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Irlam
Irlam  Irlam shown within Greater Manchester
Population	18,504 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SJ725945
- London	166 mi (267 km) SE
Metropolitan borough	Salford
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MANCHESTER
Postcode district	M44
Dialling code	0161
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
EU Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Eccles
List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester

Irlam

Historically a part of Lancashire, Irlam was a relatively remote and underdeveloped area of moss land until the early 19th century. Chat Moss is a large area of peat bog which dominates the local landscape. Work was carried out during the 19th century to reclaim large areas of Chat Moss to enable the completion of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (which passes to the north of the town) in 1829. Irlam (or archaically Irwellham) takes its name from the River Irwell which passed through the area until its waters were united with the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894. Irlam's history has been closely linked with the canal since it opened.

Irlam, together with its southwestern neighbour Cadishead, formed an urban district (Irlam U.D.C.) from 1894 until 1974 when it was incorporated into the City of Salford. Irlam's geography is varied—the northern half continues to exist as moss land, enabling the area to have the largest farming community in Greater Manchester. The southern half is predominantly residential, and has a major employment source at the Northbank Industrial Estate.

Irlam is situated on the north bank of the River Irwell, from which it almost certainly takes its name, being known in the 13th century as Irwellham.^[1] Until around the time of the arrival of the Cheshire Lines Committee railway and the opening of Irlam railway station, in 1873, Irlam remained a largely undeveloped village, on the southern edge of the peat bog known as Chat Moss.^[2]

From at least the beginning of the 13th century, Irlam was held by the Irlam family, whose seat was Irlam Hall. By 1688 Irlam Hall had become the home of Thomas Latham, who played an important part in bringing William of Orange to the throne of England in 1689.^[3]

Irlam Urban District was created in 1894, the same year that the Manchester Ship Canal opened. A pair of locks and a ship coaling berth were constructed here. The subsequent industrial development of Irlam owed much to the construction of the canal, which effectively rendered the River Irwell navigable to large ocean-going ships up to Manchester Docks. The Latham family's importance to the local area was acknowledged when their features were incorporated into the arms of Irlam's former urban district council.^[2]

Steel manufacture was a very significant source of employment in Irlam for a large part of the 20th century. The Partington Steel and Iron Company opened the first steelworks in Irlam, in 1910. It subsequently became a part of the Lancashire Steel Corporation, and later British Steel. Rationalisation and the concentration of steel manufacture into fewer, larger sites, meant that by 1979, all steel production in Irlam had ceased.^[4] The former steelworks are now the site of the Northbank Industrial Estate.

In 1975, Tesco opened the UK's first hypermarket in Irlam.

Irlam is home to an amateur football club, Irlam F.C., which plays its football in the Premier Division of the Manchester Football League and has its ground in Silver Street. There are also two junior football teams in the area, one of them being Irlam Vale F.C.. Irlam Cricket Club plays in the Lancashire County League, and Irlam Hornets Rugby League Club has just been reformed. Fit City, Irlam also plays a big part in the town's sport industry as it has a swimming pool and fitness gym. The pool has recently been updated and now there is a small pool for children to learn to swim.