Gatley
| Gatley | |
|---|---|
 Gatley
|
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| Gatley shown within Greater Manchester | |
| Population | approx. 9,000 |
| Metropolitan borough |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHEADLE |
| Postcode district | SK8 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Gatley is a suburban area of , Greater Manchester, England.
In 1290, Gatley was known as Gateclyve, which in Old English means "a place where goats are kept".
Until the 20th century, most Gatley residents either worked in the material trades or were farmers. An open field system existed around Gatley in the late 17th century, but the practice of common farming seems to have fallen into disuse when William Tatton allowed tenants to buy their own land.
Gatley Carrs was the lower, marshy ground running down to the River Mersey and West to Northenden. Before 1700 it was a place for ozier beds which local people had used for basket making or for wattles for cottages or fencing.
In 1800, Mr Worthington of Sharston Hall planted 1000 poplars in Gatley Carrs. In the mid 19th century, Gatley Carrs was described as "a scene of such singular and romantic beauty, and so thoroughly unique in its composition, that we know nothing in the neighbourhood to liken it to".
Over the years Gatley Carrs has shrunk to a fraction of its former size. In the second half of the 18th century, the Carrs was largely enclosed and partially drained to form farmed meadows. The Stockport to Altrincham railway line cut across it in 1864, running East-West. In 1934 house building began on "High Terrace" of the Mersey (the development behind the Horse and Farrier pub, running down to the railway line) and also about that time Cheadle and Gatley UDC purchased 19 acres (77,000 m2) to use as a refuse tip. Tree planting commenced due to complaints of smells and rats. There was loss of original field pattern because of extensive refuse tipping.
Carr woodland was developed on what had been carr meadows. There was a major system of land drains identified on the 1934 map including a sluice and non-return outfall gate to protect Gatley Carr from flooding when the Mersey burst its banks.
In the mid 1960s land restoration took place, although the Carr was only covered with soil to a depth varying between 2 inches (51 mm) and 6 inches (150 mm). Gatley Carrs then fell to the management of the Mersey Valley Countryside Wardens until it was handed to Stockport MBC in the late 1990s.
Button making appears to have been a significant local trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. A "button man" (merchant selling buttons) is recorded in Gatley in the 1660s. This continued in the 18th century with three button men being mentioned in Gatley between 1735 and 1779.
People living around Gatley Green were mostly hand loom weavers and became more dependent on textile manufacture. Their cottages had cellars for storage and well-lit upper rooms for the looms.
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Wikipedia