Travel Trafford Park Map

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Trafford Park tourist guide map of landmarks & destinations by Walkfo

Trafford Park history

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Pre-industrial

Trafford Park was the ancestral estate of the de Trafford family, one of the most ancient in England. The family acquired the lands around Trafford in about 1200, when Richard de Trafford was given the lordship of Stretford by Hamon de Massey, 4th Baron of Dunham. In 1761, a section of the Bridgewater Canal was built along the southeast and southwest sides of Trafford Park. The opening of the ship canal in 1894 made Trafford Park a prime site for industrial development.

Early development

Sir Humphrey Francis de Trafford put the 1,183-acre (479 ha) estate up for auction in 1896. The sale failed to reach its reported reserve price of £300,000 (£35 million as of 2021) Manchester Corporation could not agree terms quickly enough to buy the estate. Ernest Terah Hooley became the new owner of Trafford Park in June 1896.

Industrialisation

The first American company to arrive was Westinghouse Electric, which formed its British subsidiary in 1899, and purchased 130 acres (0.53 km) on two sites. By 1915, 100 American companies had moved into the park, peaking at more than 200 by 1933. Ford moved to Dagenham in 1931, but returned to Trafford Park during the Second World War. Metropolitan Vickers set up Manchester’s and one of the UK’s first radio stations at their factory in 1921.

Westwards expansion

Sir Humphrey de Trafford had retained 1,300 acres (530 ha) of land on the western side of the ship canal after his 1897 sale of Trafford Park. In 1924 the Estates Company bought a half share in Dumplington Estates Ltd., a company set up to administer 38 acres of land bought from the de Trafford Trustees on which it was intended to build a garden village. The Canal Company recognised the potential for a new dock on the land, giving the area its name of Barton Dock Estate, although no dock was ever built. The Barton Docks area was developed during and after the Second World War.

Second World War

Trafford Park was largely turned over to the production of war materiel during the Second World War, such as the Avro Manchester and Avro Lancaster heavy bombers. The area was frequently bombed by the Luftwaffe, particularly during the Manchester Blitz of December 1940. At the outbreak of war in 1939 there were an estimated 50,000 people employed at Trafford Park.

Decline and regeneration

In the 1960s employment in the park began to decline as companies closed their premises in favour of newer, more efficient plants. Ellesmere Port and Runcorn at the western end of the Manchester Ship Canal were in the ascendency industrially and they overtook Trafford Park in economic importance. In 1971, Stretford Council responded by setting up the Trafford Park Industrial Council (TRAFIC), membership was open to any firm in Trafford Park. By 1976, the workforce had fallen to 15,000, and by the 1980s industry had virtually disappeared.

  

Trafford Park map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore

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Tourist Guide to Trafford Park Map

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Walkfo Trafford Park travel map key: visit National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top travel destinations in Trafford Park