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Irlam

Coordinates:53°26′42″N2°25′19″W/ 53.445°N 2.422°W/53.445; -2.422
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Irlam
St. John's Church
Irlam is located in Greater Manchester
Irlam
Irlam
Location withinGreater Manchester
Population19,933(2011)
OS grid referenceSJ725945
London166 mi (267 km)SE
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMANCHESTER
Postcode districtM44
Dialling code0161
PoliceGreater Manchester
FireGreater Manchester
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester
53°26′42″N2°25′19″W/ 53.445°N 2.422°W/53.445; -2.422

Irlamis a suburb in theCity of Salford,Greater Manchester,England.[1]In 2011, it had a population of 19,933.[2]It lies on flat ground on the south side of theM62 motorwayand the north bank of theManchester Ship Canal,6.7 miles (10.8 km) southwest ofSalford,7.6 miles (12.2 km) southwest ofManchesterand 8.3 miles (13.4 km) northeast ofWarrington.Irlam forms a continuous urban area withCadisheadto the southwest, and is divided fromFlixtonand theMetropolitan Borough of Traffordto the southeast by the Manchester Ship Canal. The main road through Irlam, linking it toCadisheadandEccles,is theA57.Irlam railway stationalso serves the district.

Irlam was anciently known as Irwellham, an outlying area ofChat Moss,a largepeat bogwhich straddled theRiver Irwell.Work was carried out in the 19th century to reclaim large areas to enable the completion of theLiverpool and Manchester Railwayin 1829. In 1894, the Irwell was adjusted so that its waters were united with the Manchester Ship Canal, stimulating the growth of Irlam as an inland port. Irlam Urban District was established in the same year and was governed thereafter by its own district council until its abolition in 1974.

Irlam's geography is varied: the northern half is still moss land, with a large farming community; the southern half is predominantly residential.

History[edit]

Irlam is on the north bank of theRiver Irwell,from which it almost certainly takes its name, being known in the 13th century asIrwellham.[3]Until the arrival of theCheshire Lines Committeerailway and the opening ofIrlam railway stationin 1873, Irlam remained a largely undeveloped village, on the southern edge of the peat bog known asChat Moss.[4]

From at least the beginning of the 13th century, Irlam was held by the Irlam family, whose seat was Irlam Hall. By 1688 Irlam Hall had become the home of Thomas Latham, who played an important part in bringingWilliam of Orangeto the throne of England in 1689.[5]

Irlam Urban District was created in 1894, the same year that the Manchester Ship Canal opened. A pair of locks and a ship coaling berth were constructed here. The subsequent industrial development of Irlam owed much to the construction of the canal, which effectively rendered the River Irwell navigable to large ocean-going ships up toManchester Docks.The Latham family's importance to the local area was acknowledged when their features were incorporated into the arms of Irlam's former urban district council.[4]

Council-owned housing passed to theCity West Housing Trust.It was while renovating some of these properties that there was a large gas explosion at 7:00 am on 2 November 2010. Four houses were destroyed, 15 people were injured and 80 families were subsequently evacuated. There were no fatalities.[6]

Governance[edit]

The ward elect three councillors toSalford City Councilvia itsIrlam ward.[7]The current councillors are: Roger Jones (Labour Co-op),[8]Peter Taylor (Labour),[9]and Tracy Kelly (Labour).[10]It is represented inWestminsterbyBarbara KeeleyMPforWorsley and Eccles South.[11]

Economy[edit]

Steel manufacture was a major source of employment in Irlam for a large part of the 20th century. The Partington Steel and Iron Company opened the first steelworks in Irlam in 1910. It subsequently became a part of theLancashire Steel Corporation,and laterBritish Steel Corporation.Rationalisation and the concentration of steel manufacture into fewer, larger sites, meant that by 1979, all steel production in Irlam had ceased.[12]The former steelworks are now the site of Northbank Industrial Estate.

Kingsland Wine & Spirits, the UK's largest independent wine bottler, operates from a 35-acre (14 ha) site in Irlam, formerly a soapworks established in 1895. The company employs 300 people.[13]

Sport[edit]

Irlam F.C.is a semi-professional football club that plays in theNorth West Counties Leagueand has its ground at the Ambitek Stadium on Silver Street. There are two junior football teams in the area, one of them being Irlam JFC.

Irlam Cricket Club plays in the Greater Manchester Cricket League, and Irlam Leisure Centre is a facility with a swimming pool, sports hall, squash court and fitness gym.

Notable people[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Irlam, Salford – area information, map, walks and more".Retrieved4 July2018.
  2. ^"Town population 2011".Retrieved7 January2016.
  3. ^"Townships:Barton".A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4.1911.Retrieved26 June2007.
  4. ^ab"Irlam & Cadishead – Local History".Salford City Council. Archived fromthe originalon 26 November 2006.Retrieved24 April2007.
  5. ^Cooper,Salford: An Illustrated History,p. 169.
  6. ^Carter, Helen (2 November 2010),"Salford gas explosion leaves 15 injured",The Guardian
  7. ^"Your Councillors".sccdemocracy.salford.gov.uk.Salford City Council.Retrieved7 April2017.
  8. ^"Councillor Roger Jones".sccdemocracy.salford.gov.uk.Salford City Council.Retrieved7 April2017.
  9. ^"Councillor Peter Taylor".sccdemocracy.salford.gov.uk.Salford City Council.Retrieved7 April2017.
  10. ^"Councillor Tracy Kelly".sccdemocracy.salford.gov.uk.Salford City Council.Retrieved7 April2017.
  11. ^"Barbara Keeley MP".parliament.uk.UK Parliament.Retrieved7 April2017.
  12. ^Eyewitness in Manchester,Manchester Online, archived fromthe originalon 29 September 2007,retrieved28 June2007
  13. ^"From the New World to Irlam with Kingsland Wines",Manchester Evening News,11 March 2010,retrieved28 February2011– via NewsBank
  14. ^Helen Pidd (4 July 2018)."How philanthropy breathed new life into a forgotten Salford suburb".The Guardian.
  15. ^Aaron Bower (5 September 2014)."Matty Blythe signs up at Bradford Bulls".Total Rugby League.
  16. ^"Player profile – Bob Dale".Colchester United. Archived fromthe originalon 13 June 2012.
  17. ^"Ian Goodwin".Barry Hugman's Footballers.Retrieved5 July2020.
  18. ^"Lifetime devoted to preserving Ireland's past".The Irish Times(obituary). 16 March 2002.
  19. ^Simon Donohue (29 January 2004)."Why posh is not my voice choice".City Life.Archived fromthe originalon 8 March 2012.
  20. ^"Players: Adam Neal".Salford City Reds. Archived fromthe originalon 17 December 2011.
  21. ^"Trotters chance for Talbot".Manchester Evening News.22 January 2013 [17 February 2007].
  22. ^"Ernest Warburton".Daily Telegraph(obituary). 11 September 2001.
  23. ^Katie Binns (21 June 2020)."Russell Watson: I would hide behind the sofa from the bailiffs".The Sunday Times.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Cooper, Glynis (2005).Salford: An Illustrated History.The Breedon Books Publishing Company.ISBN1-85983-455-8.

External links[edit]