What is "irlam"

Irlam is a suburb of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, in 2001 it had a population of 18,504, increasing to 19,933 at the 2011 Census. It lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, and is west-southwest of Salford, west-southwest of Manchester and east-northeast of Warrington. Irlam forms a continuous urban area with Cadishead to the southwest, and is divided from Flixton and the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford to the southeast by the Manchester Ship Canal. The main road through Irlam linking it to Cadishead and Eccles is the A57. For train services, Irlam railway station serves the district.

Irlam was anciently known as Irwellham, and was an outlying area of Chat Moss, a large peat bog which straddled the River Irwell. 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 in 1829. In 1894 the Irwell was adjusted so that its waters were united with the Manchester Ship Canal, stimulating the growth of Irlam as an inland port. Irlam Urban District was established in the same year and was governed thereafter by its own district council until its abolition in 1974.

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.