CITY 

Introduction: 

Salford is a city in North West England sitting on the west bank of the River Irwell facing Manchester which lies on the east side of the river. The Manchester Ship Canal forms the southern boundary.The current population is 245600. 

Brief History: 

Although historically in Lancashire, Salford was the judicial seat of the ancient hundred of Salfordshire. 

By being granted a charter in 1230, by the 6th Earl of Chester, Salford became a Free Borough. 

In the Industrial Revolution the town was a major cotton, spinning and weaving centre as well as the inland port of the Manchester Ship Canal 

Became a County Borough in 1906 and gained City status in 1926. 

The town held a few firsts, including first Free Library and first street to be gas lit. 

After 20th century decline regeneration started with Salford Quays and University. 

In 21st century Media City became home of some BBC departments and ITV Granada. 

Things to do: 

Cathedral:-  This is the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist. Located in Chapel Street, Salford, M3 5LL this building has some beautiful stained glass windows and carvings. The building was commenced in 1844 and opened in 1848.

St. John is depicted in floor mosaics and the windows.

There is a cafe which is open from 10.30am to 4pm. 

Ordsall Hall:- This beautiful Tudor building is free to enter but has a £2.50 + parking charge. As well as the house there are beautiful gardens. It is also the place known to be where Guy Fawkes plotted the Gun Powder Plot.

Open Monday to Thursday and Sundays the Hall has a cafe and bookshop.

The house is located on Ordsall Lane, Ordsall, Salford, M5 3AN 

Media City UK:-  This area is crammed with cafes, bars, shops and entertainment facilities.

Located on the side of the Manchester Ship Canal this project also houses many BBC Television departments.

Also in this area the LOWRY art gallery can be found whic has the painters work in abundance.

You can also take a boat tour along the canal which also gives views of Old Trafford.

From Manchester Picadilly Station the venue lies on a spur on the Eclles metro tram system. 

Barton Swing Aqueduct:- this is a Grade 2 listed structure, built in 1894, and is the only one in existence in the world. It allows pleasure and other small craft travelling on the Bridgewater Canal to pass over the Manchester Ship Canal. When a larger boat wishes to pass along the MSC the aqueduct swings 90 degerres to clear obstructing the MSC.

If you wish to see the Aqueduct in operation, contact the Bridgwater Canal Company for opening times. 

Night Life: the best area in Salford for going out is the Salford Quays and Media City area. There you will find establishments such as Craftbrew, The Dockyard, Social 7 and Pier Eight. 

If you like local theatre then you may like the Salford Arts Theatre. It produces a few productions a year, including panto. It can be found at Kemsing Walk, Liverpool Street, Salford. 0161 925 0111. 

VUE cinema can be found at the Lowry in Salford Quays. 

In truth most visitors to Salford visit Manchester, a couple of miles away for quality nightlife. 

Eating Out: Salford has a mixture of British, European and ethnic eating based in two main locations, Chapel Street in the city centre and Salford Quays. The Quays is home to a range of restaurants from nationwide chains. 

Shopping: Salford shopping is based around three malls.

Salford Shopping Centre is located in Pendleton. It contains 80 shops and an indoor market. The shops can be classed as for everyday shopping needs. Car Parking is free nearby.

Quayside Media City is an outlet centre and contains many High Street shops selling at reduced prices. A Vue cinema is also located here. Getting there is almost certainly best by tram from Picadilly or Victoria stations in Manchester. There is also a tram service from Eccles.

West One Retail is based in Eccles. Access is best by car. Again the shopping is general everyday.

Eccles, located in Salford, is a pleasant small shopping area.

Realistically the best shopping in the area is found in the centre of Manchester and the Trafford Mall. 

Accommodation: Salford Quays contains a range of hotels from budget to 5 star luxury accommodation. 

Transport: 

Roads: The M60 surrounds Salford on its north, west and sout boundaries.

From the M60 the M602 takes you to Eccles and onto the centre of Salford.

The A580 from the M60 takes you to Salford centre via Swinton and Pendlebury.

The M62 west takes you to Warrington (connecting to M6 South) and Liverpool.

The M61 goes to Bolton, Preston and M6 North.

The M62, nort of the city takes you to Huddersfield and West Yorkshire. 

Rail: Eccles, Swinton and Salford Crescent have connections to both Manchester Picadilly and Victoria.

Salford Central connects to Slford Crescent, Swinton and Victoria.

Manchester Picadilly and Victoria have connections to rest of the UK. 

Air: Manchester Airport is located to the south of the city and is a 1.5 hour train journey.

The alternatives are coach and taxi, which can be found via internet. 

Tram: The local tram system joins Eccles, Media City and Salford Quays to Manchester City Centre and Piccadilly Station. 

Bus: The whole city is well catered for bus transport and all information can be found  at Transport for Greater Manchester website. The shopping centres, all of Manchester and the surrounding towns are connected. 

Taxis: Half a dozen taxi firms serve Salford and surrounding areas, including Manchester Airport.