Wilmslow

Wilmslow
—  Town  —
Wilmslow
 Wilmslow shown within Cheshire
Population 24,497 (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSJ840810
   – London  154 mi (248 km)[1] SE
Unitary authorityCheshire East
Ceremonial countyCheshire
RegionNorth West
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town WILMSLOW
Postcode district SK9
Dialling code 01625
Police Cheshire
Fire Cheshire
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK ParliamentTatton
List of places
UK
England
Cheshire

Coordinates: 53°19′30″N 2°14′20″W / 53.325°N 2.239°W / 53.325; -2.239

Wilmslow is a town in Cheshire, England, that is 11 mi (18 km) south of Manchester. The area, which lies between Handforth and similarly affluent Alderley Edge, is known for its upmarket lifestyle and its many rich and famous residents.[2] It is one of the most sought-after places to live in the UK after central London, and falls within the Cheshire Golden Triangle. It has one of the highest proportions of wealthier residents in the North of England.[3] The town has boutique shops, cafes and restaurants, and high-marque car showrooms which cater for those associated with the "Cheshire Set" lifestyle.[4]

The population of Wilmslow was 30,326 in the 2001 Census,[5] reducing to 24,497 at the 2011 Census.[6] The town is in the parliamentary constituency of Tatton, represented by Conservative George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

History

Toponymy

Wilmslow derives its name from Anglo-Saxon Wīghelmes hlāw = "mound of a man called Wīghelm."

Lindow Man

Much about the local Iron Age history of Wilmslow was uncovered with the discovery of Lindow Man, in Lindow Moss. Preserved in the peat bogs for 2000 years, Lindow Man is one of the most important Iron Age finds in the country. Despite a campaign to keep Lindow Man in the area, he was transferred to the British Museum and is a central feature of the Iron Age exhibition. Lindow Man returned to Manchester Museum in April 2008 for a year-long exhibition.

Events

Wilmslow was in the international media in March 1997, when an IRA bomb exploded near the railway station damaging signalling equipment. The original IRA message was confusing and led to the evacuation of the Wilmslow Police Station to the local leisure centre not far from the explosion. Nobody was hurt.[7]

In the general election of the same year, the parliamentary constituency of Tatton, in which Wilmslow falls, made headlines as part of the "sleaze" accusations levelled against the then Conservative Government. Tatton MP, Neil Hamilton, was accused of accepting cash for tabling Parliamentary questions, and subsequently defeated in the election by independent candidate Martin Bell. Bell was supported in his door to door canvasing for votes by David Soul and served a single term as MP.

Wilmslow held its first Scarecrow Festival in July 2010 with 85 local businesses taking part and 93 different scarecrows. Organised by the Rotary Club of Wilmslow Dean and the members of the Wilmslow Business Group, the week-long festival has transformed the town centre and received a tremendous response.[8]

Administrative history

Wilmslow was one of the eight ancient parishes of the Macclesfield Hundred of Cheshire. It was subdivided into the townships of Bollinfee, Chorley, Fulshaw and Pownall Fee. Under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 the townships became civil parishes in their own right. Wilmslow was recreated as a civil parish on 30 September 1894[9] when Pownall Fee and Fulshaw were abolished. Wilmslow gained the whole of Fulshaw and part of Pownall Fee; the other 1,523 acres (6.16 km2) of Pownall Fee were used to create the new Styal civil parish. The Wilmslow Urban District Council came into being in 1895 consisting only of the previous civil parish of Wilmslow.[10] On 21 June 1951 it was granted its own Coat of Arms.[11] On 1 April 2009 it became part of the Cheshire East unitary authority.

Expansion

On 1 April 1936, Wilmslow lost 19 acres (77,000 m2) to Alderley Edge. However it gained 3 acres (12,000 m2) from Chorley and on the abolition of Bollinfee, Handforth and Styal civil parishes it gained 1, 1080 and 1,521 acres (6.16 km2) respectively.

Wilmslow along with other towns such as Whitworth, Poynton and Alderley Edge successfully objected to being part of the metropolitan county Greater Manchester when it was formed in 1974 although the town does form part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.

Demography

Wilmslow Compared
2001 UK CensusWilmslowCheshireEngland
Total population25,498673,78149,138,831
White95.9%98.4%90.9%
Asian1.8%0.5%4.6%
Black0.3%0.2%2.3%

Population and ethnicity

According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 the wards of Wilmslow North and Wilmslow South have a combined population of 25,498, of which 13,400 (52.5%) are females and 12,098 (47.5%) are males. In addition, 5197 (20.4%) are aged 16 and under while 4780 (18.8%) are aged 65 and over.[12]

Ethnic white groups (British, Irish, other) account for 95.9% of the population, with ethnic minority groups accounting for 4.1% of the population.

Religion

St Bartholomew's Church

A breakdown of religious groups and denominations:

Places of worship

There are three Church of England churches in Wilmslow, St. Bartholomew's, St Anne's and St John's. St Bartholomew's is a 16th-century building, which was modified in the 19th century. It has a turreted bell tower.

The Sacred Heart & St Teresa's Church is the Roman Catholic church and dates from the late 19th century.[13]

Dean Row Chapel, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the town centre, is a Grade II* listed building built around the end of the 17th century. Initially Presbyterian, it is now a Unitarian chapel.[14]

Geography

Situated in the north of England, 11 miles (18 km) from Manchester city centre and 7 miles (11 km) from Macclesfield, Wilmslow town centre is focused upon Bank Square, Grove Street and Water Lane. Although Bank Square has traditionally provided the location for many of the town's banks, the name in fact originates from the bank, or slope, leading down to The Carrs recreational fields and up towards the railway station. The River Bollin flows through The Carrs and once provided the power source for nearby Quarry Bank Mill, now a National Trust site, and enjoyment for the local population.

Before the railway came in 1842, Wilmslow comprised only a few farms and a church.

For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Wilmslow forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.

Neighbouring districts and places.
Manchester Airport Handforth Woodford
  Wilmslow  
Knutsford
Chorley		 Alderley Edge Macclesfield

Economy

The town is part of the Golden Triangle together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury. It grew in popularity in the Victorian era as a most desirable area for wealthy North West businessmen to move out to once the railways arrived and connected the towns.

Wilmslow is the founding location of clothing giant Umbro who have their headquarters in the area.[15]

The town is a key location for Royal London, the mutual financial services company. The Information Commissioner's Office, one of the government's executive agencies, is also based in Wilmslow.

The town's Aston Martin dealership sells the highest number of Aston Martins in the UK; a high demand stimulated largely by the high level of affluence in the town.[4]

Transport

Wilmslow railway station is situated where the electrified line from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly divides. One line continues to Manchester via Handforth and Stockport, the other continues via Styal, Manchester Airport and Heald Green. The latter route is commonly known as the Styal Line. There are frequent services to Manchester, Stockport, Crewe and Manchester Airport, plus an hourly service to Shrewsbury and Cardiff. Since December 2008 there is an hourly service to London Euston.

The town is served by a number of bus services:

Connect 88 Knutsford - Alrincham via Wilmslow (Monday - Saturday hourly with additional peak services)
130 Manchester - Macclesfield (Monday - Saturday half hourly & Sunday hourly)
200 Manchester Airport - Wilmslow (Monday - Sunday hourly)
378 Stockport - Wilmslow (Monday - Saturday daytime hourly)

Evening and Sunday journeys on the 378 were curtailed to operate between Stockport - Grove Lane from 7 April 2013, following the removal of Cheshire East Council's subsidy for the service. It is now a wholly commercial venture operated by Stagecoach, save for the Monday-Sunday Grove Lane - Stockport evening service. The last journey Monday-Saturday will be 1925 from Bank Square.

From 13 January 2014 the 130 Sunday service becomes largely two hourly following the removal of subsidy by Cheshire East, after GHA Coaches decision to register the service as a commercial offering.

The A34 Manchester to Newcastle-under-Lyme and Winchester road now bypasses the town centre to the east. Manchester Airport lies just four miles (6 km) along the A538 to the north west, but Wilmslow lies away from the approach and departure routes and therefore suffers only slightly from aircraft noise.

The A34 bypass is the main road network that serves the town of Wilmslow. This was extended beyond neighbouring Alderley Edge in Winter 2010/11. The A34 Bypass joins the A555 at Handforth Dean and this road is currently being extended to Manchester Airport, due for completion in 2018.

Wilmslow and its close surroundings are served by several car showrooms of notable marque. These include Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, Land Rover, Bentley, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and others.

Notable residents

Acting
Football
Literature
Music
Business and commerce
Media

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". boulter.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  2. ↑ Town's millionaires make postcode a money magnet | Macclesfield Express - macclesfield-express.co.uk
  3. ↑ road is streets ahead on price
  4. 1 2 whatsin-wilmslow :: wilmslow, cheshire
  5. ↑ "Wilmslow's official 2001 Census profile".
  6. ↑ "Town population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Fiona Ryan. "After the last ceasefire ended". Irish News Online (Irishnews.com).
  8. ↑ Wilmslow Scarecrow Festival
  9. ↑ Wilmslow CP/AP/CP through time | Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit
  10. ↑ National Archives Wilmslow Urban District Council records accessed 10.8.14
  11. ↑ "CIVIC HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND WALES-CHESHIRE (OBSOLETE)". civicheraldry.co.uk.
  12. ↑ "Check Browser Settings". statistics.gov.uk.
  13. ↑ "Web site of the Sacred Heart & St Teresa's Church, Wilmslow".
  14. ↑ The Unitarian Movement: Manchester District Association. The Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  15. ↑ "Umbro – History". Retrieved 7 January 2007.
  16. ↑ "Alan Turing: a short biography – 8". Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "Should Alan Turing be pardoned?". BBC. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  18. ↑ "Alan Turing Scrapbook – Memorials to Alan Turing". Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  19. ↑ "Stuart Hall admits girl's sex assault". BBC News.
  20. ↑ Katrina McKeever (9 August 2006). "Street star caught drink driving in Prestbury". Macclesfield Express News (Macclesfield Express).
  21. ↑ Jackson, Jamie (1 March 2009). "Park Ji-sung: the true player's player". The Observer (London).
  22. ↑ http://thequietus.com/articles/03128-michael-rother-of-neu-and-kraftwerk-interview
  23. ↑ "BBC Four - Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany". BBC.
  24. ↑ Katrina McKeever (16 March 2005). "Doves fly to top". Wilmslow Express News (Wilmslow Express).
  25. ↑ PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Executive Board - PwC UK". PwC.
  26. ↑ "The Andrew Davidson Interview Ian Powell of PWC". The Times (London). 6 September 2009.
  27. ↑ "Roberts Jackson Solicitors agrees Wilmslow relocation". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 5 Jun 2013.
  28. ↑ "Wilmslow". macclesfield.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilmslow.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Wilmslow.
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