Sale | |
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Sale Town Hall |
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Sale shown within Greater Manchester | |
Population | 134,022 (2011 census) |
OS grid reference | SJ785915 |
• London | 162 mi (261 km) SE |
Metropolitan borough | |
Metropolitan county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | SALE |
Postcode district | M33 |
Dialling code | 0161 |
Police | Greater Manchester |
Fire | Greater Manchester |
Ambulance | North West |
EU Parliament | North West England |
UK Parliament | |
Sale is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.Historically in Cheshire, it is on the south bank of the River Mersey, 1.9 miles (3.1 km) south of Stretford, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northeast of Altrincham, and 5.2 miles (8.4 km) southwest of Manchester. In 2011, it had a population of 134,122. According to a 2017 study commissioned by the Royal Mail, Sale was found to be the 4th most desirable town to live in in England.
Evidence of Stone Age, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon activity has been discovered locally. In the Middle Ages, Sale was a rural township, linked ecclesiastically with neighbouring Ashton upon Mersey, whose fields and meadows were used for crop and cattle farming. By the 17th century, Sale had a cottage industry manufacturing garthweb, the woven material from which horses' saddle girths were made.
The Bridgewater Canal reached the town in 1765, stimulating Sale's urbanisation. The arrival of the railway in 1849 triggered Sale's growth as a commuter town for Manchester, leading to an influx of middle class residents; by the end of the 19th century the town's population had more than tripled. Agriculture gradually declined as service industries boomed.
Sale's urban growth resulted in a merger with neighbouring Ashton upon Mersey, following the Local Government Act 1929. The increase in population led to the granting of a charter in 1935, giving Sale honorific borough status. Since then, Sale has continued to thrive as a commuter town, supported by its proximity to the M60 motorway and the Manchester Metrolink network. Sale Water Park contains an artificial lake used for water sports. Sale FC and Sale Sharks rugby union clubs and Sale Harriers athletics club were founded in Sale, although only the first now remains in the town at their Heywood Road ground.