Stretford

Stretford is a town in Trafford, situated to the north-east of Sale and to the south-west of Manchester city centre.

The name 'Stretford' comes from the fact the street crossed the River Mersey at a ford, hence 'street-ford'.^[1]

Town centre

Stretford town centre is located at the intersection where Chester Road crosses Kingsway and Edge Lane, just to the west of the Bridgewater Canal. The main features of the town centre include Stretford Public Hall and the abandoned Longford Cinema to the north, and Stretford Mall and various shops to the south. The mall is due to be demolished in March 2026 as part of Trafford Council's regeneration plans for the local area.^[2]

Sources

1. The Borough of Stretford Charter Celebration, September Sixteenth 1933 (1933), Page 6. Trafford Library catalogue entry. ↩
2. Stretford Development 2026, Stretford Town Centre website, accessed 27th February 2026. ↩