Salford lies at the heart of the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Ideally located next to Manchester, at the heart of England's north west, Salford offers arts, culture, sport, shopping, heritage, relaxation and stunning scenery.

Local Attractions

Ordsall Hall - Salford's Grade 1 listed Tudor manor house - first recorded in 1177. Home to medieval gentry, Catholics loyal to the crown, Tudor nobility, farmers, butchers, an Earl,  priests, an artist, scout troops, mill workers and several ghosts!

Salford Museum and Art Gallery - has a programme of permanent displays and changing contemporary exhibitions with a range of events and activities guaranteed to inspire.

The Lowry - Built in 2000 at the Salford Quays, a magnificent building which is a shrine to all things art, with theatres, galleries, workshops, cafes and shops.

Travel Information

Positioned at the heart of the Northwest, minutes from Manchester city centre, it's easy to make Salford your next destination if you are coming from Liverpool or Leeds, Birmingham or London or even further afield.

By Road: 4 major motorways pass through the city: the M62 from Liverpool to Leeds, M602 from Salford to Manchester, M61 from Bolton and the M60 Manchester ring road all provide road links to the city.

By Train: Salford has two main stations: Salford Central, on the border with Manchester, and Salford Crescent, near the university, as well as seven smaller stations on the three main lines through the city. There is a regular timetable to Manchester as well as services to Wigan, Liverpool and beyond. Manchester Piccadilly is the region's central station, linking Greater Manchester with the rest of the country.

By Tram: Salford is well served by the Metrolink tram which runs from Eccles into Manchester city centre and from there on to Bury or Altrincham. The service is regular and frequent - for local tram information contact GMPTE on 0161 228 7811 or visit the Metrolink website.

By Air: Manchester Airport is only 20 minutes from Salford.

Salford's early history is marked by its status as a Royal caput and the judicial seat of the ancient hundred of Salfordshire, to which it lent its name. It was granted a charter by Ranulf de Blondeville, 6th Earl of Chester, in about 1230, making Salford a free borough. During the early stages of its growth, Salford was of greater cultural and commercial importance than its neighbour Manchester, although most contemporary sources agree that since the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries that position has been reversed. Salford became a major factory town and inland port during the 18th and 19th centuries. Cotton and silk spinning and weaving in local mills attracted an influx of families and provided Salford with a strong economy.

Salford has become a centre of higher education, home to the University of Salford, and has seen several firsts, including the world's first unconditionally free public library, and the first street in the world to be lit by gas, Chapel Street in 1806. Salford's MediaCityUK became the headquarters of CBBC and BBC Sport in 2011.

Although the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford was a 20th-century creation, the area has a long history of human activity, extending back to the Stone Age. Neolithic flint arrow-heads and tools, and evidence of Bronze Age activity has been discovered in Salford.