Pendlebury is a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 13,069. It lies north-west of Manchester, north-west of Salford and south-east of Bolton.

Historically in Lancashire, Pendlebury, together with the neighbouring settlements of Swinton and Clifton, formed the municipal borough of Swinton and Pendlebury. The township was variously recorded as Penelbiri, Pennilbure, Pennebire and Pennesbyry in the 13th century, Penilburi in 1300, Penulbury in 1332; Penhulbury in 1358, Pendulbury in 1561 and Pendlebury after 1567.

In 1199 King John confirmed a gift of a carucate of land called Peneberi to Ellis son of Robert. He had made the grant when he was Count of Mortain (1189–99) and confirmed it when he became king in a deed signed at Le Mans in France. Ellis was described as Master Sergeant of Salford and a benefactor of Cockersand Abbey.

In 1201 Pendlebury was linked to the manor of Shoresworth to the south (described as "one oxgang of land") before Shoreworth became part of Pendleton. The manors of Pendlebury and Shoresworth were held of the king in thegnage by a rent of 12 shillings in 1212. Ellis died in or about 1216, and his son Adam succeeded to his manor and serjeanty. In 1274 Ellis, son of Roger came to a violent death, and Amabel, his widow claimed dower in various lands against Roger de Pendlebury. A short time afterwards, Amabel having received her dower, she and Roger de Pendlebury had to defend a suit brought by Adam de Pendlebury, who satisfied the jury of his title to the manor. Ellis had a brother, William and daughters Maud, Lettice and Beatrice. Maud married Adam son of Alexander de Pilkington of Pilkington, and had a daughter Cecily. The manor was sold before 1300 to Adam de Prestwich. The new lord of Pendlebury married Alice de Woolley daughter of Richard son of Henry de Pontefract, the eventual heir was his daughter Alice, wife of Jordan de Tetlow. Her heir was her daughter, Joan, who married Richard de Langley, and the manor descended with the Langleys until the end of the 16th century. Robert Langley died 19 September 1561, leaving four daughters as co-heirs. On the division of the estates, Agecroft, and lands in Pendlebury, became the portion of Anne, who married William Dauntesey, from Wiltshire. The manor of Pendlebury was claimed by the Daunteseys for some time, but was afterwards held with Prestwich, descending in the Coke family until about 1780, when it was sold to Peter Drinkwater of Irwell House, Prestwich.

The Langley name is remembered locally by having several streets, Langley Road, Langley Mill and Langley housing estate in Middleton named after the family. Agecroft Hall Estate is a recently built housing estate on Agecroft Road (A6044), named after the hall.

Industrial development

thumb|upright=1.3|left|[[Agecroft Power Station in 1985 (since demolished)]]Pendlebury saw extensive coal extraction until the closure of Agecroft Colliery in the 1990s. Wheatsheaf Colliery was on Bolton Road between Carrington Street and City Walk on what is now the Wheatsheaf Industrial Estate and Newtown Colliery (on the Clifton/Newtown, Pendlebury boundary, bounded by Manchester Road/Bolton Road (A666), Billy Lane, Rake Lane and the pit lodge ('the Dam'), which later became known as "Queensmere"). Agecroft Colliery reopened in 1960 following an investment of £9,000,000 and seven years of establishment works. Agecroft stood on the site of Lumn's Colliery which had an unusual arrangement of winding gear concealed in three huge towers – the tallest of which was high and which was abandoned in 1932. After 1947 Agecroft Colliery sent much of its coal to the CEGB's Agecroft Power Station, via a conveyor belt system that crossed a bridge over Agecroft Road. Mining finished in 1990, and the Agecroft Colliery site is now home to the Agecroft Commerce Park.

The Kearsley, Clifton, Pendlebury and Pendleton Miners' Association was established in 1888 and became the Pendlebury Branch of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1959. With the decline of the industry, the once popular Pendlebury Miners' Club (at the top of Temple Drive, Swinton) was demolished in the 1990s.

Governance

thumb|left|The [[coat of arms of the former Swinton and Pendlebury Municipal Borough Council. Swinton and Pendlebury was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1934.]]

Pendlebury was formerly a township in the parish of Eccles, in 1866 Pendlebury became a separate civil parish, 1 April 1933 the parish was abolished to form Swinton and Pendlebury. In 1931 the parish had a population of 9335.

Pendlebury was joined with Swinton in 1875 to form a local board of health area and was later governed by the Swinton and Pendlebury Urban District Council.

The Borough of Swinton and Pendlebury was amalgamated into the City of Salford in 1974 as a result of local government reforms.

In terms of parliamentary representation, the town was until 2010 part of the Eccles constituency. Since then it has been part of the Salford and Eccles constituency.

Geography

Pendlebury is situated on a ridge overlooking the lower Irwell Valley, almost midway between Manchester and Bolton and is neighboured by Irlams o' th' Height, Pendleton and Clifton. Much of the boundary between Pendlebury and Clifton is defined by Slack Brook which was culverted many years ago after the area was used for landfill. Slack Brook eventually empties into the Irwell a short distance upstream from Agecroft Road Bridge (A6044). The surface of the land slopes generally upwards from southwest (Swinton) to northeast (Irwell Valley), from about to nearly above the ordnance datum.

The town has a mix of industrial and residential areas despite the closure of its mines and most of its cotton mills.

Economy

In the 19th century the manufacture and printing of cottons were the principal industries of the town, A crematorium was opened in the nonconformist burial chapel in 1957. A fund has been launched, supported by the council and external partners, to restore the unused central burial chapel which has fallen into a state of disrepair.

thumb|right|[[St. Augustine's Church, Pendlebury]]

The architectural highlight of the town is the Grade I listed Gothic style High Anglican St Augustine's Church, designed by the 19th century architect George Frederick Bodley between 1871 and 1874. It is one of six Grade I listed buildings in the City of Salford. The church became known as the miners' cathedral because of its lofty appearance and because many local men were colliers. The churchyard contains a memorial to 178 men and boys who died in a disaster at Clifton Hall Colliery on 18 June 1885. 64 victims are buried at St Augustine's. In May 2006, the church became the focal point of a campaign by English Heritage to save 19 places of worship in Greater Manchester from falling into dilapidation.

The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital built in 1873 closed in 2009 and its functions moved to a site alongside Manchester Royal Infirmary, in Manchester.

thumb|right| Pendlebury War Memorial

At the junction of Bolton Road and Agecroft Road stands a stone cross with the inscription "Lest We Forget". Behind it is a stone wall on which is written:

<blockquote>

"This cross was erected by Andrew Knowles and Sons to the memory of the brave men from their collieries who laid down their lives for their country A.D. 1914–1918"

</blockquote>

Below the inscription are eight slate plaques inscribed with the names of 24 men who worked for Andrew Knowles and Sons.

Sport

The former home of Swinton RLFC, Station Road, which held numerous internationals and major rugby league matches before its closure in 1992, was located in Pendlebury. Swinton announced its intention to return to a site adjacent to Agecroft Road, Pendlebury, currently known as Agecroft Farm in August 2006. Langworthy ARLFC has been based in Pendlebury, at Rabbit Hills playing fields on Bolton Road, for over 20 years, whilst local rivals Folly Lane ARLFC operate on the Blue Ribbon field off Pendlebury Road.

St. John the Evangelist churchyard is the burial place of Geoff Bent, one of the Busby Babes from Manchester United F.C., who perished in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958.

St John's is also the burial place of Jim Valentine, captain of Swinton Rugby Club, an England rugby union international in the late Victorian era. His 48 tries for The Lions in the 1888–89 season still stands as a club record.

Pendlebury Coyotes won the amateur World Championship in inline hockey at under-21 level in 2006 and were runners-up in the World Championship at senior level.

Schools

Primary

  • Mossfield Primary School, Newtown
  • St Augustine's CE Primary School
  • St John's CE Primary School

Secondary

  • Co-op Academy Swinton

Churches

  • St. Augustine's C of E, Bolton Road, Pendlebury
  • St Mark's RC, Station Road, Pendlebury
  • Christ Church – Assemblies of God (formerly C of E), Bolton Road, Pendlebury
  • Kings Church Salford, Bolton Road, Pendlebury
  • St John the Evangelist C of E, Bolton Road, Pendlebury
  • Salvation Army, Station Road, Pendlebury

Notable people

thumb|upright|The former home of artist [[L. S. Lowry at 117 Station Road, Pendlebury]]

Pendlebury was home to the painter L. S. Lowry (1887–1976), who lived at 117 Station Road from 1909 to 1948, after his parents moved from Victoria Park in Manchester when he was 22. Here Lowry produced many of his famous works, drawing inspiration from the industrial scenes about him. It has been reported that, having missed a train from Pendlebury railway station, Lowry encountered the changing of shifts at Acme Mill and marvelled at the spectacle – this being the moment he decided that industrial scenes were fitting for further work. Aspects of the locality appear in many of Lowry's paintings; elements of the Acme Mill can be seen in Coming from the Mill (1930); his picture Pendlebury Scene shows an aspect of the Acme Mill from George Street, both now demolished; and in 1953, Lowry painted The Railway Platform, a scene of railway passengers standing on the platform at Pendlebury railway station.

; and

  • James Aspinall Turner (1797–1867), entomologist and Whig politician, lived in Pendlebury Hall.
  • Lilias Armstrong (1882–1937), a phonetician working at University College, London
  • Tom Price (1902–1973), trade unionist and politician, MP for Westhoughton 1951 to 1973
  • Tony Warren (1936–2016), scriptwriter, raised at Wilton Avenue. He created the award-winning soap opera Coronation Street.
  • Sir Ben Kingsley (born 1943), actor, grew up in Pendlebury and was educated at the Manchester Grammar School. Kingsley lived adjacent to Lowry's former home on Station Road.

Sport

  • Walter Bumby (1860–1936), rugby union footballer who played 333 games for Swinton Lions
  • Fred Butters (1904–1988), rugby league footballer who played 351 games for Swinton Lions
  • Jack Kenny (1907–1994), rugby league footballer who played 117 games for Leigh Leopards
  • Frank Griffin (1928–2007), footballer who played 240 games for West Bromwich Albion
  • Ryan Giggs (born 1973), footballer with Manchester United; grew up in Beverley Road, after a family move from South Wales when his father Danny Wilson switched rugby codes. In 2009 Giggs was granted the freedom of Salford.

See also

  • Listed buildings in Swinton and Pendlebury

References

  • Swinton and Pendlebury , Local History article from Salford City Council.
  • St. Augustine's C of E Primary School