Clifton, Greater Manchester
Encyclopedia
Clifton is a small town within the metropolitan borough
of the City of Salford
, in Greater Manchester
, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley
in the northern part of the City of Salford.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, Clifton, a former centre for coal mining
, once formed part of the municipal borough of Swinton and Pendlebury
.
Clifton was mentioned in the Pipe Roll of 1183–84.
was situated a few yards to the west of Lumn's Lane on a site currently occupied by a domestic refuse and recycling site, run by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority
. It is thought that the colliery was operating by 1820, and its tramway is shown on a parliamentary plan from 1830. It is also shown on an 1845 map. Clifton Hall Colliery
closed in 1929.
On 18 June 1885, an explosion within the colliery killed 178 men and boys. It is thought that the explosion was caused by firedamp
igniting upon contact with a candle. Blacksmith
George Hindley (aged 16 at the time) and fireman George Higson, were part of a band of men who descended into the mine immediately after the explosion. They both later received an Albert Medal
(2nd class) in recognition of their heroism.
in the hundred of Salford
in the historic county of Lancashire.
on the A666 road
to Bolton
. The township covered 850 acres in the valley of the River Irwell
, which flows on the north east boundary. The Manchester and Bolton railway line passes through and there was a junction with the line to Bury and Rossendale which opened to Rawtenstall in September 1846.
The highest land rises to over 300 feet above sea level to the west of the township near the Worsley
boundary and is moss land. The underlying rocks are New Red Sandstone between Clifton and Ringley while the rest of the township lies on the Middle Coal Measures of the Manchester Coalfield
. The remains of the Wet Earth Colliery
are located in Clifton Country Park
.
. In earlier and more labour-intensive times, the station was known as "Clifton Junction" due to it being located at the junction of the Manchester and Bolton Railway
and Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway lines. The Bury
line left the station/junction and soon passed over Clifton Viaduct
, known locally as "the thirteen arches" and across the Irwell Valley. Clifton Junction was, in the days before mass ownership of the family car, vitally important in bringing workers to the three large factories located minutes away, namely, Magnesium Elektron Ltd (M.E.L.)
, Chloride Batteries and Pilkington's Tiles
. The Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal ran through Clifton and once served these businesses. The Clifton Aqueduct
carried the canal across the River Irwell. and is preserved as a Grade 2 listed building. There are plans to restore the canal for leisure use at a cost of over £50M.
within its boundaries:
. The club's ground is on Manchester Road (A666 road
), Clifton, about half a mile northwest of Junction 16 of the M60 motorway
.
Queensmere Dam off Queensway is leased from the Forestry Commission
by Swinton and Pendlebury Angling club.
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of the City of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. It lies in the Irwell Valley
Irwell Valley
The Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
in the northern part of the City of Salford.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Clifton, a former centre for coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, once formed part of the municipal borough of Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury
Swinton and Pendlebury was a local government district of the administrative county of Lancashire, England. It was created in 1894 as an urban district and enlarged in 1934, gaining the status of municipal borough.-Constituent civil parishes:...
.
History
Clifton is derived from the Old English clif and tun, and means the "settlement near a cliff, slope, or riverbank".Clifton was mentioned in the Pipe Roll of 1183–84.
Coal mining
Clifton Hall CollieryClifton Hall Colliery
Clifton Hall Colliery was one of two coal mines in Clifton on the Manchester Coalfield, historically within Lancashire which was incorporated into the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England in 1974....
was situated a few yards to the west of Lumn's Lane on a site currently occupied by a domestic refuse and recycling site, run by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority
Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority
The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority is a waste disposal authority created under the Local Government Act 1985 to carry out the waste management functions and duties of the Greater Manchester County Council after its abolition in 1986....
. It is thought that the colliery was operating by 1820, and its tramway is shown on a parliamentary plan from 1830. It is also shown on an 1845 map. Clifton Hall Colliery
Clifton Hall Colliery
Clifton Hall Colliery was one of two coal mines in Clifton on the Manchester Coalfield, historically within Lancashire which was incorporated into the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England in 1974....
closed in 1929.
On 18 June 1885, an explosion within the colliery killed 178 men and boys. It is thought that the explosion was caused by firedamp
Firedamp
Firedamp is a flammable gas found in coal mines. It is the name given to a number of flammable gases, especially methane. It is particularly commonly found in areas where the coal is bituminous...
igniting upon contact with a candle. Blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
George Hindley (aged 16 at the time) and fireman George Higson, were part of a band of men who descended into the mine immediately after the explosion. They both later received an Albert Medal
Albert Medal (lifesaving)
The Albert Medal for Lifesaving was a British medal awarded to recognise the saving of life. It has since been replaced by the George Cross.The Albert Medal was first instituted by a Royal Warrant on 7 March 1866 and discontinued in 1971 with the last two awards promulgated in the London Gazette of...
(2nd class) in recognition of their heroism.
Governance
Clifton was a township in the ecclesiastical parish of EcclesEccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
in the hundred of Salford
Salford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
in the historic county of Lancashire.
Geography
Clifton lies five miles north west of ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on the A666 road
A666 road
The A666 is a major road in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, England. Known as Manchester Road, Bolton Road, or Blackburn Road, depending on which area it is in, it runs from its junction with A6 and A580 at the Irlams o' th' Height boundary with Pendlebury near Manchester, through Pendlebury,...
to Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
. The township covered 850 acres in the valley of the River Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
, which flows on the north east boundary. The Manchester and Bolton railway line passes through and there was a junction with the line to Bury and Rossendale which opened to Rawtenstall in September 1846.
The highest land rises to over 300 feet above sea level to the west of the township near the Worsley
Worsley
Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
boundary and is moss land. The underlying rocks are New Red Sandstone between Clifton and Ringley while the rest of the township lies on the Middle Coal Measures of the Manchester Coalfield
Manchester Coalfield
The Manchester Coalfield is part of the South East Lancashire Coalfield. Its coal seams were laid down in the Carboniferous period and some easily accessible seams were worked on a small scale from the Middle Ages and extensively from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th...
. The remains of the Wet Earth Colliery
Wet Earth Colliery
The Wet Earth Colliery has a unique place in British coal mining history, apart from being one of the earliest pits in the country; it is the place where the engineer James Brindley made water run uphill...
are located in Clifton Country Park
Clifton Country Park
Clifton Country Park is a Local Nature Reserve in the Irwell Valley at Clifton, Salford, Greater Manchester, North-west England.The park comprises 48 hectares of wooded area, fields, and lakes. Industrial heritage is also a feature of the park, the remains of the Wet Earth Colliery can be found in...
.
Transport
Clifton is served by Clifton railway station, a small railway station on the main Manchester to Preston LineManchester to Preston Line
The Manchester to Preston Line runs from the city of Manchester to Preston, Lancashire. It is largely used by commuters entering Manchester from surrounding suburbs and cities, but is also one of the main railway lines in the North West and is utilised by intercity services for Scotland and the...
. In earlier and more labour-intensive times, the station was known as "Clifton Junction" due to it being located at the junction of the Manchester and Bolton Railway
Manchester and Bolton Railway
The Manchester and Bolton Railway was a railway in the historic county of Lancashire, England, connecting Salford to Bolton. It was built by the proprietors of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway Company who had in 1831 converted from a canal company...
and Manchester, Bury and Rossendale Railway lines. The Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
line left the station/junction and soon passed over Clifton Viaduct
Clifton Viaduct
Clifton Viaduct is a Grade II listed stone structure crossing the River Irwell in Clifton, Greater Manchester, and also the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. It is known locally as 'The 13 arches'...
, known locally as "the thirteen arches" and across the Irwell Valley. Clifton Junction was, in the days before mass ownership of the family car, vitally important in bringing workers to the three large factories located minutes away, namely, Magnesium Elektron Ltd (M.E.L.)
Elektron (alloy)
Elektron was a magnesium alloy developed in Germany during the First World War between 1914-18 as a substitute for aluminium alloy. Elektron is unusually light and has a specific gravity of about 1.8 compared with the 2.8 of aluminium alloy. Elektron was used to make incendiary bombs: the B-1E...
, Chloride Batteries and Pilkington's Tiles
Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery & Tiles
Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery & Tiles was a manufacturer of tiles, vases and bowls, based in Clifton, Greater Manchester, England. The company was established in 1892 at Clifton Junction, alongside Fletcher's Canal...
. The Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal ran through Clifton and once served these businesses. The Clifton Aqueduct
Clifton Aqueduct
Clifton Aqueduct, built in 1796, carried the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal across the River Irwell in Salford, England. It is preserved as a Grade II listed building. The construction is of dressed stone with brick arches. Three segmental arches with keystones rest on triangular-ended...
carried the canal across the River Irwell. and is preserved as a Grade 2 listed building. There are plans to restore the canal for leisure use at a cost of over £50M.
Education
Clifton currently has two primary schools and a pupil referral unitPupil referral unit
In the UK, a Pupil Referral Unit is a centre for children who are not able to attend a mainstream or special school. Each local education authority has a duty to make arrangements for the provision of education in or out of school for all children of compulsory school age...
within its boundaries:
Sport
Clifton Cricket Club play in the Central Lancashire Cricket LeagueCentral Lancashire Cricket League
The Central Lancashire League is a fifteen team cricket league, traditionally based in Lancashire, England. It is now based around Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. The league runs competitions at First Team, Second Team, Third Team, Under 18, Under 15, Under 13 and Under 11 levels.The...
. The club's ground is on Manchester Road (A666 road
A666 road
The A666 is a major road in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, England. Known as Manchester Road, Bolton Road, or Blackburn Road, depending on which area it is in, it runs from its junction with A6 and A580 at the Irlams o' th' Height boundary with Pendlebury near Manchester, through Pendlebury,...
), Clifton, about half a mile northwest of Junction 16 of the M60 motorway
M60 motorway
The M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
.
Queensmere Dam off Queensway is leased from the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
by Swinton and Pendlebury Angling club.