Trafford's Places

Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme

Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme are residential areas in the north west of the Borough. Together they retain a distinct identity, known for their verdant suburban qualities, with an extensive network of open spaces and established tree lined streets and avenues.

 

The area remained largely agricultural until the arrival of the railway in 1873 when it developed into a series of middle class suburbs. A number of the streets benefit from a distinct planned form which results in wide avenues that now integrate tree lined verges and cycle lanes, (some of which date from the inter war period) separating pedestrians from vehicular traffic. These streets provide a great opportunity for creating exemplar active travel routes.

 

While there are a number of terraced residential properties across the area, particularly close to the historic centre of Urmston, the urban form beyond is typically less dense, with a proliferation of semi-detached and detached post-war houses in generous plots.

 

Many parts of Urmston in particular, are characterised by well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian properties, which together with the numerous parks, green spaces and tree lined streets lead to a verdant, spatial quality.

 

Many of these properties display characteristic local detailing including red brick, blue slate roofs with overhanging verge details, decorative eaves and corbelling, terracotta brickwork, planted timber and traditional render detailing at first floor, together with dogtooth string courses and recessed doorways.  Fine examples can be found along roads such as Westmorland Road, Barnfield and Flixton Road. There are also fine examples of interwar properties which include details typical of the era such as gabled fronts with mock Tudor panelling, horizontally proportioned windows and decorative fenestration.

 

Outlying areas of Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme Woodsend have been developed over time with a series of mid twentieth century housing estates, some of which have become areas in their own right.  Bent Lanes, Woodsend / Woodsend Circle in Flixton and Kingsway Park and Broadway in Davyhulme include a number of older properties, but are dominated by large housing estates. With a few notable exceptions, the latter provide little in the way of appropriate design cues for new development. Snowden Avenue in Urmston is another mid twentieth century estate, which whilst not boasting a particularly strong architectural character is nevertheless laid out on attractive tree lined streets. Davyhulme Circle retains a strong identity, with the Grade II listed war memorial at its heart, and a number of attractive period properties in commercial use to the north, south and east. The vacant site to the northwest requires a scheme which delivers a strong identity to complete the piece.

Evolution

Local Character Areas

  • Urmston is the principal town centre for the area and includes an historic high street while period properties are focused around its core;
  • Flixton is a residential area to the west which abuts the Manchester Ship Canal but  lacks an obvious centre;
  • Flixton Village on the fringes of the conurbation provides a snapshot of historic Trafford village life and retains a distinct identity centred around St Michael’s Church;
  • The River Mersey corridor has a less engineered riverbank through the area than elsewhere and provides the setting for recreation and leisure activities as well as natural habitats;
  • The Manchester Ship Canal provides an additional green resource as well as being a significant heritage asset, where remnants of its industrial past can be discovered;
  • Davyhulme is a residential area to the north which includes Trafford General Hospital and borders the M60 and nearby Trafford Centre. Like the rest of the area it boasts an extensive network of green spaces.

Place Specific Design Cues

Context dependent design cues should be taken from the best examples of properties that were built at the time these areas began to develop.

Please refer to the above common house types and the context section of this Code for guidance on how to understand context. Characteristics commonly found in Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme are set out below:

 

Notable buildings and landmarks – consider how these might inform new design.

Built Form, Height, Roofscape – generally two storey with dual pitched roofs.

Local building materials – almost exclusively red brick in stretcher, English Garden Wall or Flemish bond with sandstone detailing, and blue slate or red clay tiled roofs.

Façade composition –generally bay windows at ground and first floor, with vertically proportioned sash windows.

Architectural detailing – particularly prevalent around doorways, windows, bays and eaves. Mock Tudor panelling or planted timber detail and roughcast render to first floor. Recessed windows, doors and open porches.

Boundary treatment – generally low stone or brick walls to road frontages with hedge planting behind.

Streetscape patterns and street structure – consider the urban grain – generally medium sized houses in reasonably generous gardens.

 

Common Housing Types in Trafford

Whilst their is a predominant red brick Victorian residential vernacular in Trafford, it is clear that their is great variation in the vernacular of the borough.. The forms described in the following pages should be fully considered by designers when addressing their own site.

Victorian Terraces

Victorian terraces are the predominant typology throughout the borough, particularly within Stretford and Old Trafford. They are largely formed in a linear block, creating rigid back-to-back rows of housing.

• Generally Accrington or Cheshire red brick in stretcher or Flemish bond
• Slate roofs
• Sandstone sills
• Sandstone or brick arched lintels
• Vertically proportioned sash windows
• Panelled doors
• Clipped roof details
• Dentil detailing
• Brick chimneys
• Narrow or no front curtilage
• Buildings set in grid iron streets
• Brick boundaries

Edwardian Terraces

The Edwardian terrace provides a variation on the Victorian form, adding a more ornate form and distinct repetition of bay windows and coupling of entrance thresholds. They are particularly prevalent in Sale, Stretford, parts of Old Trafford and Altrincham.

• Generally Accrington red brick in stretcher or Flemish bond.
• Often contrasting brick panelling and banding (buff,  cream and blue commonly)
• Slate roofs
• Sandstone sills
• Sandstone or brick arched lintels
• Sandstone detailing
• Vertically proportioned sash windows
• Bay windows
• Panelled and part glazed doors
• Clipped or simple roof details
• Dentil details
• Buildings set in straight rows
• Elevated ground floor levels above a cellar
• Medium sized front gardens
• Brick boundaries with stone gateposts

Edwardian Semi-Detached

Similarly to the terraced variation, the Edwardian semi-detached provides a more ornate form to the traditional semi-detached property. A coupled bay frontage with tudor detailing is predominant, with well defined entrances.

• Generally Accrington red brick in stretcher or Flemish bond.
• Carved brick details
• Rendered panels at upper levels
• Slate or terracotta roofs
• Gabled fronts with mock-tudor details
• Sandstone sills
• Sandstone or brick arched lintels
• Vertically proportioned windows with decorative fenestration
• Bay windows
• Arched doorways
• Panelled and part glazed doors
• Clipped or simple roof details
• Buildings set in straight rows
• Large sized front gardens
• Brick or stone boundaries with stone gateposts

1930’/40’s Semi-Detached

Trafford’s growth can be largely attributed to the suburban growth of Manchester. The vast growth of Sale, Old Trafford, Urmston and the surrounding areas of Altrincham were driven by the development of 1930’s semi-detached properties. This creates a consistent and recognisable form for Trafford.

• Generally Accrington red brick in stretcher bond.
• Terracotta tile or rendered panel details
• Slate or terracotta roofs
• Gabled fronts with mock-tudor details
• Timber sills
• Soldier course brick lintels
• Horizontally proportioned windows with decorative fenestration
• Arched doorways
• Panelled and part glazed doors
• Clipped or simple roof details
• Buildings set along variety of street patterns
• Large sized front gardens with driveways to the side
• Brick or stone boundaries with brick gateposts

Rural Domestic Style

Trafford’s rural edge marks a clear transition from the suburban edge of Trafford into the Cheshire’s rich agricultural areas.Small clusters of residential properties, generally clustered around village greens or road junctions, form hamlets and villages. Their form is intimate and unassuming, creating welcoming and familiar forms within the open countryside.

• Generally Cheshire red brick in Flemish bond
• Slate or terracotta roofs
• Sandstone or brick sills
• Horizontal eyebrow windows often in informal arrangements
• Cottage style doors
• Clipped roof details
• Brick chimneys
• Small or no front curtilage
• Buildings set in clusters and informal groupings.
• Generally set tight against the highway
• Brick, hedge or timber picket boundaries

Villa Houses

As wealth grew in Trafford and the surrounding Cheshire countryside, villas were developed to provide large spaces set within a larger plot. These properties, largely located around Sale and Altrincham, offered larger gardens and a clear boundary (i.e. hedge) form set off the street.

• Generally Accrington red brick stretcher or Flemish bond
• Carved brick and sandstone details (banding, keystones etc)
• Slate or terracotta roofs
• Complex roof forms often with gabled fronts
• Sandstone sills
• Sandstone or brick arched lintels
• Vertically proportioned sash windows
• Bay windows and porch structures
• Panelled and part glazed doors
• Decorative and ornate roof details
• Detached or semi-detached
• Buildings set in short rows or gently meandering streets
• Elevated ground floors above cellars
• Large sized front gardens
• Stone boundaries with hedges

Permeable paving options