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Coordinates: 53°21′27″N 2°09′52″W / 53.35745°N 2.164542°W / 53.35745; -2.164542
Bramhall is a suburb of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of about 25,500.
Research by the University of Sheffield has placed Bramhall as the "least lonely" place in Britain. Bramhall is also regarded as an affluent area where most residents enjoy good health. The SK7 postcode also includes Hazel Grove and Woodford.
History
The manor of Bramall dates from the Saxon period, when it was held as two separate estates by two Saxon freemen, Brun and Hacun. In 1070, William the Conqueror subdued the north-west of England, and divided the land among his followers. The manor of "Bramale" was given to Hamon de Massey, who eventually became the first Baron of Dunham Massey. The earliest reference to Bramall was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Bramale", a name derived from the Old English words brom meaning broom, both indigenous to the area, and halh meaning nook or secret place, probably by water. De Masci received the manor as wasteland, since it had been devastated by William the Conqueror's subdual. By the time of the Domesday survey, the land was recovering and cultivated again.
In 1875 Bramhall was one of eight civil parishes of Cheshire to be included in the Stockport Rural rural sanitary district. The sanitary district became the Stockport Rural District in 1894. The parish was abolished in 1900 and its former area became part of the Hazel Grove and Bramhall civil parish and urban district. In 1974 the district was abolished, under the Local Government Act 1972, and its former area was transferred to Greater Manchester to be combined with that of other districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport.
Governance
Bramhall is part of the parliamentary constituency of Cheadle. Mark Hunter, (Liberal Democrats), has been the local MP since 2005.
Landmarks
Bramhall Park (area: 28 ha/70 acres) is situated in Bramhall, as is Bramall Hall, one of the greatest examples of 14th century Cheshire buildings. Tours of the building are available to the general public. The Ladybrook flows through Bramhall and the park towards Cheadle and Bramall Hall.
Recreation
There is a recreation centre linked with the High School. Bramhall's most notable sporting club is Bramhall Cricket Club, close to the Cheshire border to the south of the village. There are also three lawn tennis clubs (LTC), Bramhall Queensgate LTC, to the north, Bramhall Lane LTC, close to the village, and Bramhall Park LTC, close to the park. Local Bookshop "Simply Books" is located also in Bramhall and has won 'Best Independent Bookshop Of The Year [2010]' and was runner up in 2009.
Economy
At one time Servisair had its head office in Bramhall.
Transport
Bramhall railway station is on the main line from Manchester to London via Macclesfield and Stoke-on-Trent. Local stopping trains stop every hour during week days on their way to/from Manchester Piccadilly and Macclesfield. Buses link Bramhall to Manchester (X57), Stockport (378), Cheadle Hulme (X57,307/8), Woodford (X57), Poynton (390), Parrs Wood (X57) and Hazel Grove (374, 307/8).
Amenities
Bramhall has a number of bars, restaurants, cafes, clothes shops, hairdressers, beauty salons, charity shops, churches and a library. Many of these are housed in Bramhall's village square, although some shops are in and around the main roads. There is also a recreation centre, a high school and several primary schools. There are two golf courses in Bramhall: Bramhall and Bramhall Park Golf Clubs. There are also three Tennis Centres: Bramhall Lane, Bramhall Park and Bramhall Queensgate. The local newspaper is called the Community News, which also covers Cheadle Hulme and Hazel Grove, distributing around 22,000 copies a week. There is also the larger Stockport Times West newspaper, which is a Manchester Evening News Media Publication that distributes more than 40,000 papers throughout Bramhall, Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme and Gatley each week.
Housing
The sixties and early seventies saw a rapid growth in housing stock with the construction of four main housing estates: The Parkside and the New House Farm estates are in the north of Bramhall, The Dairyground estate is in central Bramhall and The "Little Australia" estate is in the south of Bramhall. Bramhall also has a small pocket of ex-council housing near to the village centre on the Australia estate.
Dairyground
The Dairyground estate in Central Bramhall is the largest of the four estates. Dairyground is bordered by the Ladybrook river to the North, the Bramhall golf club to the East, the West Coast Mainline to the South and the A502 (Bramhall Lane South) to the West. The estate consists of more than Twenty five roads and Dairyground Road is the centre of the estate, it has a range of shops such as a co-operative, some flats and a care home. The estate is served by Stagecoach Manchester and is in close proximity to Bramhall railway station. The estate is also served by private hire. Bramhall High School is situated on the estate. The Dairyground estate is economically diverse, house prices range from £125,000 for a flat and up to £2,000,000 for a detached house on the leafy outskirts of the estate. The Dairyground estate is part of the Bramhall North Ward.
Little Australia
The Australia estate is bordered by the West Coast Mainline to the north, the Bramhall oil terminal to the east, Bramhall town centre to the west and Moorend Golf Club to the south. The largest road on the estate is Meadway, which starts in Bramhall town centre and runs through the heart of the estate for its entire length. Meadway has a number of shops, care homes and two large car parking facilities which are served by multiple CCTV cameras. There is also a recycling centre situated on the Meadway east car park. Housing on the estate is composed of ex-council terraces, single storey bungalows, flats, semi-detached and detached properties. House prices range from around £100,000 for a small flat to up to £350,000 for some of the larger detached houses. Semi-detached properties constitute the bulk of the estate's housing stock. Lumb Lane park is located on the estate and consists of two football pitches, a small children's playground and a caged football/basketball court. Greater Manchester Police once trialled a section 30 dispersal order on the estate and Bramhall town centre to combat anti-social behaviour, particularly in the Lumb Lane/Meadway areas. Queensgate primary school is located on Albany road. The Australia estate is part of the Bramhall South Ward.
Education
There are several primary schools, including Ladybrook Primary School, Nevill Road, Pownall Green, Queensgate and Moss Hey. Bramhall High School is the local secondary school.
