IN 1974, THE HISTORIC COUNTY BOUNDARIES (see the 1840 map) were reorganised. 10 Greater Manchester districts were created, each one taking in a number of previously independent towns and villages.

The name "Manchester" is commonly used to refer to the conurbation, but as we can see, the City of Manchester itself is only a small "slice" of the area, stretching from Blackley in the north to the tip of the second runway extending into Cheshire in the south.

There has been gradual southward extension of the Manchester city boundaries, culminating in the Second Runway, built on land compulsorily purchased in the late 1990's from Cheshire and now belonging to Manchester Airport, therefore the City of Manchester.

North of the Airport is Wythenshawe, a huge council estate built by the City of Manchester on land it purchased from Cheshire in the 1920's, 30's and 50's. North of Wythenshawe and the River Mersey are the older south Manchester suburbs of Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington and Fallowfield.

Bordering on the City of Manchester to the south west is the Borough of Trafford, uniting the industrial inner-city districts of Stretford and Old Trafford with the affluent residential suburbs of Hale and Bowdon. There was no major town in the district, so they decided to use the historic name of "Trafford" famous as "Old Trafford", location of the football and cricket grounds.

The long, curved line of the Manchester Ship Canal divides Trafford from Salford.

Salford was traditionally the inner-city area across the river Irwell from Manchester city centre, but it now takes in towns as far out as Walkden, Worsley and Irlam. To the west of the City of Salford is Wigan Metropolitan Borough, a small section of which we can see here.

The historic cotton town of Bolton, 12 miles to the north west of Manchester, is the next district in our orbit of Greater Manchester, and extends inwards as far as Kearsley and northwards to the border with Lancashire.

Neighbouring Bury extends inwards as far as Prestwich, only 15 minutes from Manchester city centre on the Metrolink, and northwards into the hills of south Lancashire.

Middleton is about half way between Manchester city centre and Rochdale, but belongs to Rochdale Metropolitan Borough, along with Heywood and Littleborough.

Oldham is the next in line stretching from Failsworth in the south west on the A62 from Manchester, to the moors including the infamous Saddleworth Moor, bordering on Yorkshire to the north east - in fact Delph and Denshaw used to belong to Yorkshire, see the 1840 map.

Ashton-under-Lyne, Denton, Dukinfield, Hyde, Stalybridge and other towns came together to form Tameside, named after the river Tame, which rises in the hills east of Oldham, flows south west in a wide S-shaped meander, meets the Goyt at Stockport and becomes the River Mersey. (see waterways map)

Stockport is 6 miles south east of Manchester and takes in the hilly eastern suburbs of Romiley and Marple as well as the leafy residential areas of Cheadle, Bramhall and Heald Green, bringing us back again to Manchester Airport.

The Cheshire border, which previously extended north to meet Lancashire along the River Mersey, now runs along the southern fringes of Stockport, Manchester and Trafford - much of it along the River Bollin. To reach the borders of the present day County of Lancashire, you have to travel at least 15 miles north of Manchester city centre.

This map is for guidance purposes only. The borders may not be exactly to scale or 100% accurate.

Any comments or corrections? Please e-mail me.