Portal:Greater Manchester

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The Greater Manchester Portal

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, West Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester.

The county has an area of 1,276 km² (493 sq mi) and is highly urbanised, with a population of 3,009,664 in 2024. Manchester is located in the centre of the county, with the city of Salford immediately adjacent to the west. Other large settlements include Rochdale in the north-east, Stockport in the south-east, Sale in the south-west, Wigan in the far north-west, and Bolton in the north-west. The majority of the county's settlements are part of the Greater Manchester Built-up Area, which extends into Cheshire and Merseyside and is the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. For local government purposes the county comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. The borough councils collaborate through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The county was created on 1 April 1974 from parts of north-east Cheshire, south-east Lancashire, and a small part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The centre and south-west of Greater Manchester are lowlands, similar to the West Lancashire Coastal Plain to the north-west and the Cheshire Plain to the south-west. The north and east are part of the Pennines: the West Pennine Moors in the northwest, the South Pennines in the northeast and the Peak District in the east. Most of the county's rivers rise in the Pennines and are tributaries of the Mersey and Irwell, the latter of which is itself a tributary of the Mersey. The county is connected to the Mersey Estuary by the Manchester Ship Canal, which for its entire length within Greater Manchester consists of canalised sections of the Mersey and Irwell. (Full article...)

Selected article -

Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. They are currently members of the English Premier League.

Originally formed in 1880 as St. Marks (West Gorton), they then became Ardwick A.F.C. in 1887 before changing their name to Manchester City F.C. in 1894. The club has won the League Championship twice, the FA Cup four times, the League Cup twice and the European Cup Winners Cup once. The club's most successful period was during the late 1960s and early 1970s, when they won several major trophies under the management team of Joe Mercer and his assistant Malcolm Allison, and with great players such as Colin Bell and Francis Lee.

However, the club has not won a major honour since 1976. The club's decline led to relegation twice in three years in the 1990s, meaning they spent one year in the third tier of English football. However, the club has since regained top flight status, the level at which they have spent the majority of their history.

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General images

The following are images from various Greater Manchester-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The main entrance of Old Trafford Cricket Ground (from Greater Manchester)
Image 2A 19th-century slum dwelling. The overhang contained privies, whose waste fell straight into the River Medlock below. (from History of Manchester)
Image 3Runway 2 of Manchester Airport lies on top of Oversley Farm, a Neolithic farming community. (from History of Manchester)
Image 4The multiple urban areas of Greater Manchester's boroughs (from Greater Manchester)
Image 5Haigh Hall (from Greater Manchester)
Image 6Andy Burnham has served as the inaugural Mayor of Greater Manchester since May 2017. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 7Stockport bus station in 1988. Greater Manchester Transport (later GM Buses) operated bus services throughout the county, from 1974 to 1993. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 8The M60 motorway, seen here at Failsworth, is an orbital motorway in Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 9Manchester Town Hall (from History of Manchester)
Image 10Eccles cake is a small round flaky pastry cake filled with currants, sugar and spice. It is native to Eccles. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 11Royal Exchange, Cross Street (from History of Manchester)
Image 12The Imperial War Museum North, in Trafford Park, was designed by Daniel Libeskind, and is one of the Imperial War Museum's five branches. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 13Map of the Salford Hundred, with Manchester in the south-east (from History of Manchester)
Image 14The Greater Manchester Urban Area in 2001 (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 15A Metrolink tram in Radcliffe, part of Greater Manchester's light rail network (from Greater Manchester)
Image 16Manchester's Exchange Square undergoing extensive regeneration (from History of Manchester)
Image 17Map of the ancient parish of Manchester (from History of Manchester)
Image 18The City of Manchester Stadium, the main venue of the 2002 Commonwealth Games and home to Manchester City F.C. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 19The population of Greater Manchester increased from around 328 thousand in 1801, to 2.8M in 2021. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 20The Peterloo Massacre was a major event in the history of the city. (from History of Manchester)
Image 21Sale Town Hall (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 22Chetham's School of Music (from History of Manchester)
Image 23Skyline of Manchester. (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 24Albert Square (from History of Manchester)
Image 25Oldham, painted during the Industrial Revolution by J. H. Carse. Many towns in Greater Manchester were built around the mills. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 26Bolton Wanderers F.C. are based at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, in Horwich. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 27Common cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium), seen here at Light Hazzles Reservoir near Littleborough, was voted the county flower of Greater Manchester in 2002. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 28McConnel & Company's cotton mills in Ancoats, c. 1820 (from History of Manchester)
Image 29The Lowry is a combined theatre and exhibition centre at Salford Quays, and is Greater Manchester's most visited tourist attraction. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 30Rochdale, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester (from Greater Manchester)
Image 31Salford, the second city of the county (from Greater Manchester)
Image 32Liverpool Road railway station, the terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (from History of Manchester)
Image 33A reconstructed gateway of Mamucium fort (from History of Manchester)
Image 34Much of Greater Manchester's housing stock consists of terraced houses constructed as low-cost dwellings for the populations of local factory towns. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 35Go North West operate bus services in northern-Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 36The arms of the Greater Manchester County Council, depicted here, became redundant with the abolition of the council in 1986 (though similar arms are used by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service). (from Greater Manchester)
Image 37Manchester from Kersal Moor, by William Wyld in 1852. Manchester acquired the nickname "Cottonopolis" during the early 19th century owing to its many textile factories. (from History of Manchester)
Image 38Skyline of Salford. (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 39Population density map (from Greater Manchester)
Image 40Former weavers' cottages in Wardle. An increase in domestic cloth production, and textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution is attributed to a population boom in the area. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 41The Trafford Centre in Trafford is one of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 42Old Trafford, home to Manchester United F.C. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 43Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square (from History of Manchester)
Image 44GMC County Hall (now known as Westminster House) in Manchester housed the Greater Manchester County Council until its abolition in 1986. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 45Greater Manchester lies at the conjunction of the ancient county boundaries of Cheshire, Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 46The Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre (better known as the G-Mex centre and now rebranded as Manchester Central) was the converted former Manchester Central railway station, in Manchester city centre, used for hosting the county's cultural events. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 47A bus stop in Denton bearing the logo of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). TfGM is a functional executive body of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and has responsibilities for public transport in Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 48Bolton Town Hall (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 49Stockport, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester and historically part of Cheshire (from Greater Manchester)
Image 50Beetham Tower, Manchester's second tallest building, was completed in 2006. (from History of Manchester)
Image 51Bury, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester and historically part of Lancashire (from Greater Manchester)
Image 52Looking west along Nico Ditch, near Levenshulme (from History of Manchester)
Image 53Heaton Park Tramway (from Greater Manchester)
Image 54Old Wellington Inn Shambles Square was built in 1552. (from History of Manchester)
Image 55Map of Manchester from Roman Manchester (1900) (from History of Manchester)

Boroughs

Greater Manchester is split into 10 boroughs:

Selected biography -

Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann, OBE (born 22 October 1923 in Bremen, Germany) is a German football goalkeeper who played for Manchester City from 1949 to 1964. Trautmann joined the Luftwaffe early in the Second World War, serving as a paratrooper. He fought at the Eastern Front for three years and later in the war he was transferred to the Western Front, where he was captured by the British. He was transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire. Trautmann refused an offer of repatriation, and following his release in 1948 he settled in Lancashire, combining farm work with playing as goalkeeper for local football team St Helens Town.

Performances for St Helens gained Trautmann a reputation as an able goalkeeper, resulting in interest from Football League clubs. In October 1949 he signed for Manchester City, a club playing in the highest level of football in the country, the First Division. The club's decision to sign a former Axis paratrooper sparked protests, with 20,000 attending a demonstration.

Trautmann continued to play for Manchester City until 1964. After ending his playing career he moved into management. In 2004 he was appointed an honorary OBE for promoting Anglo-German understanding through football.

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Did you know?

...that the Albert Medal was one of the awards given to Mark Addy for rescuing more than 50 people from the highly polluted River Irwell, Manchester, in the 19th Century?
...that the Port of Runcorn in Cheshire, England, was an independent customs port for two separate periods before becoming part of the Port of Manchester in 1894?
...that a word square found in Mamucium (pictured), a Roman fort in Manchester, may be one of the earliest examples of Christianity in Britain?
...that the women's scratch race at the 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was held in Manchester and was won by Ellen van Dijk?

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Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester-related lists

Buildings and structures in Greater Manchester

Burials in Greater Manchester

Crime in Greater Manchester

Culture in Greater Manchester

Economy of Greater Manchester

Education in Greater Manchester

Environment of Greater Manchester

Folklore of Greater Manchester

Geography of Greater Manchester

Health in Greater Manchester

History of Greater Manchester

Local government in Greater Manchester

Mass media in Greater Manchester

Municipal coats of arms in Greater Manchester

Organisations based in Greater Manchester

People from Greater Manchester

Politics of Greater Manchester

Religion in Greater Manchester

Science and technology in Greater Manchester

Sport in Greater Manchester

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Transport in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester stubs

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Featured Content

Featured articles: Altrincham • Bert Trautmann • Chat Moss • City of Manchester Stadium • Duncan Edwards • Emmeline Pankhurst • Greater Manchester • Joy Division • M62 motorway • Manchester • Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal • Manchester City F.C. • Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine • Peterloo Massacre • Oldham • Scout Moor Wind Farm • Shaw and Crompton • Stretford • Trafford

Featured lists: Castles in Greater Manchester • Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester • List of Manchester City F.C. managers • List of Manchester United F.C. managers • List of Manchester United F.C. records and statistics • List of Manchester United F.C. seasons • List of Manchester United F.C. players • List of Manchester United F.C. players (25–99 appearances) • List of Manchester United F.C. players (fewer than 25 appearances) • List of railway stations in Greater Manchester • List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater Manchester • List of tallest buildings and structures in Manchester • List of tallest buildings and structures in Salford • Manchester City F.C. seasons

Good articles: 1990 Strangeways Prison riot • Alan Turing • Ashton-under-Lyne • B of the Bang • Bank Street (stadium) • Bridgewater Canal • Buckton Castle • Castleshaw Roman fort • Chadderton • Cine City, Withington • City of Salford • Controversy over the usage of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man • David Beckham • Didsbury • Dunham Massey • Hale Barns • Henry Taylor (swimmer) • Hugh Mason • Hulme Arch Bridge • Hyde Road • Mamucium • Manchester and Bolton Railway • Manchester Liners • Manchester Mummy • Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine • Manchester United F.C. • Milnrow • Murrays' Mills • Nico Ditch • Noel Gallagher • North Road (stadium) • Ordsall Hall • Old Trafford • Oasis (band) • Radcliffe, Greater Manchester • River Irwell • Ronnie Wallwork • Royton • Sale, Greater Manchester • Tameside • Trafford Park • Upper Brook Street Chapel, Manchester • Urmston • Warburton, Greater Manchester

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Ceremonial county of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Portal
Statutory City Region	Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Statutory City Region Mayor of Greater Manchester
Metropolitan districts	City of Manchester City of Salford Metropolitan Borough of Bolton Metropolitan Borough of Bury Metropolitan Borough of Oldham Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough of Stockport Metropolitan Borough of Tameside Metropolitan Borough of Trafford Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Major settlements (cities in italics)	Altrincham Ashton-in-Makerfield Ashton-under-Lyne Astley Atherton Audenshaw Blackrod Bolton Bramhall Bredbury Bury Chadderton Cheadle Cheadle Hulme Chorlton-cum-Hardy Clifton Didsbury Denton Droylsden Dukinfield Eccles Failsworth Farnworth Gatley Golborne Hale Hale Barns Harwood Haughton Green Hazel Grove Heald Green Heywood Hindley Horwich Hyde Ince-in-Makerfield Irlam Kearsley Leigh Littleborough Little Hulton Little Lever Lowton Manchester Marple Middleton Milnrow Mossley Oldham Orrell Partington Pendlebury Prestwich Radcliffe Ramsbottom Reddish Rochdale Romiley Royton Sale Salford Shaw Shevington Stalybridge Standish Stockport Stretford Swinton Timperley Tottington Tyldesley Urmston Walkden Westhoughton Whitefield Wigan Worsley Wythenshawe See also: List of civil parishes in Greater Manchester
Rivers	Beal Bollin Croal Douglas Etherow Goyt Irk Irwell Medlock Mersey Roch Spodden Tame Tib Tonge
Canals	Bridgewater Canal Fletcher's Canal Hulme Locks Branch Canal Islington Branch Canal Manchester and Salford Junction Canal Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Manchester Ship Canal Mersey and Irwell Navigation Peak Forest Canal Stockport Branch Canal
Topics	Parliamentary constituencies and Members of Parliament Crime Cycling Demography People Public art Schools Geography Greater Manchester County Council (1974–1986) Places Population of major settlements Castles Churches Flag Football clubs Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Mills Scheduled monuments SSSIs History Lord Lieutenant High Sheriff Museums Places of interest Transport Transport for Greater Manchester Manchester Airport Manchester Metrolink