Woodford, Greater Manchester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woodford
Christ Church, Woodford
Woodford
OS grid reference	SJ895825
• London	153 mi (246 km) SE
Metropolitan borough	Stockport
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STOCKPORT
Postcode district	SK7
Dialling code	0161
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Cheadle
List of places UK England Greater Manchester 53°20′20″N 2°09′22″W / 53.339°N 2.156°W / 53.339; -2.156

Woodford is a village located in Greater Manchester, England. It's about 5.2 miles (8.4 km) south of Stockport and 10.7 miles (17.2 km) south-east of Manchester. Historically, Woodford was part of the county of Cheshire.

For a long time, Woodford was a small settlement called a hamlet. In 1939, it joined the Hazel Grove and Bramhall area. Later, in 1974, it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.

One of the most famous parts of Woodford's history is the Woodford Aerodrome. This airfield opened in 1924 and was a major place for building airplanes, including the famous Avro Lancaster bomber during World War II. The aerodrome closed in 2011, and now new homes have been built there. Woodford also has historic buildings like New Hall, which is a 17th-century cottage.

A Look Back: Woodford's History

Woodford has a long history, dating back to 1248. At that time, it was one of several areas in the Barony of Stockport. People started clearing land for farming in the late 1200s, and there was even a mill for grinding corn by 1296.

In 1355, land in Woodford was given to the Davenport family. Woodford was then a small hamlet on the edge of the Macclesfield Forest. The Davenports were an important family in the area. They made their old hall bigger and built the New Hall in the early 1600s. New Hall is one of the oldest brick buildings in the area. The Davenports later moved to a much grander home called Capesthorne Hall.

Dean Water Mill: A Textile Story

The River Dean forms the border between Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Near the Deanwater Bridge, a calico printing mill was built in 1837 by James Andrew. Calico printing was a way to add patterns to fabric. Deanwater House was built as the manager's home for the mill.

The mill closed in 1848 and was later demolished. It was a big workplace, employing 172 people. Half of these workers lived in Woodford. The mill used water power and a steam engine. Sadly, it burned down in 1851.

James Andrew also built about 40 cottages for his workers on King Street. He was interested in building the local church, Christ Church, which was finished in 1841. A school was also built in 1847 by the Davenport family. In 1848, Woodford had a population of 564 people.

Deanwater House continued to be connected to the textile industry. Famous cotton spinners like Robert Platt lived there. Today, Deanwater House is a hotel.

Woodford Aerodrome: Building Airplanes

Woodford Aerodrome was a large factory and airfield south of the village. It was created by the company Avro in 1924. The first air show there was in 1925. Avro later became part of the Hawker Siddeley Group. Many new buildings were put up before Second World War began.

During the war, the aerodrome built thousands of Avro Anson planes. These were used for patrols, training, and transport. Later, they built 200 Avro Manchester bombers. When these planes had engine problems, the famous Avro Lancaster bomber was developed. It used four powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. Over 4,000 Lancasters were built at Woodford, becoming a key part of the RAF's bomber fleet.

After the war, Woodford built Avro Lincoln bombers and then Avro Shackleton planes for sea patrols. From the 1950s, the delta-winged Avro Vulcan nuclear bomber was made here. One Vulcan bomber, XM603, is still kept at the airfield for display.

Later, Woodford built civil airliners like the Hawker Siddeley HS 748, the BAe ATP, and the BAe 146 jet. In the 2000s, the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod reconnaissance plane was assembled there.

From 1968 to 2000, Woodford Aerodrome hosted an annual air show. In 1989, about 3,000 people worked at the site. BAE Systems, the company that owned it, announced its closure in 2009. The site closed in 2012, and the buildings were demolished. However, the old fire station has become the Avro Heritage Museum. This museum celebrates the Avro aircraft built there and displays items from their development.

Today, a large housing estate called Woodford Garden Village is being built on the aerodrome site. Construction started in May 2016.

How Woodford is Governed

Woodford is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester. It used to be a separate civil parish. In 1939, it merged with Hazel Grove and Bramhall. Then, in 1974, it became part of Stockport.

Woodford is in the Cheadle parliamentary area. The local Member of Parliament (MP) is Tom Morrison, who is from the Liberal Democrats party.

Woodford's Location and Environment

Woodford is a semi-rural area, meaning it has both village parts and open countryside. Most of the village is about 90 to 95 meters (295 to 312 feet) above sea level. The ground is mostly made of clay.

Woodford is close to the South Pennines and the Peak District. The River Dean forms the border with Cheshire to the south. To the north and northwest, the M60 and M56 motorways provide easy road connections to other parts of North West England.

Woodford's weather station once recorded a very cold temperature of -17.6°C (0.3°F) on January 8, 2010.

Neighbouring towns, villages and places.

	Cheadle Hulme	Bramhall	Hazel Grove
	Wilmslow		Poynton
		Woodford
	Dean Row	Mottram St. Andrew	Adlington

Woodford's Climate

Places of Worship in Woodford

Chester Road, Woodford in 1904, showing Christ Church in the distance

Woodford Christ Church was finished in 1841. It was built as a "chapel of ease" for the larger Prestbury parish. This means it was a smaller church built for people who lived far from the main parish church. It's made of brick with stone details around the windows. In 1873, Christ Church became its own separate parish.

Learning in Woodford: Schools

Woodford has one primary school called Woodford Primary. It opened in September 2022 and is part of the new Woodford Garden Village housing area. Other nearby schools are in Bramhall, like Queensgate Primary and Bramhall High School.

There used to be a Church of England primary school on Chester Road, but it closed in 1983. A private school then used the same building until 2002, after which the school buildings were turned into houses.

Getting Around: Transport in Woodford

The closest train stations to Woodford are Bramhall and Poynton. These are on the Stafford-Manchester Line. Wilmslow station, on the Crewe-Manchester Line, is also nearby. Local train services are run by Northern.

Buses also connect Woodford to nearby towns. Stagecoach Manchester runs services from a stop near the Davenport Arms pub:

• The 42B bus goes to Manchester every 30 minutes. It passes through Bramhall, Cheadle, and Didsbury.
• The 877 is a school bus service. It runs from Bramhall to Stockport College, stopping at Bramhall High School.

Famous Faces from Woodford

Woodford has been home to some well-known people, especially famous footballers. Both George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were both amazing wingers for Manchester United F.C., have lived here. Ivan Mauger, a famous speedway team captain for Belle Vue, also lived in Woodford.

Images for kids

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  Deanwater Bridge