Borough of Trafford

Trafford is one of the 8 Metropolitan Boroughs that, along with the 2 cities Manchester and Salford, constitute Greater Manchester. Six of the other boroughs take their name from the administrative town but Trafford, like Tameside, took its name from another source. It is a borough of real contrasts, from the industrial Trafford Park to the open farmland of Cheshire. Its administrative centre is Stretford and it encompasses both rural and urban districts from Lancashire and Cheshire. Within this Metropolitan Borough can be found the towns: Altrincham, Sale, Stretford and Urmston. The river Mersey splits the borough into two distinct parts: North Trafford and South Trafford and was also the boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire.

Although the name Trafford has only been used by the borough for the 30 odd years of its existence the name itself has associations that travel much further back in people's memories. Old Trafford is well known as the home of the world famous football team, Manchester United, and also of the Lancashire County Cricket Club. Trafford Park is the vast industrial estate alongside the Manchester Ship Canal which has been the home, for over a century, of import and export businesses, and of important manufacturing groups etc. Trafford Park, is also the location of the prestigious Imperial War Museum North, just across the bridge from Salford's re-generated Quays and the Lowry Centre. More recently the name has been given to the enormous indoor shopping complex, The Trafford Centre. The name of Trafford comes from the de Trafford family who have held lands in the area for centuries, including those of the beautiful Dunham Massey.

Trafford Metropolitan Borough is split up presently (2006) into the following electoral wards

Altrincham Area Wards : Altrincham, Bowdon, Broadheath, Hale Barns, Hale Central, Timperley plus Village

Sale Area Wards : Ashton upon Mersey, Brooklands, Priory, Sale Moor plus St. Mary's

Stretford Area Wards : Clifford, Longford, Gorse Hill plus Stretford

Urmston Area Wards : Bucklow St-Martins, Davyhulme West, Davyhulme East, Flixton plus Urmston