Urmston

Urmston, pop approx. 38,007 (2001), is a middle class town in Manchester (United Kingdom), in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, and encompasses the smaller town of Davyhulme & the village of Flixton. It lies 6 miles from Manchester City Centre, on the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. Urmston covers an area of 4,799 acres. The centre of Urmston is its precinct, a shopping area which has not changed since the 60s. The shopping area is considered by some local residents to be an eyesore and there is a big development planned for the area. The successful bid for the regeneration of the town centre was won by Ask Property Developmentsin 2004

History

According to the Trafford Council website, Urmston probably started life as Orme's Easton, or Ormestun - the 'tun' or dwelling of Orme Fitz Seward, whose land passed in the 13th century to Richard de Trafford. The land was lost by the de Traffords, but they won it back after a duel; like most long-lasting aristocratic families they enjoyed a fight.

Davyhulme can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was the seat of John Hulme. It is assumed that 'Davy' was prefixed to Hulme, to distinguish it from Hulme in Manchester. In 1948 the then Minister for Health, Aneurin Bevan, conducted the symbolic inauguration of the National Health Service at Davyhulme's Park Hospital (now Trafford General Hospital).

Until 1974, Urmston was a district of Lancashire, with its own Urmston Urban District Council. In 1974, it became a district of Trafford after changes to local administrative units.

Transport and Waterways

Junctions 9 and 10 of the M60 orbital motorway connect Urmston to the rest of Greater Manchester and the motorway network. A well known local landmark, opened in 1960, is the Barton High level motorway bridge, which crosses the Manchester Ship Canal.

Urmston is also connected to Liverpool and Manchester by the Manchester-Liverpool Railway. There are two railway stations in Urmston (Chassen Road, and Urmston), as well as a station in Flixton.

The area is well served by [bus]. Service numbers 15, 255, 256 connect Urmston with Manchester, whilst the 22, 23, 23a connect with Stockport. Since opening, The Trafford Centre has become a major bus hub, with many services terminating there.

Both the Manchester Ship Canal, and the River Mersey pass close by.

Housing

The average price for a semi-detached home in Urmston is £155,475, whilst a detached house will cost on average £247,630. Semi-detached prices have more than doubled from an average of £60,000 in 1998, when The Trafford Centre, a regional shopping centre, opened to just to the north of Urmston. These figures are, however, below the England and Wales average.

Education

Secondary schools in the area include Urmston Grammar School Science College, Flixton High School for Girls and Wellacre High School Technology College for Boys. Urmston Grammar School has a 99% GCSE pass rate, compared to a national average of 54%.

Leisure

Public Leisure facilities are managed by the Trafford Community Leisure Trust. Their facilities include:

• Urmston Leisure Centre
• George H Carnall Leisure Centre
• William Wroe Golf Club

In addition to William Wroe, there are two other Golf Clubs: Davyhulme Park Golf Club, and Flixton Golf Club.

Abbotsfield Park, known colloquially as 'Chassen Park' features a minature railway, and was the venue for an early Beatles concert, booked before they became famous. When they appeared at Abbotsfield, they were international stars.

Urmston Cricked Club is located on Moorside Road, next to the Lawn Tennis Club. The Curzon Cinema is nearby.

To the north of Urmston is situated The Trafford Centre, the enormous regional shopping and leisure complex which opened in September 1998, is owned by Peel Holdings. It covers 30 football pitches, has free parking for 10,000 vehicles, and it's covered malls host 3 miles of shop frontage. As well a hosting to high street names (Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, BHS, Next etc), the centre, features an Orient (with well known fast food chains, and restraunts), a 20 screen UCI cinema.

The Trafford Centre was a controversial project. Some local residents feel that the Centre has brought traffic pollution and congestion to the town, and feel that it has contributed significantly to the decline of Urmton Precinct, where many units are now either closed or 'pound stores.'

Adjacent to the Centre, is the Trafford Regional Sports Complex. This incorporates a JJB sports soccer dome, which comprises an extensive gym, swimming pool and 18 in-door football pitches with a David Lloyd health and fitness club nearby. The latest addition to the complex is a £3.5 million state-of-the-art golf driving range - The Playgolf Experience - which is the first in the UK.

Political Representation

Stretford and Urmston are currently represented in Parliament by Beverley Hughes MP.

In local elections for Trafford Council, Urmston is split into four wards - Urmston, Davyhulme East, Davyhulme West, and Flixton - each of which elect three councilors on a yearly rotating basis. Currently all 12 of these councilors are Conservative.

Famous People

Famous people to have come from Urmston include the entertainer Matthew Kelly, the author Stephen Leather , the actor Ian McShane, and the footballer Frank Swift .

Maps/Images of Urmston (External Links)

• Map of the Borough of Trafford from Trafford MBC
• Map of Urmston Town Centre from Trafford MBC
• Map of Urmston from Multimap
• Urmston from the air

External Links

• Web site for Urmston and surrounding areas
• Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council web site
• Stretford and Urmston Messenger
• The Trafford Centre website
• Trafford Centre Information Pack (PDF)