Portal:Greater Manchester

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The Greater Manchester Portal

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, West Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester.

The county has an area of 1,276 km² (493 sq mi) and is highly urbanised, with an estimated population of 3,009,664 in 2024. Manchester is located in the centre of the county, with the city of Salford immediately adjacent to the west. Other large settlements include Rochdale in the north-east, Stockport in the south-east, Sale in the south-west, Wigan in the far north-west, and Bolton in the north-west. The majority of the county's settlements are part of the Greater Manchester Built-up Area, which extends into Cheshire and Merseyside and is the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. For local government purposes the county comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. The borough councils collaborate through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Greater Manchester was created on 1 April 1974 from parts of north-east Cheshire, south-east Lancashire, and a small part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The centre and south-west of Greater Manchester are lowlands, similar to the West Lancashire Coastal Plain to the north-west and the Cheshire Plain to the south-west. The north and east are part of the Pennines: the West Pennine Moors in the northwest, the South Pennines in the northeast and the Peak District in the east. Most of the county's rivers rise in the Pennines and are tributaries of the Mersey and Irwell, the latter of which is itself a tributary of the Mersey. The county is connected to the Mersey Estuary by the Manchester Ship Canal, which for its entire length within Greater Manchester consists of canalised sections of the Mersey and Irwell. (Full article...)

Selected article -

The tallest buildings and structures in Salford are mostly residential tower blocks constructed during the mid-20th century in the Brutalist architectural style. However, since the 1996 Manchester bombing, which initiated a redevelopment programme for Greater Manchester, the city has witnessed a boom in the construction of high rise apartments, particularly at Salford Quays, a former dockland.

Geographically, commercially, and culturally, Salford is dominated by its immediate neighbour, the City of Manchester, which lies across the River Irwell. Although Salford followed a similar pattern of urbanisation to Manchester during the Industrial Revolution it did not evolve as a commercial centre in the same way. In contrast to the vast majority of Manchester's tallest buildings, Salford's high-rises were constructed in the 1960s and 70s as part of a regeneration project to alleviate chronic social deprivation and urban decay. Some of the early high-rise buildings have subsequently been demolished themselves, as they provided unsatisfactory accommodation for families and caused as many social problems as they were meant to alleviate. A study by Professor Christopher Collier of the university suggested that Manchester's drizzly climate is largely due to the multitude of high-rise blocks in Salford.

General images

The following are images from various Greater Manchester-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A reconstructed gateway of Mamucium fort (from History of Manchester)
Image 2Beetham Tower, Manchester's second tallest building, was completed in 2006. (from History of Manchester)
Image 3Former weavers' cottages in Wardle. An increase in domestic cloth production, and textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution is attributed to a population boom in the area. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 4A 19th-century slum dwelling. The overhang contained privies, whose waste fell straight into the River Medlock below. (from History of Manchester)
Image 5Stockport, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester and historically part of Cheshire (from Greater Manchester)
Image 6Salford, the second city of the county (from Greater Manchester)
Image 7A Metrolink tram in Radcliffe, part of Greater Manchester's light rail network (from Greater Manchester)
Image 8Manchester Central Library, St Peter's Square (from History of Manchester)
Image 9A bus stop in Denton bearing the logo of Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). TfGM is a functional executive body of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and has responsibilities for public transport in Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 10Skyline of Salford. (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 11Albert Square (from History of Manchester)
Image 12Haigh Hall (from Greater Manchester)
Image 13Much of Greater Manchester's housing stock consists of terraced houses constructed as low-cost dwellings for the populations of local factory towns. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 14The Trafford Centre in Trafford is one of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 15Oldham, painted during the Industrial Revolution by J. H. Carse. Many towns in Greater Manchester were built around the mills. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 16Population density map (from Greater Manchester)
Image 17Old Wellington Inn Shambles Square was built in 1552. (from History of Manchester)
Image 18Stockport bus station in 1988. Greater Manchester Transport (later GM Buses) operated bus services throughout the county, from 1974 to 1993. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 19Old Trafford, home to Manchester United F.C. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 20Greater Manchester lies at the conjunction of the ancient county boundaries of Cheshire, Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 21The Peterloo Massacre was a major event in the history of the city. (from History of Manchester)
Image 22Map of Manchester from Roman Manchester (1900) (from History of Manchester)
Image 23The City of Manchester Stadium, the main venue of the 2002 Commonwealth Games and home to Manchester City F.C. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 24Common cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium), seen here at Light Hazzles Reservoir near Littleborough, was voted the county flower of Greater Manchester in 2002. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 25Eccles cake is a small round flaky pastry cake filled with currants, sugar and spice. It is native to Eccles. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 26Royal Exchange, Cross Street (from History of Manchester)
Image 27The Greater Manchester Exhibition Centre (better known as the G-Mex centre and now rebranded as Manchester Central) is the converted former Manchester Central railway station, in Manchester city centre, used for hosting the county's cultural events. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 28GMC County Hall (now known as Westminster House) in Manchester housed the Greater Manchester County Council until its abolition in 1986. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 29Bolton Town Hall (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 30Chetham's School of Music (from History of Manchester)
Image 31The Imperial War Museum North, in Trafford Park, was designed by Daniel Libeskind, and is one of the Imperial War Museum's five branches. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 32Andy Burnham has served as the inaugural Mayor of Greater Manchester since May 2017. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 33The Greater Manchester Urban Area in 2001 (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 34The population of Greater Manchester increased from around 328 thousand in 1801, to 2.8M in 2021. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 35Manchester Town Hall (from History of Manchester)
Image 36Skyline of Manchester. (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 37The M60 motorway, seen here at Failsworth, is an orbital motorway in Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 38Bury, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester and historically part of Lancashire (from Greater Manchester)
Image 39Manchester's Exchange Square undergoing extensive regeneration (from History of Manchester)
Image 40The Lowry is a combined theatre and exhibition centre at Salford Quays, and is Greater Manchester's most visited tourist attraction. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 41Map of the ancient parish of Manchester (from History of Manchester)
Image 42Heaton Park Tramway (from Greater Manchester)
Image 43Significant regeneration works are ongoing across Greater Manchester. Walkden Town Centre regeneration is pictured (December 2025). (from Greater Manchester)
Image 44The multiple urban areas of Greater Manchester's boroughs (from Greater Manchester)
Image 45Bolton Wanderers F.C. are based at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, in Horwich. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 46Looking west along Nico Ditch, near Levenshulme (from History of Manchester)
Image 47The main entrance of Old Trafford Cricket Ground (from Greater Manchester)
Image 48Sale Town Hall (from Greater Manchester Built-up Area)
Image 49The arms of the Greater Manchester County Council, depicted here, became redundant with the abolition of the council in 1986 (though similar arms are used by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service). (from Greater Manchester)
Image 50Liverpool Road railway station, the terminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (from History of Manchester)
Image 51Rochdale, one of the large towns of Greater Manchester (from Greater Manchester)
Image 52McConnel & Company's cotton mills in Ancoats, c. 1820 (from History of Manchester)
Image 53Manchester from Kersal Moor, by William Wyld in 1852. Manchester acquired the nickname "Cottonopolis" during the early 19th century owing to its many textile factories. (from History of Manchester)
Image 54Go North West operate bus services in northern-Greater Manchester. (from Greater Manchester)
Image 55Map of the Salford Hundred, with Manchester in the south-east (from History of Manchester)
Image 56Runway 2 of Manchester Airport lies on top of Oversley Farm, a Neolithic farming community. (from History of Manchester)

Boroughs

Greater Manchester is split into 10 boroughs:

Selected biography -

Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991. They have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, have had eight UK number-one singles and have collected 15 NME Awards, 5 Brit Awards and 9 Q awards.

The band initially gained prominence performing on the Manchester club circuit. They were signed to independent record label Creation Records and afterwards released their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994. The following year, the band recorded (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, and at the height of their fame, Oasis released their third album, Be Here Now (1997). It became the fastest-selling album in UK chart history, but lost much of its long-term appeal after the initial hype. The band suffered a notable decline in popularity in America and lost three long-time members between recording and releasing Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000) and Heathen Chemistry (2002).

Their sixth album Don't Believe the Truth (2005), despite turbulent recording, became their best-selling and best-received album in a decade. In February 2007, Oasis received the BRIT Award for outstanding contribution to music. Dig Out Your Soul, the seventh studio album by the band, is set to be released on October 6, 2008.

More...

Did you know?

...that the Albert Medal was one of the awards given to Mark Addy for rescuing more than 50 people from the highly polluted River Irwell, Manchester, in the 19th Century?
...that the Port of Runcorn in Cheshire, England, was an independent customs port for two separate periods before becoming part of the Port of Manchester in 1894?
...that a word square found in Mamucium (pictured), a Roman fort in Manchester, may be one of the earliest examples of Christianity in Britain?
...that the women's scratch race at the 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was held in Manchester and was won by Ellen van Dijk?

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Greater Manchester

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Buildings and structures in Greater Manchester

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Economy of Greater Manchester

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Environment of Greater Manchester

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Geography of Greater Manchester

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History of Greater Manchester

Local government in Greater Manchester

Mass media in Greater Manchester

Municipal coats of arms in Greater Manchester

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People from Greater Manchester

Politics of Greater Manchester

Religion in Greater Manchester

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Featured Content

Featured articles: Altrincham • Bert Trautmann • Chat Moss • City of Manchester Stadium • Duncan Edwards • Emmeline Pankhurst • Greater Manchester • Joy Division • M62 motorway • Manchester • Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal • Manchester City F.C. • Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine • Peterloo Massacre • Oldham • Scout Moor Wind Farm • Shaw and Crompton • Stretford • Trafford

Featured lists: Castles in Greater Manchester • Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester • List of Manchester City F.C. managers • List of Manchester United F.C. managers • List of Manchester United F.C. records and statistics • List of Manchester United F.C. seasons • List of Manchester United F.C. players • List of Manchester United F.C. players (25–99 appearances) • List of Manchester United F.C. players (fewer than 25 appearances) • List of railway stations in Greater Manchester • List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater Manchester • List of tallest buildings and structures in Manchester • List of tallest buildings and structures in Salford • Manchester City F.C. seasons

Good articles: 1990 Strangeways Prison riot • Alan Turing • Ashton-under-Lyne • B of the Bang • Bank Street (stadium) • Bridgewater Canal • Buckton Castle • Castleshaw Roman fort • Chadderton • Cine City, Withington • City of Salford • Controversy over the usage of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man • David Beckham • Didsbury • Dunham Massey • Hale Barns • Henry Taylor (swimmer) • Hugh Mason • Hulme Arch Bridge • Hyde Road • Mamucium • Manchester and Bolton Railway • Manchester Liners • Manchester Mummy • Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine • Manchester United F.C. • Milnrow • Murrays' Mills • Nico Ditch • Noel Gallagher • North Road (stadium) • Ordsall Hall • Old Trafford • Oasis (band) • Radcliffe, Greater Manchester • River Irwell • Ronnie Wallwork • Royton • Sale, Greater Manchester • Tameside • Trafford Park • Upper Brook Street Chapel, Manchester • Urmston • Warburton, Greater Manchester

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Ceremonial county of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Portal
Statutory City Region	Greater Manchester Combined Authority Greater Manchester Statutory City Region Mayor of Greater Manchester
Metropolitan districts	City of Manchester City of Salford Metropolitan Borough of Bolton Metropolitan Borough of Bury Metropolitan Borough of Oldham Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough of Stockport Metropolitan Borough of Tameside Metropolitan Borough of Trafford Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Major settlements (cities in italics)	Altrincham Ashton-in-Makerfield Ashton-under-Lyne Astley Atherton Audenshaw Blackrod Bolton Bramhall Bredbury Bury Chadderton Cheadle Cheadle Hulme Chorlton-cum-Hardy Clifton Didsbury Denton Droylsden Dukinfield Eccles Failsworth Farnworth Gatley Golborne Hale Hale Barns Harwood Haughton Green Hazel Grove Heald Green Heywood Hindley Horwich Hyde Ince-in-Makerfield Irlam Kearsley Leigh Littleborough Little Hulton Little Lever Lowton Manchester Marple Middleton Milnrow Mossley Oldham Orrell Partington Pendlebury Prestwich Radcliffe Ramsbottom Reddish Rochdale Romiley Royton Sale Salford Shaw Shevington Stalybridge Standish Stockport Stretford Swinton Timperley Tottington Tyldesley Urmston Walkden Westhoughton Whitefield Wigan Worsley Wythenshawe See also: List of civil parishes in Greater Manchester
Rivers	Beal Bollin Croal Douglas Etherow Goyt Irk Irwell Medlock Mersey Roch Spodden Tame Tib Tonge
Canals	Bridgewater Canal Fletcher's Canal Hulme Locks Branch Canal Islington Branch Canal Manchester and Salford Junction Canal Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Manchester Ship Canal Mersey and Irwell Navigation Peak Forest Canal Stockport Branch Canal
Topics	Parliamentary constituencies and Members of Parliament Crime Cycling Demography People Public art Schools Geography Greater Manchester County Council (1974–1986) Places Population of major settlements Castles Churches Flag Football clubs Grade I listed buildings Grade II* listed buildings Mills Scheduled monuments SSSIs History Lord Lieutenant High Sheriff Museums Places of interest Transport Transport for Greater Manchester Manchester Airport Manchester Metrolink