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Sale is a Cheshire County town that lies on the Mersey River south bank. The commuter city has over 55,000 inhabitants. It is found only five miles to the southwest of Manchester, making it a convenient side trip for travelers.
History
In Roman days, Sale lay on the Roman road that connected Chester and York through the fort of Manchester. The town's name comes from the Anglo-Saxon period. The town was established some time in the 600's or 700's. Written records of Sale and neighboring Ashton upon Mersey exist from the first sixteen years of the 1200's and 1260.
In the medieval period, the town's meadows and field were used for profitable cattle farming and crop farming. Sale did develop a booming cottage industry in the 1600's. This involved making the garthweb woven material from which the saddle girths of horses are made.
The Bridgewater Canal arrived in Sale in 1765. This made the cheap transportation of people and goods possible. It led to the decline of agriculture and rise of urbanization in Sale. The Manchester, South Junction, and Altrincham Railway's arrival by 1849 accelerated the process. Sales became Manchester's commuter town. As the middle class flocked to Sale, the population of the town had grown by three hundred percent by the conclusion of the 1800's. Service industries gradually replace agriculture in the following years.
Sites and Attractions
There are several architectural sites for visitors to enjoy in Sale. The most impressive of these are the Ashton New Hall and the churches of St. John the Divine and St. Martin. Besides this, Sale numbers eighteen other listed buildings of historical importance. Outside the town hall is a cenotaph that commemorates the four hundred men from the town of Sale who died in World War I and the three hundred from here who perished in World War II.
Sale's oldest remaining building is the Eyebrow Cottage. It was constructed about 1670 and proved to be among the first brick buildings built here. The ornamental brickwork over the windows gave it the name.
Sale does not neglect its parks. The first one Worthington Park dates to 1900. It includes gardens, a bandstand, skate ramps, and children's play areas. Walton Park in the southwest part of town has a miniature railway. There is also a man made lake at Sale Water Park. This provides for fishing, water sports, and bird watching opportunities. This park is also a local nature reserve that gives migrating birds a home.
Culture and Entertainment
Sale offers residents and visitors both some good entertainment and cultural opportunities. The Gilbert and Sullivan Society from 1972 performs musicals at the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse. Sale Brass is the brass band of Sale that was established in 1849. It first performed at the original opening of the new railroad that year.
There are also theatres and art galleries here in the Waterside Arts Centre. The Robert Bolt Theatre is here with the library and two art galleries, the Corridor and the Lauriston Gallery. Exhibitions, concerts, and other events are held here on a regular basis. Visitors to Sale will not lack for activities to interest them.
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