when they reached Manchester. They used it to send a small group into Sale and Altrincham. This was a trick to make the authorities think they were going to Chester. The trick worked, and the main Jacobite army marched south through Cheadle and Stockport instead.

The Bridgewater Canal reached Sale by 1765. This changed the town's economy. It provided a fast and cheap way to send fresh food to Manchester. Farmers who sold their goods in Manchester brought back night soil (waste used as fertilizer) for their fields. But not everyone benefited. Some farmers complained that their crops were damaged by flooding from the Barfoot Bridge aqueduct. A 1777 map shows the village of Cross Street. This village was split between Sale and Ashton upon Mersey. It's believed to have started around 1586. The map also shows that Sale was spread out. It mainly had farmhouses around Dane Road, Fairy Lane, and Old Hall Road. As Sale grew, it took in Cross Street.

About 300 acres (120 ha) of "wasteland" called Sale Moor was enclosed in 1807. This meant it was divided among landowners in Sale. This was part of a national effort to farm common land. It helped with food shortages during the Napoleonic Wars. Records of help for the poor in Sale begin in 1808. This was a time when the region was facing an economic downturn. Poorhouses were built in the early 1800s. These were places where poor people could live for free. In 1829, Samuel Brooks bought 515 acres (208 ha) of land in Sale. This was about a quarter of the township. This area later became known as Brooklands, named after him.

Sale's Growth

The Bridgewater Canal in Sale. The Metrolink tramline runs next to it.

The Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway opened in 1849. This made Sale a "commuter town." People could live in Sale and travel to work in Manchester. Because of this, Sale's population more than tripled by the end of the 1800s. Land in Sale Moor was the cheapest because the soil was poor. But when the railway opened, Sale Moor was close to the station. It became the most expensive area in Sale. Many villas (large houses) were built in Sale Moor and Ashton upon Mersey. They were often decorated with stained glass or different colored bricks. They looked like "miniature mansions" for the growing middle class.

More people meant the town needed better services. Sewers were built from 1875 to 1880. Sale also got connected to the telephone network in 1888. The early 1900s also saw a lot of building in Sale. The town's first swimming baths were built in 1914. Its first cinema, the Palace, opened during the First World War. After the war ended in 1918, many people got married. This showed there weren't enough houses. The local councils of Sale and Ashton upon Mersey started building council housing. They rented these homes at lower prices. By the start of the Second World War in 1939, Sale had 594 council houses. Building stopped during the war. But with private homes, about 900 new houses were built in Sale between the wars. This included large areas like the Woodheys Hall estate.

Sale was not officially evacuated during the war. It even took in families from other evacuated areas. But it was not considered far enough from important targets. Because Sale was close to Manchester, a city important for the war effort, it was bombed several times. Incendiary bombs (bombs designed to start fires) fell on Sale in September 1940. They damaged two houses but caused no injuries. In November, four people were hurt, and a school was damaged. On December 22, 1940, twelve people were injured by bombs. The next night, Manchester was heavily bombed in what was called the Manchester Blitz. Six hundred incendiary bombs fell on Sale in three hours. No one was hurt, but Sale Town Hall and St Paul's Church were badly damaged. On August 3, 1943, a Wellington Bomber crashed in Walton Park. Two of the six crew members died.

Sale's shopping center was updated in the 1960s after the war. In 1973, the shopping area in the town center was made for pedestrians only. This was to help businesses. The M60 motorway was built in 1972. This led to the creation of Sale Water Park. To prevent flooding, the new road was built on a raised bank. The gravel for this bank came from a large pit. This pit is now an artificial lake and water-sports center. More fun activities became available when the old swimming baths were replaced in 1973.

How Sale is Governed

The coat of arms on Sale Town Hall. It belonged to the former Sale Municipal Borough Council.

Historically, Sale was a small area within the larger parish of Ashton upon Mersey. For many years, the Lord of the Manor governed it. In 1834, Sale joined the Altrincham Poor Law Union. This group helped provide support for the poor. In 1866, Sale formed its own Local Board to govern the township. People who paid taxes (ratepayers) voted for members of this board.

In 1888, Sale became an urban district of Cheshire. The Local Board was replaced by the Sale Urban District Council in 1894. Ashton upon Mersey also became an urban district in 1895. In 1930, Ashton upon Mersey joined with Sale.

In 1933, Sale Urban District asked for a special charter of incorporation. This would give it more power. Sale was the largest urban district in the country at the time. The request was approved. On September 21, 1935, Sale became the Municipal Borough of Sale.

However, in 1974, the Municipal Borough of Sale was ended. Sale became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford. This is a local government area within Greater Manchester. Trafford Council now manages services like education, town planning, and waste collection for Sale.

For national elections, Sale was part of the Altrincham and Sale parliamentary area until 1997. Then it was split into two areas: Altrincham and Sale West and Wythenshawe and Sale East. Sale has five local election areas called wards. These wards have 15 of the 63 seats on the Trafford Council. As of 2023, the Labour Party held most of these seats.

Geography of Sale

Shops along Northenden Road in Sale

Sale is located at 53.4246°N, 2.322°W. It is north of Altrincham and south of Stretford. Manchester city centre is about 5 miles (8 km) to the northeast. The area of Wythenshawe is to the southeast. Sale is in the Mersey Valley, about 100 feet (30 m) above sea level. The ground is mostly flat. The River Mersey, just north of town, can flood when it rains a lot. So, Sale Water Park acts as a special flood basin. The Bridgewater Canal, which people can control, runs through the middle of town.

Sale's local ground is made of sand and gravel. These were left about 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. The rock underneath is Bunter sandstone in the west and Triassic waterstone in the east. United Utilities gets the town's drinking water from the Lake District. Sale's weather is generally mild, like the rest of Greater Manchester. The average highest and lowest temperatures are a bit above the national average. The yearly rainfall is also above average, but the hours of sunshine are below average.

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.

	Urmston	Stretford	Stretford
	Carrington		Chorlton-cum-Hardy
		Sale
	Broadheath	Timperley	Baguley

The main parts of Sale are Ashton upon Mersey (northwest), Sale Moor (southeast), and Brooklands (southwest). The main shopping area is Sale town center. But there are also smaller shopping areas in Ashton upon Mersey and Sale Moor. Brooklands has the most people living in it. Most of the parks, like Worthington and Walton, are in the central and southern areas. This means Ashton upon Mersey and Sale Moor have less green space.

Sale has a mix of old and new buildings. Some terraced houses, semi-detached houses, and villas from the Victorian period still exist. Many larger houses have been turned into flats. Many semi-detached houses from the 1930s also remain. These were built when more housing was needed for the growing middle class. Newer housing developments are mixed in with these older buildings.

People of Sale

In the 2001 UK census, Sale had 55,234 people. There were about 100 females for every 94.2 males. Of adults over 16, 30.0% were single, 51.3% were married, and 7.8% were divorced. Sale had 24,027 households. About 32.2% were one-person households, 37.8% were married couples, and 8.5% were single parents. These numbers were similar to Trafford and England. Of people aged 16–74, 22.3% had no formal qualifications. This was lower than the average for England (28.9%). Sale had a higher percentage of adults with a diploma or degree than Greater Manchester overall.

Sale was once a working-class town. But in the mid-1800s, many middle-class people moved in. They used Sale as a commuter town. Since then, Sale has had more middle-class residents than the national average. In 1931, 22.7% of Sale's people were middle class. By 1971, this grew to 36.3%. At the same time, the working-class population decreased. This change made Sale the middle-class town it is today.

Population Changes

In 1664, Sale had about 365 people. The population grew steadily in the 1600s and 1700s. It grew faster in the late 1800s because of the Industrial Revolution. This growth was not as fast as in nearby towns like Altrincham. The faster growth in the late 1800s happened when the railway arrived. This shows Sale was growing as a commuter town. A big jump in population from 1921–1931 happened when Sale joined with Ashton upon Mersey. The population grew steadily until 1981. Then it dropped because industries in Trafford and Greater Manchester declined. This is a common trend as people move for new jobs.

Sale's Economy

In the Middle Ages, most of Sale's land was used for growing crops and raising animals like cattle. The crops fed the local people. But the cattle were sold to the wealthy. Farming was the main job for people in Sale until the mid-1800s. Industry grew slowly here. This was partly because the two main landowners, the Stamfords and the de Traffords, didn't invest much. Even though weaving was common in Sale in the late 1600s and early 1700s, by 1851, only 4% of people worked in that industry.

Like the rest of the region, Sale's economy was weak in the early 1800s. It stayed that way until the railway arrived in the mid-1800s. Even with farming being dominant, service industries (like shops) were growing. Sale and Ashton upon Mersey saw more people working in retail and domestic services in the first half of the 1800s. By 1901, less than 20% of Sale residents worked in farming. Workhouses offered jobs for those who couldn't find work elsewhere.

The main shopping street in Sale.

The main shopping center in Sale, Stanley Square, was built in the 1960s. It was built where a Methodist chapel used to be. When the Trafford Centre opened in 1998, some thought Sale's center would struggle. But it has done well. In 2003, Stanley Square had a £7 million renovation. This was a big part of updating Sale's town center. It was sold for £40 million in 2005. By then, trade had increased, and rent income had gone up by 70%. The town's economy grew so much that in 2007, there was very little office space available in Sale due to high demand.

The 2001 UK census showed what jobs people had. For example, 18.4% worked in property and business services, 15.9% in retail, and 11.1% in manufacturing. Sale had more people working in property, business services, and finance compared to national figures. It had fewer people working in farming, public administration, and manufacturing. The census also looked at who was working. Sale's unemployment rate was 2.4%, which was low compared to the national rate of 3.3%.

Culture in Sale

Landmarks and Fun Places

The artificial lake at Sale Water Park. It has been used for water sports since 1980.

Sale has three special buildings called Grade II* listed buildings. These are two churches (St. Martin and St. John the Divine) and Ashton New Hall. There are also eighteen Grade II listed buildings. The war memorial (cenotaph) outside the town hall is a Grade II listed building. It was designed by Arthur Sherwood Edwards. It remembers the 400 men from Sale who died in the First World War and the 300 who died in the Second World War. It's a statue of Saint George on a granite base. It cost £600 and was paid for by public donations. It was unveiled in May 1925 in front of 10,000 people.

The oldest building still standing in Sale is Eyebrow Cottage. It was built around 1670. It was originally a farmhouse and is one of the first brick buildings in the area. Its name comes from the fancy brickwork above the windows. It was built in Cross Street, which was a separate village back then. Trafford has 21 special conservation areas. Two of these are in Sale: part of Church Lane, Ashton-upon-Mersey, and Brogden Grove.

A bronze statue of James Joule is in Worthington Park. He was a physicist who gave his name to the SI unit of energy. People originally wanted to build a tower for him, but they didn't get enough money. So, they made the statue instead. It was unveiled in 1905. Joule moved to Sale in the 1870s for his health. He died at his home on Wardle Road in 1889 and is buried in Brooklands Cemetery.

Sale has several parks and green spaces. Worthington Park, first called Sale Park, opened in 1900. It has a bandstand, gardens, play areas, and a skate ramp. Walton Park opened in 1939 and has a miniature railway. Sale Water Park is an artificial lake. It was made from a 35-meter (115 ft) deep gravel pit. This pit was left when the M60 motorway was built. The park opened in 1980. It's a place for water sports, fishing, and bird watching. It also has the Broad Ees Dole wildlife refuge, a special place for migrating birds. Woodheys Park, also known as Pinky Park, has a pitch and putt course, grass areas, and a five-a-side football pitch.

Events and Places to Visit

Sale Waterside. The Waterside Arts Centre is on the left.

The Waterside Arts Centre is next to the town hall. It has a plaza, a library, the Robert Bolt Theatre, and two art galleries. The center opened in 2004. It often hosts concerts, exhibitions, and community events. Famous performers like Lucy Porter and Midge Ure have been there. In 2004, the center won an award for its clever use of space and for making Sale town center lively again.

Sale has a Gilbert and Sullivan society. It started in 1972 and performs at the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse. Sale Brass is a traditional brass band. It started around 1849 as the Stretford Temperance Band. Its first known performance was at the opening of the railway between Manchester and Altrincham in 1849.

Sports in Sale

The rugby union team Sale F.C. has been in Sale since 1861. They have played at their current Heywood Road ground since 1905. It's one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world. Their 1865 Minute Book is the oldest book with the rules of the game. The professional Sale Sharks team used to be part of Sale F.C. but split off in 2003. Sale Sharks now play at Salford Community Stadium. But they still use Heywood Road for training and for their reserve team, Sale Jets. Sale also has the Ashton upon Mersey and Trafford Metrovick rugby union clubs.

Sale Harriers Manchester Athletics Club started in 1911. Its historic home is at Crossford Bridge in Sale. This site is shared with Sale United Football Club and Old Alts Football Club. The club has produced successful athletes. These include Olympic gold medalist Darren Campbell and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Diane Modahl.

Sale Sports Club includes Sale Cricket Club, Sale Hockey Club, and Sale Lawn Tennis Club. The Brooklands Sports Club has Brooklands Cricket Club, Brooklands Manchester University Hockey Club, and Brooklands Hulmeians Lacrosse Club. It also has facilities for squash, tennis, and bowling.

Sale United FC plays at Crossford Bridge. It was named Trafford's Sports Club of the Year in 2004. Sale Golf Club and Ashton on Mersey Golf Club have courses nearby. Woodheys Park has a public pitch and putt course. Trafford Rowing Club has a boathouse by the canal. Sale Leisure Centre has courts for badminton and squash, a gym, and three swimming pools. Walton Park Sports Centre has a sports hall for activities like 5-a-side football. You can also find tennis, crown-green bowls, golf putting, and football facilities in the town's parks. Sale Water Ski Club is at Sale Water Park.

Education in Sale

Sale's first school was built in 1667. It was used until the mid-1700s. The second school was built sometime in the 1700s. By 1831, Sale had two private schools where parents paid fees. There were also four Sunday schools in Sale and one in Ashton upon Mersey. These were run by different religious groups. The first school-chapel in Sale was built by Primitive Methodists in 1839. It still exists. St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church built its school-chapel in 1866. It was replaced by the current school in 1899.

Trafford uses a selective education system. This means students take an eleven plus exam to get into certain schools. Sale has one grammar school, two comprehensives, and nineteen primary schools. Sale Grammar School has two parts: one for 11- to 16-year-olds and a sixth form college for older students. It was rated "outstanding" in 2006. Ashton-on-Mersey School is an academy school. It has 1,300 students aged 11–16 and 120 in its sixth form. In 2019, it was rated "outstanding" for its older students and "good" overall. Sale High School is a secondary school for 11- to 16-year-olds. It has 1,000 students and was rated "satisfactory" in 2006. Manor Academy teaches students with special needs. It has 140 students aged 11–16 and 20 in its sixth form. It was rated "good" in 2007.

Sale is also a leader in childcare and early education within Trafford Council. Sale offers many options like after-school care, breakfast clubs, childminders, day nurseries, and holiday schemes. Most of these providers are rated "Good" or "Outstanding" by Ofsted/CQC. Sale also has one of Trafford's three independent school nurseries.

Religion in Sale

St Paul's Church

Sale has a mix of religions. There is a synagogue and Christian churches of different types. Most church buildings were built in the late 1800s or early 1900s. This was after the population grew because of the railway. But records show that the Church of St Martin in Ashton upon Mersey dates back to at least 1304. Before the English Reformation, most people in Sale were Catholic. After that, they became members of the Church of England. Roman Catholics returned to the area in the 1800s, often as Irish immigrants. Two of Sale's three special Grade II* listed buildings are churches. The Church of St Martin was probably a wooden building in the early 1300s. It was rebuilt in 1714 after a storm. The Church of St John the Divine was built in 1868. There are also three Grade II listed churches in Sale: St Anne's, St Mary Magdalene's, and St Paul's.

In the 2001 UK census, 78.0% of Sale residents said they were Christian. Other religions included 1.4% Muslim, 0.7% Hindu, 0.6% Jewish, 0.2% Buddhist, and 0.2% Sikh. About 12.9% had no religion. Sale is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury and the Church of England Diocese of Chester. Sale and District Synagogue is part of United Synagogue. The only mosque in Trafford is the Masjid-E-Noor in Old Trafford, about 3 miles (5 km) away.

Transport in Sale

Sale station. It was rebuilt in brick in the late 1870s.

The Metrolink tram system connects Sale to other places in Greater Manchester. Trams leave Sale's three stations, including Sale station, at least every 12 minutes during the day.

The closest train station is Navigation Road in Altrincham. From there, trains go between Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, and Chester. These trains run about once an hour and are provided by Northern Trains.

Bee Network bus routes offer services to Manchester and Altrincham.

The A56 road runs through Sale, connecting Chester and North Yorkshire. The M60 motorway, which goes around Manchester, can be reached from junction 7, just north of Sale. The M56 (connecting Manchester and Chester) and the M62 (connecting Liverpool and Hull) are about 4 miles (6 km) away. The M6, a major highway, passes about 7 miles (11 km) to the west.

Manchester Airport, one of the busiest airports outside London, is about 4 miles (6 km) south of Sale.

History of Transport in Sale

The first turnpike road in the area was the A56 Chester Road. It ran between Manchester and Crossford Bridge. Turnpike trusts collected tolls from road users to maintain the roads. There was a toll booth on the Sale side of Crossford Bridge. Another part of the road between Altrincham and Crossford Bridge became a turnpike in 1765.

In 1776, fast packet boat services started on the new Bridgewater Canal. This made it easy and convenient to travel from Sale to Manchester. Boats traveled at a quick 10 mph (16 km/h). However, when the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham Railway opened in 1849, it ended the canal packet services and turnpike trusts. Many trusts declined, like a national trend.

By 1888, local authorities were responsible for almost all roads. Sale's railway station, originally called Sale Moor, was renamed Sale in 1856. Three years later, Brooklands railway station opened. In 1931, Dane Road railway station opened, and the entire line was electrified. The line was updated in the early 1990s and is now part of the Metrolink.

After a tramway was built between Manchester and Stretford in 1901, a company asked to extend it to Sale. The plan was changed to continue the line further south to Altrincham. The line through Sale was owned by Sale Urban District Council. Tram services to Sale began in 1907. A branch line to Sale Moor was added in 1912. The Sale Moor line only had one track. In 1925, this caused two tramcars to crash head-on, injuring eight passengers.

Bus services started in the area in the 1920s. They became more common in the 1930s. Buses were more practical than trams because they weren't limited to tracks. From the 1930s, tram services declined. The tramlines on Northenden Road were removed between 1932 and 1934. All tramlines in Sale were removed in the 1940s.

See also

In Spanish: Sale (Gran Mánchester) para niños