Mancpedia

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]

At the northern end of Stretford town centre is Longford Bridge, which crosses into Gorse Hill and further into Old Trafford before reaching Manchester.

At the southern end of Stretford town centre is the iconic Stretford House, a 24-storey-tall tower block from 1968.[3]

Transport

Tram

Stretford is served by Stretford Tram Stop on the Metrolink tram network, as part of the Altrincham Line. The area of Firswood also has a tram stop on the Manchester Airport Line.

Train

Stretford's main train station was closed down in 1991 to re-open as Stretford Tram Stop. Trafford Park Railway Station still operates from the northern side of Stretford, between Gorse Hill and Trafford Park. Designated as a small train station, it sees a very small number of services between Manchester and Liverpool.

Bus

Thanks to Chester Road running through Stretford, there are great bus links between Manchester to the north and Altrincham / South Trafford to the south.

Aviation

While Stretford is in Trafford, it enjoys easy access to Manchester Airport, the busiest airport in the UK outside of London. The airport can be accessed relatively easily by driving, taking the bus, tram or train.

UK Parliament

Stretford is part of the Stretford and Urmston parliamentary constituency, and has been represented by the Labour MP Andrew Western since July 2024.[4]

Governance

Since the late 1800s, various evolutions of council have governed Stretford:

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. ↩
  3. Planning Approved for Major Refurbishment of Iconic Stretford House, AEW Architects website, April 2025, accessed 25th July 2026. ↩
  4. MPS representing Stretford and Urmston (Constituency), UK Parliament website, accessed 4th April 2026. ↩