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Stockport proves to be a big town with a population of over 136,000 people. The town is located on high ground along the Mersey River at the point where the Tame and Goyt Rivers converge. It is found only six miles from Manchester, making it an easy day trip out from the industrial city.
History
The name Stockport came from Stokeport that was written about in 1170. There was a motte and bailey styled castle found here a few years later. A rebellion against King Henry II occurred in the town area from 1172 to 1173.
The town remained a tiny habitation along the Mersey into the 1500's. Rope and hemp were made here. Stockport became a prototype textile town after this. By the 1700's, among the earliest mechanized silk factories in Great Britain was located here. In the 1800's, the cotton and related industries were dominant. The town also boasted being the centre of the nation's hat making industry and saw over six million hats each year exported by the year 1884. The last of the hat works here closed in 1997, marking the end of an era.
Architecture
Visitors to Stockport are able to see one of the wonders of Victorian era architecture, the Stockport Viaduct. These feature twenty-seven different brick arches across the River Mersey that take the train from Birmingham and London over to Manchester. This is commonly known as among the largest brick structures in all of Western Europe at one hundred eleven feet high. Four railroad tracks run across the river on top of it.
Stockport Plaza is a 1932 vintage cinema and variety theatre. This is the only still operating theatre of its kind in the world. It is worth stopping in to see a show here.
There are several medieval buildings to see in Stockport as well. The oldest non-religious building is Staircase House. This medieval townhouse can be found in the Market Place. St. Mary's Church is also in the Market Place. Portions of this oldest church in Stockport go back to the early 1300's. The Stockport Heritage Centre is found here and is open on market days.
For anyone who loves impressive organs, Stockport Town Hall is a must see venue. The biggest Wurlitzer theatre organ in all of Great Britain is found here. The ballroom is magnificent and lauded by Poet Laureate, John Betjeman.
Attractions
The town's historic position as the hat making capital of Britain can be experienced at the Hat works - Museum of Hatting. In Staircase House, another museum is found at the Stockport Story Museum that goes through ten thousand years of area history. There is also the War Memorial Gallery and the Stockport Air Raid Shelters museum worth seeing when visitors are in town. The shelters are found in purpose dug underground tunnels.
For outdoor attractions, Stockport offers two. Vernon Park is the area's principal municipal park just to the east of town. It dates back to 1858 when Lord Vernon gave the land to the town in memory of the Crimean War. Stockport also has twelve area nature reserves that visitors can enjoy. A nice variety of plants and animals can be seen here and enjoyed, in particular when the weather is good.
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