Irlams o' th' Height

Irlams o' th' Height is an area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England.

Not to be confused with Irlam.

Transportation features

One of the main features of Irlams o' th' Height is the A6 dual carriageway running through it, with Bolton Road (formerly the A6) running parallel to it.

On top of the Irwell Valley on higher ground than Pendleton, hence "The Height", roads such as Bank Lane go down the valley to Duchy Road. The first part of the name derives from the Irlam family that ran the Pack Horse Inn in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was first recorded in the parish of Eccles in 1180.[1] The village became prosperous in the 19th century due to the Industrial Revolution, and became a well-established community of handloom weavers.[1]

Some parts of the area are now designated as a conservation area, centring on Queen Street, King Street and Claremont Road, as these retain the early street pattern. Thirty buildings are recognised as being of archaeological or historic interest in the Greater Manchester Sites and Monuments Register. The conservation area was designated in 1991, and is 1.02 hectares (2.52 acres) in size.[1]

Irlams o' th' Height railway station closed in 1955 due to a low number of passengers. It was on the Manchester to Southport Line via Wigan Wallgate. Heading towards Wigan, the preceding station was Pendleton (closed in 1994 after Salford Crescent railway station opened) and the following station was Pendlebury, closed in 1960. Pendleton College on Dronfield Road is on the site of the former Salford Technical High School which later formed part of Salford Grammar Technical School, which closed in 1973. Buile Hill Academy is next door on Eccles Old Road (A576), close to Seedley. There is a large Aldi near the junction of the A580, A6 (to Swinton and Walkden) and A666, at the start of the East Lancashire Road (A580 to Leigh and St Helens) and the A666 (to Pendlebury, Clifton, Kearsley and Farnworth). This was originally a Co-op store which began in 1983 as the Shopping Giant store which included a small garden centre at its rear, next to Claremont Road.

Just over the Pendlebury boundary stands the parish church of St John the Evangelist, which includes a burial ground. Among those buried there is Geoff Bent, one of eight Manchester United players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster in February 1958. Bent was born locally in 1932.[2] Irlams o' th' Height has a large number of Manchester United fans, being home to past managers and players and pubs holding supporters' meetings.

St John's is also the resting place of the captain of Swinton Rugby League Club, Jim Valentine, an England rugby union international in the late Victorian era. He was killed by lightning at Barmouth, Wales, on Monday 25 July 1904, whilst on holiday, four days before his 38th birthday. His 48 tries in the 1888–89 season still stands as a club record.

Churches
  • Holy Angels CoE Church, Moorfields Road
  • St. Luke's RC Church, Swinton Park Road
  • Height Methodist Church, King Street

Primary schools

There are three primary schools in the district.

  • St. Luke's RC Primary School, Swinton Park Road
  • Summerville Primary School, Summerville Road
  • Light Oaks Primary School, Lancaster Road
  • N.B. St John's CoE Primary School is just over the boundary in Pendlebury (M27)

Public houses

There are three public houses currently on the Height. All are operated by Joseph Holt's Brewery.

  • Red Lion, Bolton Road
  • The Wellington, Bolton Road
  • Waggon and Horses, Bolton Road

The Dog and Partridge (Bolton Road) closed and was converted into the Height General Practice.

Public parks
  • Lightoaks Park, Claremont Road
  • Oakwood Park, Swinton Park Road

Public library

Height Library, King Street (open daily except Wednesdays and Sundays).

Irlam family

Since the end of the 16th century, there had been an inn on the (turnpike) road from Manchester and Salford towards Chorley, Preston and Lancaster called the Pack Horse. It was demolished in 1975 due to a large redevelopment of the A580/A6/A666 road junction. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Pack Horse was in the hands of members of the Irlam family, as follows.[3]

  • Thomas Irlam I - to 1600
  • Thomas Irlam II - 1600–1620
  • Peter Irlam - 1629
  • Richard Irlam - 1647–1666
  • Robert Irlam - 1684–1702
  • Jane Irlam - 1718
  • Richard Irlam - 1722–1726
  • John Irlam - 1739
  • Peter Irlam - 1740–1752
  • Martha Irlam - 1754–1768


With the Pack Horse/s being run by the Irlam family for well over a century and a half, it became known locally as "Irlam's". With its location on ground higher than Pendleton, the area soon became commonly known as "The Height". Coupled with the Pack Horse being referred to as "Irlam's", the developing hamlet/village became known as "Irlam's on the Height" or, as it evolved into today's official name, "Irlams o' th' Height".

References
  1. "Irlams o' th' Height". Salford City Council. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  2. Geoff Bent
  3. The Pubs of Swinton & Pendlebury, Neil Richardson and Roger Hall

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