Gorgeous Gorse Hill have received national attention for their creativity in imagining a better Gorse Hill. They and other Gorse Hill organisations, largely through Facebook, have been creating a better Gorse Hill that we all can value.
Not far from the “Great Stone Farm,” and lying on the footpath, is the “Plague Stone,” whence the farm takes its name. It is an oblong coarse gritstone, foreign to the locality.
The 19th century writer describes the two cavities on the top of the stone and says there were various fables about the stone:
“One of these states that the stone was hurled from the Castle Field, and that the two cavities are the prints of Giant Tarquin’s finger and thumb.”
“Another alleges that it was thrown from the Old Bridge at Manchester; that it is gradually sinking into the earth, and that on its final disappearance, the destruction of the world will ensue.
Lostock has been around since at least the middle ages.
The Lostock name is carried with pride on its park, its school, its library and neighbourhoods.
Civic Dignatories opening the first council houses on the Chatsworth Road estate
Lostock Neighbourhood
21st century Lostock is a place of contrasts. There are pockets of quite acute poverty alongside estates of relative affluence.
It’s got a huge amount of energy and gets on with things.
Gilbert de Barton granted Sir Thomas Grelley all his wood in Lostock;
Dods. MSS. cxlix, fol. 163b.
In 1322 the wood of Lostock was valued with that in Cuerdley; the lord of Manchester had also 20 acres of pasture in Lostock, in which all the tenants of the lord of Barton had common of pasture except during six weeks in the time of pannage, and the lord and tenants of Urmston had a similar right, 2s. a year rent being paid; Lancs. Inq. and Extents, ii, 57.
Lostock Park has seen well over £300k of funding attracted to the park through the work of the Lostock Partnership. The challenge is to keep Lostock progressing forward as funds become harder
Gorse Hill Ward encompasses a northern part of Stretford Bordering on Davyhulme Road and crossing over to Sevenways before merging into Lostock.
Fiveways at hometime
21st Century Stretford Utilising our Assets
This part of Stretford is rich in underused assets. Chief among these is the train.
Although the station is named Trafford Park, It’s very much Stretford’s station and provides a 7 minute journey to the centre of Manchester. The problem is there’s no Sunday service and the weekday off-peak frequency is every two hours. If we can get more trains to stop it would make a huge difference.
Bridgewater Canal Showing its worth
Finally emerging from its industrial past, the canal is beginning to show its vast potential as a leisure resource.
Stretford Marina is well used for moorings and the towpath has been improved to such an extent that’s it’s become a busy route for cyclists and walkers. It would be great to see Stretfordians take to the water for canoeing and other water pursuits.
Our History
The Porkhampton Burlesque Our 19th Century Mr Keslsall foresees a Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Sir Humphrey de Trafford, of Trafford Park, had throughout displayed a very strong antipathy to the Ship Canal. He did not care to have his domestic peace invaded, nor the home of his ancestors (who had lived there from the time of the Conqueror) disturbed. He had done all in his power to keep the canal at arm’s length, and though his estate consisted of pasture fields, he had driven the engineer to plan docks on the race-course and on land belonging to Lord Egerton and partially covered with buildings. Sir Humphrey had practically succeeded in keeping the canal out of Stretford.
After his death in 1886, however, negotiations were reopened with his successor.
It had been a very difficult matter to secure agreement between the parties interested. Eventually Salford gave up about 16 acres of dock area, and Stretford, in return for about 1 mile of additional dock frontage, consented that about 40 acres of Stretford would be thrown on the Salford side of the river, and be transferred to that borough.
But Samuel Kelsall, an overseer of Stretford, protested against the transfer of any land to Salford. He urged that the company should leave the boundary question to be fought out between Stretford and Salford, and ended by hoping that Manchester, Salford and Stretford would all be united in one grand municipality, which would solve all difficulties.
At the subsequent Stretford Vestry Meeting, which was very thinly attended, Mr. Kelsall carried a resolution to oppose the Bill, and thus the overseers came in direct conflict with the Stretford Local Board, who had, as they thought, protected the interests of Stretford in the arrangement made. This conflict of authority caused some angry correspondence, and a letter headed “The Porkhampton Burlesque,” poked fun at being disturbed at the loss of £10 15s 3d. per annum in rates”.
Gorse Hill Ward is proud to be the home of Trafford Park. World famous for the industry and labour of those who work there.
Harold Wilson speaks to Trafford Park workers
Trafford Park has contributed hugely to twentieth century history and it’s a place of enormous vibrancy and innovation still.
Metrolink is an important step but we want to see real collaboration between public and private to move Trafford Park and the Quays to the next level.
Trafford Park – a place for leisure
The renaissance is just beginning. Hotel Football has been constructed at a pace Andrei Kanchelskis would have been pleased with, never mind Gary Neville, who is the brains behind the project. It’s winning plaudits every day and is a wonderful addition to our community.
We’ve already got Victoria Warehouse with its unique events and hotel.
The Imperial Ward Museum North, built by Labour and partially funded by the European Union has become an iconic symbol of Trafford Park’s renaissance. There is so much more to come and Gorse Hill Labour is at the heart of this.
Trafford Park – a place for industry
Some of the famous companies operating in Trafford Park:
Cargills
Kelloggs
Granada – Home of Coronation Street
adidas
Continuing to Thrive
Trafford Park has been at the heart of manufactoring for over 100 years. We’re confident it can continue to thrive but as all governments come to realise, industry needs their support both nationally and locally. Industry needs new workers with skills, it needs a modern infrastructure and most of all it needs an outward looking focus.
