Chorlton-cum-Hardy Through Time

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Chorlton-cum-Hardy has changed and developed over the last century.

Chorlton is derived from Old English and probably means Ceolfrith’s Farm or settlement. Hardy is probably from the name Hearda or the Anglo-Saxon for ‘island’ or ‘dry ground in a well-watered land’; it may also mean ‘by the woods’ as the ancient forest of Arden Wood grew either side of the River Mersey. Despite there being no record of Chorlton-cum-Hardy as a settlement name before 1700, there was an Anglo-Saxon settlement here from the ninth century.In 1904 Chorlton-cum-Hardy was incorporated into the City of Manchester. The district borders onto Stretford, Sale, Didsbury, Withington and Whalley Range, with the River Mersey forming part of its southern boundary. As a result, Chorlton-cum-Hardy has a rich and historically diverse heritage. Through a selection of old and new photographs Chorlton-cum-Hardy Through Timetraces the area’s development over the last century, and is essential reading for anybody who knows and loves this historic suburb.