Stockport as a place to live

Situated in the Greater Manchester region, Stockport is a large town lying on elevated ground 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Manchester city centre.
Stockport in the 16th century was a small town entirely on the south bank of the River Mersey, and known for the cultivation of hemp and rope manufacture. In the 18th century the town had one of the first mechanised silk factories in the British Isles. However, Stockport’s predominant industries of the 19th century were the cotton and allied industries. Stockport was also at the centre of the country’s hatting industry, which by 1884 was exporting more than six million hats a year; the last hat works in Stockport closed in 1997.

Some local landmarks include;

– Stockport Town Hall: Designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas, has a ballroom described by Sir John Betjeman as ‘magnificent’ containing the largest Wurlitzer theatre organ in Britain.
– The War memorial and art gallery are located on Greek Street opposite the town hall.
– Underbank Hall: A Grade II* listed late 16th century timber framed building. Since 1824, it has been used as a bank and its main banking hall lies behind the 16th-century structure and dates from 1915.
– Stockport Viaduct: At 111 feet (34 m) high it carries four railway tracks over the River Mersey on the line to Manchester Piccadilly. The viaduct built using 11 million bricks, a major feat of Victorian engineering and was completed in 21 months at a cost of £70,000.
– Vernon Park: The main municipal park, located to the east towards Bredbury, was opened on 20 September 1858 on the anniversary of the Battle of Alma in the Crimean War. It was named after Lord Vernon who presented the land to the town.

Transport connections are excellent both locally and nationally. The Manchester orbital M60 motorway and A6 road to London cross at Stockport. Stockport railway station is a mainline station on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line and is connected with Central London by Virgin Trains with services departing every twenty minutes and also has inter-city services to Sheffield, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol and other major cities.
Manchester Airport, the busiest in the England outside London, is five miles (8 km) southwest of the town.
Stockport bus station, which serves as a terminus for many services across the borough, is one of the largest and busiest bus stations in Greater Manchester.

Educationally, Stockport is very well served in providing a multitude of schools from primary through to secondary and on to higher education and serving a variety of faiths, including Church of England, Catholic and Jewish.

The largest establishments are;

– Stockport College with over 11,000 students.
– Kingsway and Marple Hall are the largest secondary schools
– Stockport Grammar School is the largest independent chool having been established since the 15th centuary

Other places to live in Greater Manchester

Whilst this page focuses on Stockport, why not take a look at some of the other places to live in Greater Manchester.

Start your search for affordable homes in Stockport, Greater Manchester today.

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