 | Stockport is a metropolitan borough stretching from the borders of the Peak District to the city of Manchester in northwest England. The town has an estimated population of 290,000, making it one of the largest towns in the UK.
Starting out as a Saxon village, its name comes from twoSaxon words; Stoc meaning castle, and port meaning wood. After the Norman Conquest, Stockport was ruled by the Baron of Stockport. The town was connected to the national canal network via the Stockport branch of the Ashton Canal, which opened in 1797 and was used until the 1930s.
Thanks to its close proximity to Manchester, the town grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, as it became a major centre for the cotton industry. However, the mills took their toll on the town, making it one of the smokiest and dull areas in the UK during that period.
If you want to see some famous architecture during your visit to the town then be sure to check out the railway viaduct close to the town centre, which is the biggest brick structure in Europe, measuring the 111 feet high and consisting of 11 million bricks.
There are plenty of other tourist attractions worth visiting in the area too, such as Stockport Heritage Centre, Stockport Art Gallery, Stockport Museum, Stockport Air Raid Shelters, Bramhall Hall, the Hatworks hat museum, and the Chadkirk Chapel.
Postcodes for Stockport begin with the letters SK and as well as Stockport itself the SK postcode includes Macclesfield, Stockport, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Stalybridge, Glossop, Buxton, Cheadle, High Peak, Hyde, and
Dukinfield.
A number of famous faces were born and bred in Stockport, including the band 10cc, TV presenter Judith Chalmers, newsreader Katie Derham, TV presenter David Dickinson, pop singer Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud, actor Bill Tarmey (Coronation Street's Jack Duckworth), and tennis player Fred Perry. |
