Hale, Greater Manchester
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hale is a large village and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.[2] It is contiguous with the southeast of Altrincham, approximately nine miles (14.5km) southwest of the city of Manchester and historically part of Cheshire.
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[edit] History
The first mention of Hale is in Domesday Survey of 1086; however, what little evidence - in the form of etymology and a few surviving records of events in the area - there is points to the Saxons settling the area in the 7th century. According to the Domesday Book, the manor of Hale was owned by a Saxon thegn Aelfward, who was replaced by the Norman, Hamon de Massey who also gained possession of Dunham and Bowdon. Though there is no documentation on how Hale fared in the ‘Harrying of the North’ (retribution from William the Conqueror in 1069-70 for the rebellion against Norman rule), the value of the land in the Domesday Book recovered to the point where the manor was considered prosperous.[3] De Massey established Dunham as his head manor (which became Dunham Massey), and the de Massey family remained barons of this area until the mid 14th century, due to the extinction of the Massey line. A this point, Hale was divided between the Booths of Dunham the - family that would go on to become Earls of Stamford - and two other owners.[3] Throughout this period, the area surrounding Hale was utilised primarily agriculturally. Hale expanded and prospered over throughout the middle ages to the extent that by the middle of the 15th century a tithe barn had been established in Hale Barns - the value of the tithe taken from Hale was more than double that of any other township in the Bowdon parish. The growth of Hale throughout the Middle Ages resulted in the establishment of Hale Barns as a separate settlement to Hale. Previously Hale Barns had merely been an isolated extension of the main settlement of Hale, but the first explicit reference to the village of Hale Barns is in documentation from 1616.[4]
During the English Civil War, Cheshire generally supported the Parliamentarian cause, though as with the rest of the country the war caused division even within families. There is little documentation of what happened to Hale during the civil war, though there was a heavy tax paid to support the Parliamentarian army they avoided much of the requisitioning of supplies and animals for passing armies. None of the Royalists in Hale and Hale Barns had their lands confiscated or were forced to pay fines.
The Cheshire Midland Railway(later the Cheshire Lines Committee) opened from Altrincham to Knutsford on 12 May 1862 with a station in Hale named Peel Causeway. It was the arrival of the railway in Hale in the mid nineteenth century that prompted the change from an agricultural village to a commuter town for middle class merchants working in the city. The station was renamed Hale in 1902.
[edit] Etymology
The name Hale derives from the Anglo Saxon halh meaning a nook or shelter,[3] as supported by the surrounding area which has natural features that would provide shelter. The name Hale has a number of recurrences throughout Britain which is unsurprising as during Anglo Saxon times shelter or a safe place was always important.
[edit] Governance
[edit] Civic history
Between 1900 and 1974, Hale lay within the Hale Urban District of the administrative county of Cheshire.[5]
As part of local government reforms, on April 1, 1974, Hale Urban District was abolished and its territory amalgamated into the new Metropolitan Borough of Trafford of Greater Manchester.
[edit] Local government
The ward of Hale Central has three out of sixty three seats on Trafford Borough Council, and as of the 2007 local election all 3 seats were held by Conservatives.[6]
The current local councillors for Hale Central Ward are:
- Councillor Colin Foster (Conservative) Current Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee of Trafford MBC[7]
- Councillor Alan Mitchell (Conservative) Current Chair of the Accounts and Audit Committee[8]
- Councillor Patricia Young (Conservative) c/o Trafford Town Hall; current Vice-Chair of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee[9]
[edit] Member of Parliament
Hale forms part of the Altrincham and Sale West Constituency and is represented in the House of Commons by the Conservative MP, Graham Brady. This is one of only a small number of seats in the north-west held by the Conservative Party, and the only one in Greater Manchester.
[edit] Geography
Hale lies to the southeast of Altrincham with the towns of Hale Barns and Bowdon to the east and west respectively. Hale is bounded by the River Bollin to the south and Altrincham Golf Course to the north. The local geology consists of sand and gravel deposited during the last ice age. In common with much of Cheshire, the bedrock of Hale is mainly sandstone.[10]
[edit] Sub-districts
[edit] Population change
| Population growth in Hale since 1801 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 2001 |
| Population | 783 | 929 | 958 | 945 | 974 | 995 | 1,160 | 1,711 | 2,222 | 3,114 | 4,562 | 8,351 | 9,300 | 10,667 | 13,208 | 12,152 | 14,800 | 17,065 | 15,868 |
| Source: A Vision of Britain through Time[11] | |||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Religion
[edit] Churches
Hale Chapel was established in Hale Barns by Nonconformists in 1723 on what is now Chapel Lane. It underwent alterations around 1880. The Chapel is the earliest place of worship in either Hale or Hale Barns and is a Grade II* Listed Building. It also boasts an eighteenth century pulpit and nineteenth century stained glass.[12]
[edit] Synagogues
The Hale & District Hebrew Congregation was born at a Rosh Hashanah in 1976 when a group of brave pioneers decided to try and start a synagogue in their area. One family offered the use of an empty flat in Delahays Road and the others gathered the necessary equipment and furniture to hold the first service on 6th November, attended by 60 people. A Sefer Torah was loaned by Stenecourt Synagogue and other Manchester communities provided support in different ways.
Increasing attendance, including large numbers of children, inspired the founders to find larger premises at the Bowden Jubilee Rooms until the current site in Shay Lane was purchased in April 1978.
The first Rabbi was Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Rabinowitz zt”l, who was persuaded to come out of retirement to become part-time minister of the new community. The late Rabbi Leonard Tann took over in 1981 until the appointment of Rabbi Joel Portnoy in 1987.
The original Shule and Community Centre building in Hale served its members well for 20 years until the community outgrew its facilities. In 2002, an ambitious rebuilding project was launched, forcing the congregation to hold its services in a tent in a neighbouring field for 16 months, until the new Hale Shule and P.J. Davis Community Centre was consecrated and opened in March 2003.
[edit] Transport
Hale’s proximity to the transport interchange in Altrincham ensures that there are regular bus services to Hale and Hale Barns. The town is also situated to the west of Manchester Airport. Also present is Hale Railway Station in the centre of the town. The station is on the Mid-Cheshire Line between Chester and Manchester.
[edit] Present day
[edit] Hotels
The Britannia Ashley Hotel is situated in the modern development in the centre of Hale Village. The Quality Hotel is situated to the west.
[edit] Leisure and recreation
- Hale Library is situated in Leigh Road.
- The centre of Hale Village has a Bowling Green. A further Crown Green Bowling Green is attached the Bulls Head Public House in Hale Barns.
- There is also many Parks including Stamford Park named after Lord Stamford of Dunham Massey
[edit] Place of interest
Royd House is situated on Hale Road. The house was designed by architect Edgar Wood and built for himself as his home. It is regarded as one of the most advanced examples of early twentieth century domestic architecture and is referenced in a number of architectural digests. Royd House is a Grade I Listed Building.[13]
[edit] Notable residents
Residents include a number of professional footballers, minor celebrities and people seen on television: Roy Keane Dwight Yorke Nicky Butt Harry Kewell Sally Whittaker Fred Talbot Craig Charles Michael Le Vell[citation needed] Russell Watson James Beattie Bryan Robson Bernard Cribbins Andrew Flintoff
[edit] References
- ^ Census 2001. Retrieved on 2007-09-06.
- ^ Anon. A select gazetteer of local government areas, Greater Manchester County. Greater Manchester County Records Office. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
- ^ a b c R. N. Dore (1972). A History of Hale, Cheshire: From Domesday to Dormitory. John Sherratt and Son Ltd, Altrincham. ISBN 0-85427-030-2.
- ^ Mike Nevell (1998). Lands and Lordships in Tameside. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. ISBN 1-871324-18-1.
- ^ Hale UD, Vision of Britain. URL accessed February 16, 2007.
- ^ Anon. Local Election Results 2007. Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
- ^ Anon. Councillor Colin Foster. Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
- ^ Anon. Councillor Alan Mitchell. Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
- ^ Anon. Councillor Patricia Young. Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
- ^ D Bayliss (1996). Historical atlas of Trafford. Altrincham. D Bayliss. ISBN 0-9529300-0-5.
- ^ Nevell (1997), p. 87.
- ^ Anon (2001). Images of England: Hale Chapel. English Heritage. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
- ^ Royd House. Images of England. Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
[edit] Bibliography
- Nevell, Mike (1997). The Archaeology of Trafford. Trafford Metropolitan Borough with University of Manchester Archaeological Unit. ISBN 1870695259.
