Cheadle, Greater Manchester

The name of the village is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, in the form Cedde; from the twelfth century onwards it appears in forms such as Chedle, Chedlee, Chedlegh, and Chelle.^[2][3] The second part of the name is agreed to come from the Old English word lēah ("clearing in woodland". The first part is usually agreed to come from the Common Brittonic word that survives in modern Welsh as coed ("wood").^{[4][5]: 280} However, it is possible that it originated instead in the Old English word cēod ("a bag, a bag-like hollow").^[3]

There has been human occupation in the area that is now Cheadle since prehistoric times.^{[citation needed]} The earliest evidence of civilisation is of burial mounds dating from the Iron Age, belonging to Celts who occupied Britain. Later, the area was occupied by Brigantes, whose activity was discovered in the form of axe fragments.

In the first millennium, Romans occupied the area, and their coins have been discovered. During the seventh century, St. Chad preached in the area.^[6] A stone cross dedicated to him was found close to the confluence of the River Mersey and Micker Brook in 1873.^[7]

It was held by Gamel, a free Saxon under Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester; it was about three miles long and half as wide, containing both wooded and open land, with areas enclosed for hunting purposes.^[2] This early manor occupied the approximate areas of both modern day Cheadle and Cheadle Hulme.

By June 1294, Geoffrey de Chedle was lord of the manor, and it was valued at about £20 per annum. Geoffrey's descendant Robert (or Roger) died in the early 1320s, leaving the estate to his wife Matilda who held it until her death in 1326.^[7] As there were no male heirs the manor, which was now worth £30 per annum,^[8] was divided between her daughters, Clemence and Agnes. Agnes inherited the northern half (which would later become the modern-day Cheadle), and Clemence inherited the southern half (latterly Cheadle Hulme). The two areas became known as "Chedle Bulkeley" and "Chedle Holme" respectively.

William de Bulkeley succeeded his mother, and was a participant in several wars in France for Edward, the Black Prince. His son, Richard, was sent to live at the court Richard II, and later to a baron whose daughter Margery married Richard. Richard died at the age of 21, but Margery lived until she was around 90 years old. She was succeeded by her grandson and great-grandson, both named William. Shortly after the Battle of Bosworth, the latter William was succeeded by his brother Richard.^[9]

During the reign of Henry VIII, the current St Mary's Church on High Street was built.^[10] There has been a church on the site since the 12th century, the original being constructed of wood,^[2] but it was rebuilt in stone between 1520 and 1550.^[11] The church contains an effigy of John Stanley who, along with many other men from the area, fought in the Battle of Flodden.^[10] Later he claimed the manor for himself, but was imprisoned by Thomas Wolsey who ensured the land went to its rightful owner.^[12]

The Bulkeleys continued to hold the lands as lords of the manor until the 18th century, when the manor was purchased by Thomas Egerton.

 

Moseley Old Hall, an early Stuart mansion dating from 1666 is still standing and is owned privately.

Abney Hall is a late Victorian hall from 1847 and was used as the Cheadle town hall from 1959 until 1974: it is now used for offices. It is surrounded by parkland which is open to the public all year round and features some of the only wetlands left in Stockport.

Cheadle grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution when it was used as a stopping point for travellers and merchants on their way to central Manchester.

Cheadle is a suburban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, 3 miles (4.8 km) from Stockport town centre and 8 miles (13 km) from Manchester city centre. It is close to Manchester Airport. Cheadle lies on the Cheshire Plain in the final meander of the Ladybrook Valley before it joins the River Mersey to the north. Cheadle is on the A560 from Stockport to Chester and borders onto the A34. Its geology is boulder clay and gravels: the parkland of Abney Hall to the north is on the flood plain of the Mersey.

Lying within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Cheadle was an ancient parish in the Hundred of Stockport. The parish included the townships of Cheadle Bulkeley and Cheadle Moseley (which included Cheadle Hulme). Following the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, part of Cheadle Bulkeley was amalgamated into the Municipal Borough of Stockport.^[13] Cheadle Bulkeley and Cheadle Moseley became separate civil parishes in 1866, but on 29 September 1879 they were united to form the new civil parish of Cheadle.^[14][15]

In 1886, Cheadle was in the Cheadle and Gatley local board of health, a regulatory body responsible for standards of hygiene and sanitation for the area of Stockport Etchells township and the part of Cheadle township outside the Municipal Borough of Stockport. The board of health was also part of Stockport poor law union. In 1888 the board was divided into four wards: Adswood, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme and Gatley.^[16] Under the Local Government Act 1894 the area of the local board became Cheadle and Gatley Urban District. There were exchanges of land with the neighbouring former urban districts of Wilmslow and Handforth in 1901, and the wards were restructured again, splitting Cheadle Hulme into north and south, and merging in Adswood.^[16] Due to the fast-paced growth of the district, the wards were again restructured in 1930, with the addition of Heald Green. On 31 March 1930 the parish was abolished and mergd with Stockport Etchells to form Cheadle and Gatley.^[17] In 1921 the parish had a population of 8845.^[18] In 1940 the current wards of Adswood, Cheadle East, Cheadle West, Cheadle Hulme North, Cheadle Hulme South, Gatley and Heald Green were established.^[19] Under the Local Government Act 1972 the Cheadle and Gatley Urban District was abolished, and Cheadle has, since 1 April 1974, formed an unparished area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.^[13]

Since 1950, Cheadle has been part of the Cheadle parliamentary constituency.^[20] As of 2024, it is represented by Liberal Democrats. The area (listed as Cheadle and Gatley) has three councillors who serve on the borough council, who are all Liberal Democrats.^[21]

Cheadle's public transport is currently confined to bus routes provided by several operators, predominantly Stagecoach Manchester. Key routes include:^[22]

• 11: Altrincham to Stockport, via Baguley, Wythenshawe Hospital and Wythenshawe
• 370/1: Altrincham to Stockport, via Timperley, Baguley and Gatley
• 42B: Woodford to Manchester city centre, via Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and East Didsbury
• 42C: Handforth Dean to Manchester city centre, via Heald Green and East Didsbury.

The locality was served between 1866 until 1964 by a Cheshire Lines Committee railway station (initially called Cheadle and, from 1950, Cheadle North) situated 600 yards (550 m) north of the village on the west side of Manchester Road. It was also served, from 1866 until 1917, by Cheadle LNWR, a London & North Western Railway station located next to the railway overbridge near the centre of the village. Both stations were on lines leading from Altrincham to Stockport.

There are now advanced plans to build a new station in Cheadle, on the Mid-Cheshire line between Altrincham and Stockport. The station facilities would be built on the car park of the Alexandra Hospital, near to where the former LNWR station was sited. It is expected to open in 2025.^[23]

Nearby stations are located at Gatley, approximately one mile west of Cheadle, and the neighbouring areas of East Didsbury (within the City of Manchester's boundaries), Cheadle Hulme and Heald Green.^[24]

Cheadle is accessed by junctions 2 and 3 of the M60 Manchester orbital motorway.

Cheadle is located approximately 4 miles from Manchester Airport.

A number of houses in Cheadle that were built in the 1800s still stand today, in a conservation area in the centre of the village.

There is also a Manchester overspill council estate that was constructed shortly after the Second World War to rehouse families from the Victorian slums of inner-city Manchester. In April 2008, these homes were transferred to a housing association, Mossbank Homes.

The following educational establishments are in Cheadle:

Primary schools:

• Cheadle Primary School
• Ladybridge Primary School
• Meadowbank Primary School

Secondary schools:

• The Kingsway School (upper)

Special education:

• Together Trust (made up of Child and Youth Care Education Service (CYCES) and Inscape House)

Independent schools:

• Lady Barn House School

Cheadle is home to the HQ of sportswear giants Umbro.

It formerly had the head office of Nord Anglia Education.^[25] At a later time the Nord Anglia Cheadle housed the International Schools and Learning Services divisions.^[26]

Currently Cheadle is home to the UK head office of the largest global provider of high school exchange - Educatius "[1]

The village's football club is Cheadle Town F.C. that play in the North West Counties Football League.

• Sir Norman Kendal CBE (1880–1966) barrister and Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police
• Air Commodore Henry Probert MBE (1926–2007) RAF officer,^[27] historian and RAF Director of Education 1976–1978.
• Christopher Priest (born 1943) novelist ^[28] and science fiction writer.
• Diana Darvey (1945–2000), actress,^[29] singer and dancer, best known for her appearances on The Benny Hill Show
• Nigel Williams (born 1948) novelist,^[30] screenwriter and playwright.
• Adam Thomas (born 1988) actor and local business owner
• Jason Manford (born 1981) comedian
• Lauren Drummond (born 1988) actress

• Henry Pickford (1880 – not known), first-class cricketer
• Jeff Whitefoot (born 1933) former footballer,^[31] over 360 pro appearances
• John Herety (born 1958) former racing cyclist,^[32] Great Britain in the 1980 Summer Olympics
• Damien Allen (born 1986) footballer,^[33] over 230 pro appearances, currently playing for Aberystwyth Town F.C.

• Listed buildings in Cheadle and Gatley
• Cheadle – the Cheadle constituency.
• Cheadle, Alberta, Canada – a Canadian town, also called Cheadle

• Bowden, Tom (3 January 1974). Community and Change: A History of Local Government in Cheadle and Gatley. Cheadle and Gatley Urban District Council.
• Clarke, Heather (1972). Cheadle Through the Ages. Manchester: E. J. Morten. ISBN 0-901598-44-5.
• Craig, Fred W. S. (1972). Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972. Political Reference Publications. ISBN 0-900178-09-4.
• Squire, Carol (January 1976). Cheadle Hulme: A Brief History. Recreation and Culture Division, Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cheadle, Greater Manchester.

 

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Cheadle (Cheshire)".

• Cheadle Online – Cheadle Community Website