Flixton, Greater Manchester

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type= Greater Manchester
latitude= 53.45
longitude= -2.39
official_name= Flixton
population=
metropolitan_borough= Trafford
metropolitan_county= Greater Manchester
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Stretford and Urmston
post_town= MANCHESTER
postcode_area= M
postcode_district= M41
dial_code= 0161
os_grid_reference= SJ755945
static_

static_image_caption=Flixton House

Flixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England.cite web
title = Urmston Area
publisher = Trafford Council
url = http://www.trafford.gov.uk/content/maps/urmston/
accessdate = 2007-04-20] It lies about six miles (9.7 km) to the southwest of Manchester City Centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.

Flixton's present day population is concentrated in the northern half of the area with the rest being generally open.

History

Flixton has been recorded as Fluxton, Flyxton, Flyxeton, and Flixtone, amongst other spellings. [Langton, "A History of the Parish of Flixton", p. 13] It has been suggested that Flixton derives its name from "Fleecetown" because of its 14th-century connection with the woollen industry. Flixton first appears in historical records in 1177 however, making that toponymy seem unlikely. The name is more probably of Scandinavian origin, perhaps deriving from the Viking called Flikke or Flikkr who is credited with bringing Christianity to the area. The Anglo-Saxon "ton" means dwelling place, hence Flikke's ton.cite web
title=The Urmston Partnership
url=http://www.urmston.net/local_history.asp
accessdate=2007-04-20]

Historically, Flixton was a more important site than its now larger neighbour Urmston. The township centred around the parish church of St. Michael's, whilst Urmston was mostly open land.

During the 19th century, whilst the rest of Trafford was experiencing a period of growth, the township of Flixton experienced relatively slow growth; the population rose by only 22% between 1801 and 1851. This has been attributed to the migration of the people of Flixton to other towns as a result of industrialisation and an agricultural depression. Flixton was home to many handloom weavers, the advent of an industrialised production process priced handloom weavers out of the market. Due to disproportionate growth during this period, Urmston began to surpass Flixton in importance. In 1852, the Stott family built a cotton mill at the corner of Flixton Road and Shawe Road. At its peak it employed up to 300 people. The mill closed in 1935. Between 1871 and 1901, the population of Flixton increased from 1,512 to 3,656 as a result of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway opening a station in Flixton in 1873, linking the town to Manchester.cite book |author=Mike Nevell |date=1997 |title=The Archaeology of Trafford |publisher=Trafford Metropolitan Borough with University of Manchester Archaeological Unit |pages=86-87, 89 |isbn=1-870695-25-9]

Flixton Park and Gardens (convert|218|acre|ha|0|sing=off) is the site of Flixton House, a Grade II listed building built in 1806. The history of the house includes one of the first footpath battles in England, when in 1826 the owner closed several footpaths across his estate. The court case against the owner was a success and a landmark in the establishment of footpaths in England. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = 2002 - 2006 Management & Improvement Plan (Working Document) | work = | publisher = Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
date = | url = http://www.trafford.gov.uk/cme/live/dynamic/Download.asp?c=docman2&f=pdf&id=987E097A-D570-445E-9DBA-A6CA60F99A0F | format = PDF | doi = | accessdate = 2007-04-23]

Governance

Civic history

Political representation

Beverley Hughes, a member of the Labour Party, has been the MP for the constituency of Stretford and Urmston since its creation in 1997.

Geography

The River Mersey forms the southern boundary of Flixton. The Manchester Ship Canal, formerly the path of the River Irwell, was adopted as the western boundary in 1896.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Townships: Flixton
work = A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5 (1911), pp. 46-50
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=52998
accessdate = 2007-04-20]

Landmarks

Abbotsfield Park, known locally as Chassen Park, was the unlikely venue for a 1963 Beatles' concert, booked before The Beatles became famous. The Urmston and District Model Engineering Society operates a miniature railway around the park, and runs a yearly "May Day of Steam" in conjunction with the Lancashire Traction Engine Club. [cite web | title= May Day of Steam | publisher= | url= http://www.maydaysteam.co.uk/ |accessdate= 2007-07-21]

Culture

The Flixton Band was originally formed in 1877, and played at the official opening of the Manchester Ship Canal performed by Queen Victoria, in 1894. [cite web |title=History of the Band |publisher=Flixton Band |url=http://www.flixtonband.org.uk/history.htm |accessdate=2007-07-21] The band was disbanded in 1933, but reformed in 1967, since when it has broadcast on television and radio, and achieved many competition successes.

Canterbury Players is a local amateur dramatic society. Performances are given on stage at the Davyhulme (Wesley) Methodist Church located in Brook Road, Flixton.

The Urmston Musical Theatre was formed as the Urmston Operatic Society in 1911. Its current president is the actor Matthew Kelly, who was born in Urmston. It performs an adult main show in October with rehearsals running from June to October and a pantomime in January/February with rehearsals running from November to the date of the show. Both shows are performed at the Poolside Theatre within the Urmston Leisure Centre. Its youth section performs a show in May at St Antony's Catholic College in Urmston. [cite web |url=http://www.umt.org.uk |author= |title=The Urmston Musical Theatre |publisher= |accessdate=2007-08-08]

Notable Residents

Award winning artist Frances Lennon spent over thirty years living in retirement in Flixton.

Transport

Flixton and Chassen Road railway stations lie on the Liverpool to Manchester train line. The main road through Flixton is the B5158 Flixton Road which crosses the River Mersey. The main road between Urmston and Flixton is Church Road.

Flixton Bridge (crossing the Mersey) was built in 1907 as an alternative crossing to the existing medieval structure approximately convert|0.3|mi|km to the south (this structure no longer exists). During the Second World War the inscription was removed from the bridge, as a measure to confuse invading forces.

Flixton Road between Flixton Bridge and the A6144 Carrington Lane is known locally as 'The Mile Road', however the actual length of the road between these two points is approximately convert|0.5|mi|km.

Education

Along with the rest of Trafford, Flixton maintains a selective education system assessed by the Eleven Plus examination. The closest of Trafford's grammar schools to Flixton is Urmston Grammar School. The proportion of pupils leaving Urmston Grammar School with five or more GCSEs at grades A–C in 2006 was 96.8%, compared to an average of 66.7% for all secondary schools in Trafford and a national UK average of 61.3%.cite web | title = Urmston Ward Profile | publisher = Trafford Council | url = http://www.trafford.gov.uk/cme/live/dynamic/DocMan2Document.asp?document_id=67719B60-DF73-4B39-A2B3-E09521C8FB9542C1B6CA5 | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ]

Flixton Girls' High School is a non-selective sports specialist community high school, taking girls aged 11–16 of all abilities. In Trafford, 40% of pupils are selected for grammar schools at the age of 11, so the level of attainment of pupils on entry to Flixton Girls' High School is below the national average, as is the proportion of higher attainers. The school was described in its 2004 Ofsted report as "an effective school which provides a good standard of education." [cite web | title= Flixton Girls' High School | work= Inspection Report | publisher= Ofsted | url= http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=258630&providerCategoryID=8192&fileName=\school\106\s10_106364_20040512.pdf | format= PDF | accessdate= 2007-10-15]

Religion

Flixton is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford, [cite web | title = Catholic Diocese of Salford | publisher = | url = http://www.salforddiocese.org.uk/ |accessdate = 2007-05-07] and the Church of England Diocese of Manchester. [cite web | title = The Church of England Diocese of Manchester | publisher = | url = http://www.manchester.anglican.org/default.asp |accessdate = 2007-05-07]

The Catholic Community of Flixton worship at St Monica's Church on Woodsend Road South. The parish was founded in 1950 and the attached school opened in 1959. The present church of St Monica was opened in 1969. The building underwent major renovations in 1993 and it was extended in 1999 with a new suite named The Jubilee Rooms [ [http://stmonicasflixton.org/History.htm History ] ] .

ports

Flixton F.C. was formed in 1960, playing in the Manchester and Wythenshawe League, then moved to the Lancashire and Cheshire League in 1963, winning its third division at the first attempt. They won promotion to Division One of the North West Counties League for the 2006-07 season. Trafford F.C. are a club that broke away from Flixton in 1990 and who play one division higher in the Northern Premier League Division One North

Flixton has two golf courses, the municipally owned William Wroe Golf Course and the privately owned Flixton Golf Course, reputedly the longest nine hole golf course in England.

The Urmston Leisure Centre is located within Flixton.clr

References

Notes

Bibliography

*cite book |first=D. H. |last=Langton |title=A History of the Parish of Flixton |publisher=Trafford Metropolitan Borough |year=1898, re-published 1991 |isbn=1870695100

External links

* [http://www.urmston.net Website for local area]