Pendlebury

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Coordinates: 53°30′27″N 2°18′55″W / 53.5075°N 2.3154°W / 53.5075; -2.3154

Pendlebury
St John's Church, Pendlebury
Pendlebury  Pendlebury shown within Greater Manchester
OS grid reference	SD790012
- London	167 mi (269 km) SE
Metropolitan borough	Salford
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MANCHESTER
Postcode district	M27
Dialling code	0161
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Salford and Eccles
List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester

Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England.^[1] It lies 4.1 miles (6.6 km) to the northwest of Manchester city centre, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) northwest of Salford, and 5.9 miles (9.5 km) southeast of Bolton.

Historically a part of Lancashire, Pendlebury together with the neighbouring settlements of Swinton and Clifton, formed the municipal borough of Swinton and Pendlebury.^[1] Existing as a centre for coal mining for many years, Pendlebury saw extensive coal extraction from several pits up until the closure of Agecroft Colliery in the 1990s.

History

Early history

The name Pendlebury is formed from two Celtic words, "pen" meaning "hill" and "burh" meaning "settlement".^[2]

In 1199 King John confirmed a gift of "one carucate of land called Peneberi" to Ellis son of Robert. The king had granted this land when he was Earl of Mortain (1189–99) and confirmed the grant when he became king in a deed signed at Le Mans in France and witnessed by Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, the Bishops of Sarum and St. Andrews, the Earl of Leicester and the Archdeacon of Wells and other gentry. Ellis is described elsewhere as Master Sergeant of Salford and a benefactor of Cockersand Abbey.

Pendlebury's records go back to 1201 when it was linked with the manor of Shoresworth, the land to the south of Pendlebury (described as "one oxgang of land") before that manor became part of Pendleton. The manors of Pendlebury and Shoresworth were in 1212 held of the king in chief in thegnage by a rent of 12 shillings. The tenant was Ellis son of Robert de Pendlebury, to whom King John had granted "one carucate of land called Peneberi" in 1199 while he was Count of Mortain and confirmed the gift when he became King. Ellis is described elsewhere as Master Sergeant of Salford and a benefactor of Cockersand Abbey.^[3] Ellis died in or about 1216, and his son Adam succeeded him in his manors and serjeanty. In 1274 Ellis, son of Roger came to a violent death, and Amabel, as widow of Ellis, son of Roger the Clerk, claimed dower in various lands against Roger de Pendlebury. A short time afterwards, Amabel having received her dower, she and Roger de Pendlebury had to defend a suit brought by one Adam de Pendlebury, who satisfied the jury of his title to the manor. Ellis had a brother William and daughters Maud, Lettice, and Beatrice. Maud married Adam son of Alexander de Pilkington, (from the family later known for Pilkington's Lancastrian Pottery & Tiles) and had a daughter Cecily. The manor was sold before 1300 to Adam de Prestwich. The new lord of Pendlebury married Alice de Woolley daughter of Richard son of Master Henry de Pontefract, the eventual heir being a daughter Alice, wife of Jordan de Tetlow. Her heir also proved to be a daughter, Joan, who married Richard de Langley, and the manor descended regularly in this family until the end of the 16th century. Robert Langley died 19 September 1561, leaving four daughters as co-heirs. On the division of the estates, Agecroft, and lands in Pendlebury became the portion of Anne, who married William Dauntesey, springing from a Wiltshire family. The 'manor' of Pendlebury also was claimed by the Daunteseys for some time, but was afterwards said to be held with Prestwich, descending in the Coke family until about 1780, when it was sold to Peter Drinkwater of Irwell House, Prestwich.

Condensed from: 'Townships: Pendlebury', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 397–404^[4]

Agecroft Hall and the Manor of Pendlebury

Agecroft Hall, the Tudor home of the Lord of the Manor of Pendlebury, stood on slightly rising ground on the west side of the Irwell Valley, where the river flows southwards towards Salford and Manchester between the high ground of Kersal and Prestwich on the east and north, and Irlams o' th' Height and Pendlebury on the west. The building was probably begun towards the end of the reign of Henry VII. In 1666 there were thirty-five hearths liable for tax in Pendlebury. Agecroft Hall was the only large house, having eleven hearths.^[4]

At the end of the 19th century, industrialisation swept through the Irwell Valley. Coal pits were opened all around Agecroft Hall, railway tracks were cut across the manor and the sinking of a colliery made a dirty lake on the edge of the estate. The house fell into disrepair and was sold at auction in 1925 to Mr & Mrs Thomas C. Williams. The structure was dismantled, crated, shipped across the Atlantic, and painstakingly reassembled in Windsor Farms, Richmond, Virginia, USA. Today, Agecroft Hall stands re-created as a tourist attraction on the banks of the James River, in a setting chosen to be reminiscent of its original site at Agecroft near the River Irwell.^[5]

The Langley name is still remembered locally by having several streets named after the family as well as the Langley Mill, Langley Road and Langley housing estate in Middleton. Agcroft Hall Estate is a recently built housing estate on Agecroft road, named after Agecroft Hall.

The Industrial Revolution and coal

Pendlebury saw extensive coal extraction from several pits, up until the closure of Agecroft Colliery in the 1990s. As well as Agecroft Colliery, there were coal mines at the Wheatsheaf Colliery on Bolton Road (A666) between Carrington Street and City Walk, a site now occupied by McDonald's fast food restaurant, Wet Earth Colliery in Clifton, which featured in several of Lowry's works, Clifton Hall Colliery (also in Clifton) on the western side of Lumns Lane, which closed in 1929, and Newtown Colliery (on the Clifton/Newtown, Pendlebury boundary, bounded by Manchester Road/Bolton Road (A666), Billy Lane and the pit lodge, which later became known as "Queensmere"). Agecroft Colliery was reopened in 1960 following an investment of £9,000,000 and seven years of establishment works, making it the first new pit to be sunk in Lancashire since the Second World War.^{[citation needed]} Agecroft stood on the site of Lumn's Colliery that was itself abandoned in 1932 and had an unusual arrangement of winding gear, which was concealed in three huge towers - the tallest of which was 174 feet (53 m) high. Agecroft Colliery sent much of its coal to the CEGB's Agecroft Power Station, via a purpose designed conveyor belt system that included a bridge across Agecroft Road. Active mine workings finished in 1990, and the Agecroft Colliery site is now home to the Agecroft Commerce Park.

The Kearsley, Clifton, Pendlebury and Pendleton Miners' Association was established in 1888 and became the Pendlebury Branch of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1959. With the decline of the industry, the once popular Pendlebury Miners' Club (at the top of Temple Drive, Swinton) was inevitably demolished in the 1990s.

Governance

The coat of arms of the former Swinton and Pendlebury Municipal Borough Council. Swinton and Pendlebury was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1934.

Pendlebury was joined with Swinton in 1875 to form a local board of health area and was later governed by the Swinton and Pendlebury Urban District Council.^[4] Incorporation of Clifton into the Municipal Borough of Swinton and Pendlebury was a result of the abolition of the predecessor, Barton-upon-Irwell Urban District.

Swinton and Pendlebury was a municipal borough of the administrative county of Lancashire, which contained Pendlebury along with Swinton and Clifton. Swinton and Pendlebury received its Charter of Incorporation from the 18th Earl of Derby on September 29, 1934 at a ceremony in Victoria Park, Swinton (at that time the council meetings were held in Victoria House in the park). The new borough council required larger premises and launched a competition to design a new town hall. The winners were architects Sir Percy Thomas and Ernest Prestwich. The site of Swinton Industrial School on Chorley Road (A6) in Swinton was purchased for £12,500 and the foundation stone of the new town hall laid on October 17, 1936. The town hall opened on September 17, 1938 and since April 1, 1974 has been the administrative headquarters of Salford City Council.

The Borough of Swinton and Pendlebury was amalgamated into the City of Salford in 1974 as a result of local government reforms.

In terms of parliamentary representation, the town was until 2010 part of the Eccles constituency. Since then it has been part of the Salford and Eccles constituency.

Geography

Pendlebury is situated on a ridge overlooking the lower Irwell Valley, almost midway between Manchester and Bolton and is neighboured by Irlams o' th' Height, Pendleton, Salford, M6 and Clifton. The surface of the land slopes generally upwards from southwest (Swinton) to northeast (Irwell Valley), from about 120 feet (37 m) to nearly 300 feet (91 m) above the ordnance datum.^[4] However, the topography of the land around Lumn's Lane has changed markedly due to the dumping of mining waste from the former collieries and the area has been used as a landfill site by the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority since 1982, taking ten percent of Greater Manchester's waste each year.^[6]

The town has a mix of industrial and residential areas despite the closure of its mines and most of its textile mills.

Economy

In Victorian times the manufacture and printing of cottons were the principal industries of the town,^[7] although most of this industry has now disappeared. The only mill left standing is the Newtown Mill on Lees Street, off Station Road. It was acquired by Vanguard Holdings Ltd in January 2008 and is being converted into a business centre.

The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (Fire Brigade) has its headquarters on Bolton Road (A666), between the junctions with Agecroft Road and Hospital Road.

Acme Mill, that was so important in shaping Lowry's perceptions^{[citation needed]} and which was the first cotton spinning mill in the UK to be entirely electrically powered,^{[citation needed]} was situated south of the Manchester-Wigan railway line on the eastern side Swinton Hall Road (originally called "Bury Lane"). It was demolished in the 1980s to make way for a small housing estate. Swinton Hall Road, between its junction with Bolton Road and the Swinton parish boundary, was originally called "Bury Lane", and should not be confused with the original name of Station Road (B5231) - "Burying Lane" - which is the main road link between Swinton and Pendlebury. The remaining section of Swinton Hall Road, between the Swinton parish boundary (near junction with Temple Drive) and Station Road, was originally known as "Jane Lane".

Now demolished is Agecroft Power Station, which stood on the site currently occupied by Forest Bank Prison. Development of the neighbouring site of the former Agecroft Colliery into an industrial park has helped to provide some employment in the town.

Transport

Pendlebury is the starting point of the A666 (Bolton Road) road which runs through the district from its junction with the A6/A580 at the Pendlebury/Irlams o' th' Height boundary. This was the main route between Manchester and Bolton prior to the opening of the M61 motorway.

The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal was opened in 1809 and during the 19th and early 20th century provided the main means of transporting the coal from the collieries. Many of the collieries set up tramways links to the canal. Coal was taken to Bolton, Bury, Radcliffe and Salford, and across the River Irwell to Manchester. As late as 1905 over half a million tons of coal a year was carried. Lengths of the canal subsided due to mining subsidence; maps from 1881-82 show areas of coal that ran beneath the canal that were bought by the canal company to safeguard it from subsidence. The canal became disused after 1924 and closed in 1961, though coal was still carried for a short distance in Bury until 1968. A canal restoration society was founded in 1987 and persuaded Bury, Bolton and Salford councils to protect the line of the canal from development - restoration was announced by British Waterways in 2002.

Pendlebury was served by Pendlebury railway station on the Manchester Victoria to Wigan line for over 80 years, until its closure on Saturday 1 October 1960 by British Railways due to low usage. Irlams o' th' Height station in the eastern extremity of the borough was closed for similar reasons five years earlier. Swinton railway station is located in Pendlebury, meaning that the town once had three railway stations within its boundaries.

Pendlebury, between Patricroft on the Manchester to Liverpool line and Clifton Junction until the Black Harry Tunnel collapse of 1953. The collapse caused five deaths and two houses disappeared from Temple Drive in Swinton - the line never reopened and much of its length is now a recreational footpath.

Landmarks

The 45-acre (180,000 m²) Northern or Agecroft Cemetery, was opened on 2 July 1903 by the City of Salford (outside its then boundaries) on the flood plain between Langley Road and the River Irwell next to the border with Kersal.^[8] A crematorium was opened in the nonconformist burial chapel in 1957. A fund has been launched, supported by the council and external partners, to restore the burial chapel which has fallen into a state of disrepair.^[9]

St. Augustine's Church

The architectural highlight of the town is the Grade 1 listed gothic style High Anglican St Augustine's Church, which was built by George Frederick Bodley between 1871 and 1874 and is widely acknowledged as his finest work.^{[citation needed]} It is one of only six Grade I listed buildings in the City of Salford.^[10] The churchyard contains a memorial to the 178 men and boys who lost their lives in the Clifton Hall Colliery disaster of 1885. The church became known as the "miners' cathedral" because of its lofty "cathedralesque" appearance and its parish in which many men worked at local pits. The vicar at the time of the disaster was said to have conducted funerals all day (64 of the victims are buried at St Augustine's). In May 2006, St Augustine's became the focal point of a campaign by English Heritage to save 19 places of worship in Greater Manchester from falling into dilapidation.

The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital built in 1873 closed and its functions moved to a site alongside Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Pendlebury War Memorial

At the junction of Bolton Road and Agecroft Road stands a stone cross with the inscription "Lest we forget". Behind the cross is a stone wall on which is written:

This cross was erected by Andrew Knowles and Sons to the memory of the brave men from their collieries who laid down their lives for their country A.D. 1914–1918

Below the inscription are eight slate plaques each inscribed with the names of twenty four men.

Sports

The former home of Swinton RLFC, Station Road, which held numerous internationals and major rugby league matches before its closure in 1992 was located in Pendlebury. Swinton announced in August 2006 its intention to return to a site adjacent to Agecroft Road, Pendlebury currently known as "Agecroft Farm". Despite carrying the name of a suburb of Salford, Langworthy ARLFC has been based in Pendlebury (at Rabbit Hills playing fields, Bolton Road) for over 20 years, whilst local rivals Folly Lane ARLFC operate on the Blue Ribbon field off Pendlebury Road.

St John the Evangelist churchyard is the burial place of Geoff Bent, one of the "Busby Babes" from Manchester United who perished in the Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958.^[11] St John's is also the burial place of Jim Valentine, captain of Swinton Rugby Club, an England rugby union international in the late Victorian era. His 48 tries for "The Lions" in the 1888-89 season stands as a club record.

Pendlebury Coyotes, won the amateur's World Championship in inline hockey at under-21 level in 2006 and were runners up in the World Championship at senior level.

Pendlebury was the childhood home of Manchester United's Ryan Giggs,^{[citation needed]} who came to the area when his father Danny Wilson switched codes and signed for Swinton RLFC from Cardiff RFC.

Notable people

Pendlebury was home to two pre-eminent names in the arts who, at differing times, lived in houses next to each other on Station Road - painter L. S. Lowry (1887 to 1976) and actor Ben Kingsley (born 1943). L. S. Lowry lived at 117 Station Road, Pendlebury from roughly 1912 to 1948, his parents having moved there from the Victoria Park in south Manchester when he was nine. During his time in Pendlebury, Lowry produced the majority of his famous works, drawing inspiration from the industrial scenes about him. It has been reported that, having missed a train from Pendlebury railway station, Lowry encountered the changing of shifts at Acme Mill and marvelled at the spectacle - this being the moment he decided that industrial scenes were fitting for further work. His picture 'Pendlebury Scene' showed an aspect of the Acme Mill from George Street. Sir Ben Kingsley was born in Scarborough, but undertook his education at Manchester Grammar School whilst living at 119 Station Road, Pendlebury where his father was a doctor. Both properties (117 & 119) stand opposite St. Mark's RC Church.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Greater Manchester Gazetteer". Greater Manchester County Record Office. Places names - O to R. http://www.gmcro.co.uk/Guides/Gazeteer/gazzo2r.htm. Retrieved 12 October 2007. 
2. ^ City of Salford's Local interest trail, leaflet 10: Salford Local History Library
3. ^ www.bleasedales.co.uk Langley Retrieved 2007-12-12
4. ^ ^{a b c d} see'Townships: Pendlebury', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 217–222. URL: www.british-history.ac.uk Retrieved 2007-12-12
5. ^ http://www.agecrofthall.com/ Retrieved 2007-12-09
6. ^ Hindle, P. The fluvioglacial gravel ridges of Salford and flooding on the River Irwell (1998) pp.8,9. Exploring Greater Manchester - a fieldwork guide: Manchester Geographical Society. Retrieved 2007-12-12
7. ^ 'Townships: Pendlebury', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), pp. 397–404. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41444&strquery=pendlebury. Retrieved 2007-12-09
8. ^ http://www.salford.gov.uk/living/bmd/deaths/cemeteries/agecroft-cemetery.htm Retrieved 2007-12-29 and information taken from the dedication tablet outside the cemetery
9. ^ http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:pl5DImv8foYJ:services.salford.gov.uk/solar_documents/CBTM220305.DOC+agecroft+burial+chapel&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=uk Retrieved 2007-12-28
10. ^ "St Augustine's" at salford.gov.uk
11. ^ Kirk, Tom (15 July 2004). Forgotten grave of a Busby Babe. M.E.N. media. http://www.salfordadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/447946_forgotten_grave_of_a_busby_babe. Retrieved 7 December 2008. 

External links

• Swinton and Pendlebury, Local History article from Salford City Council.
• Pendlebury Coyotes, Pendlebury Coyotes Inline Hockey Team
• Swinton Lions, Swinton Lions RLFC
• Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University NHS Trust, Information on the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
• Agecroft Hall, Richmond, Virginia
• Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal Restoration Society
• St. Augustine's C of E Primary School