Salford
Salford (/sɔːlfərd/ SAWL-fərd) is a city in Greater Manchester, England.[2][3] The city is situated in a meander on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester and its city centre. Landmarks in the city include the old town hall, cathedral and St Philips Church. It is the main settlement of the wider City of Salford metropolitan borough.
This article is about the city. For the local government district, see City of Salford. For other uses, see Salford (disambiguation).Salford
8.1 sq mi (21 km2)
129,794 (2021 Census)[1]
8,981/sq mi (3,468/km2)
Salfordian
164 mi (264 km) SE
United Kingdom
SALFORD
0161
Nearby towns in the built-up area include Stretford, Bolton, Sale and Bury with additional towns nearby being Prestwich, Radcliffe and Urmston. The wider metropolitan borough includes the towns of Eccles, Pendlebury, Swinton, Walkden and other surrounding villages and suburbs.
It was the former Salfordshire's judicial seat in historic county of Lancashire. It was granted a market charter in about 1230 by Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester. These two initially made it of greater cultural and commercial importance than neighbouring Manchester:[4] the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries reversed that relationship.[5][6] The former County Borough of Salford was granted city status in 1926: the current wider borough was established in 1974.[7]
The economy of the city was focused on a major cotton and silk spinning and weaving factory district in the 18th and 19th centuries and important inland port on the Manchester Ship Canal from 1894. Industrial decline in the 20th century lead to the city having run-down and antisocial areas.[8] Multiple media sector headquarters relocated to the Salford Quays development called MediaCityUK to replace the loss of heavy industrial.[9] Notable establishments and companies in the city include the University of Salford, Salford City Football Club, Salford Red Devils, Salford Lads' Club, BBC North and ITV Granada.
History[edit]
Toponymy[edit]
The name of Salford derives from Old English: Sealhford, meaning a ford by the willows, (also known as sallows), in reference to the trees growing on the banks of the River Irwell.[10][11] The ford was about where Victoria Bridge is today.[12] Willow trees are still found in Lower Broughton.[11] Salford appears in the pipe roll of 1169 as "Sauford"[13] and in the Lancashire Inquisitions of 1226 as "Sainford".[14]
Sports[edit]
Salford has a notable history in sports, which includes hosting some of the events in the 2002 Commonwealth Games: rugby league, speedway, and horse racing. Salford had a venue for horse racing since the 17th century; the earliest record of racing at Kersal Moor dates from 1687.[156]
Salford Red Devils is the city's rugby league club and has been based in Salford since 1873. They participate in the Super League. Salford now play all home games at the AJ Bell Stadium. Junior rugby league is also played within Salford's boundaries, with Langworthy Reds, Folly Lane and Salford City Roosters amongst other clubs providing playing personnel to the senior club.[157]
The Premiership side Sale Sharks play their home games at the AJ Bell Stadium since the start of the 2012–13 season[158]
Salford Quays has been used as a major international triathlon site, but a 2009 aquathlon was cancelled because of a lack of competitors.[159][160]
During the early part of the 20th century speedway was staged at Albion Stadium.[161]
Prior to Salford City's promotion to the Football League in 2019, Salford was one of the largest settlements in the UK without a league football team;.[162] In the formative years of the sport the region's football heartland was in east Manchester, with few teams to the west.[163] Salford City are Salford's only representatives in the Football League, playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football, as of the 2019–20 season.
Public services[edit]
Under the requirements of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1835, the County Borough of Salford was obliged to appoint a Watch Committee to establish a police force and appoint a chief constable.[175] On 1 June 1968 the Manchester and Salford city constabularies formed the Manchester and Salford Police.[176] Since 1974, Home Office policing in Salford has been provided by the Greater Manchester Police. The force's "(F) Division" has its headquarters for policing the City of Salford at Swinton, with further police stations in Little Hulton, Higher Broughton and Salford.[177] The Statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, whose headquarters are on Bolton Road in nearby Pendlebury.[178]
Salford Royal Hospital dated back to 1830 and was extended in 1911. It was closed and converted into flats.[179] The modern Salford Royal, at Hope, near the boundary with Eccles, was opened in 1882 as the Salford Union Infirmary.[180] Later renamed Hope Hospital and then again as Salford Royal,[181][182] it is a large NHS hospital administrated by Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. In a 2006–07 review of all 394 NHS Trusts in England by the Healthcare Commission, Salford Royal was one of 19 to be rated excellent in its quality of services and its use of resources.[183] The North West Ambulance Service provides emergency patient transport. Other forms of health care are provided for locally by several small clinics and surgeries.
Waste management is co-ordinated by the local authority via the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority.[184] Salford's distribution network operator for electricity is United Utilities; there are no power stations in the city. United Utilities also manages Salford's drinking and waste water.[185]