Cheadle Hulme - Transport

Transport

Although most of the roads in the area date from the 20th century, there are many older roads formed from ancient routes, some as old as Roman. Cheadle Road possibly originated in Roman times and Ack Lane (formerly Hack Lane) is named after Hacon, a local Saxon landowner. Hulme Hall Road is named for the landmark it runs through and has existed since at least the 18th century. Until the 20th century, the roads were little more than country lanes, and most traffic consisted of horsedrawn carriages, carts, and milk floats. The roads were about half as wide as they are currently, and have all since been widened to accommodate the increasing amount of traffic. The first cars appeared in Cheadle Hulme in the early 1900s, but horse-drawn vehicles were the main form of transport until the 1920s. A bus, known as the "Rattler" was introduced around this time, and ran a service through the area. It was, however, very slow and noisy, as its name suggests.

The Crewe to Manchester railway was completed in May 1842, and a railway station known as "Cheadle" was built opposite the modern-day Hesketh Tavern. When the Stafford to Manchester railway opened in 1845 the original station closed and a new station was built to accommodate the junction between the two railways. The road was renamed to Station Road in the same year, and the station was renamed to Cheadle Hulme in 1866. The station has four platforms that serve the Crewe to Manchester and Stafford to Manchester Lines; there are three trains per hour to Manchester, and one train per hour to Stoke and Crewe. During the financial year 2007–2008 the station was used by passengers 424,000 times, an increase of 47,000 from the previous year.

Cheadle Hulme is situated near the A34 Cheadle bypass, as well as international transport link Manchester Airport, the busiest airport in the United Kingdom outside of London. The A5419 and B5095 roads traverse Cheadle Hulme; there are many buses that operate on a daily basis throughout the area, with frequent services to and from Stockport bus station, passing through neighbouring towns and villages. There are also services to Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, as well as to places such as Woodford, Macclesfield, Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport. Most buses are operated by Stagecoach Manchester.