Altrincham (/ˈɒltrɪŋəm/ ⓘ OL-tring-əm, locally /ˈɒltrɪŋɡəm/[2]) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey.

Further socioeconomic development came with the extension of the Bridgewater Canal to Altrincham in 1765 and the arrival of the railway in 1849, stimulating industrial activity in the town.

Outlying villages were absorbed by Altrincham's subsequent growth, along with the grounds of Dunham Massey Hall, formerly the home of the Earl of Stamford, and now a tourist attraction with three Grade I Listed Buildings and a deer park.

Local evidence of prehistoric human activity exists in the form of two Neolithic arrowheads found in Altrincham, and, further afield, a concentration of artefacts around Dunham.

The earliest documented reference to the town is from 1290,[8] when it was granted its charter as a 'free borough' by Baron Hamon de Massey V.[9] The charter, which still exists and is held by Trafford Council, allowed a weekly market to be held, and it is possible that de Massey established the town to generate income through taxes on trade and tolls.

A 1983 excavation on the demolished building, made by South Trafford Archaeological Group, discovered evidence that the house dated from the 13th or 14th century, and that it may have contained a drying kiln or malting floor.

[22] Broadheath's industrial area, covering about 250 acres (1.0 km2), was founded in 1885 by Harry Grey, 8th Earl of Stamford, to attract businesses.

[25] There is one main tier of local government covering Altrincham, at metropolitan borough level: Trafford Council.

A new town hall was built on Church Street in 1849, commissioned by George Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, as lord of the manor, for holding the court leet and other public meetings.

[41] Altrincham Urban District was expanded in 1920 when parts of Carrington and Dunham Massey civil parishes were added.

A further expansion took place in 1936 when Timperley civil parish was abolished and most of its area incorporated into Altrincham Urban District.

[46] The local bedrock consists mainly of Keuper Waterstone, a type of sandstone, and water retrieved from those rocks is very hard and often saline, making it undrinkable.

The Oldfield Brow area lies on the outskirts of the town beside the Bridgewater Canal and close to Dunham Massey.

This change in social structure was similar to that seen across the nation – although biased towards the middle classes – making Altrincham the middle-class town it is today.

Altrincham, with its neighbours Bowdon and Hale, is said to constitute a "stockbroker belt", with well-appointed dwellings in an area of sylvan opulence.

The scheme includes apartments, shops and eating places and will create a new public square linking it to the nearby Altrincham Interchange,[68] which underwent a £19million refurbishment in 2015.

Now a registered conservation area it consists of a series of part timber-framed buildings echoing the wattle and daube constructions of the original houses and burgage plots.

[70] In 1814 Thomas de Quincey described the Old Market Place in his Confessions of an English Opium Eater while travelling from Manchester to Chester.

He noted how little the place had changed since his visit 14 years earlier at the age of three, and that "fruits, such as can be had in July, and flowers were scattered about in profusion: even the stalls of the butchers, from their brilliant cleanliness, appeared attractive: and bonny young women of Altrincham were all tripping about in caps and aprons coquettishly disposed" [71] In 1974 Altrincham artist George Allen was approached by Trafford Council to paint a picture of The Old Market Place.

[72] Of the 21 conservation areas in Trafford, ten are in Altrincham: The Downs, The Devisdale, Bowdon, Ashley Heath, Goose Green, Old Market Place, Sandiway, George Street, the Linotype Housing Estate and Stamford New Road.

That year Mr John Leigh purchased the land from the widowed Countess of Stamford and gifted it to the local council to be used as a park for soldiers and workers.

The festival, which is entirely self funded and arranged by volunteers, consists of a Parade through the town and culminates in a 2-day music and family event at Beechfields.

The family event consists of a stage showcasing local music and culture, together with a fun fair, food village and community stalls.

It provides a venue for the Trafford Youth Theatre production each year, and it runs the Hale One Act Festival, an annual week-long event started in 1972.

The club has knocked out Football League opposition on a record 16 occasions,[86] including a 1986 victory against top-flight Birmingham City.

[92] Manchester Phoenix, a club having a professional presence in the English Premier Ice Hockey League and an extensive junior development aspect, relocated to the Ice Dome during the 2006–07 season, having withdrawn from competition two years earlier due to the high cost of playing matches at Manchester's MEN Arena.

A salt merchant from Dunham Woodhouses founded a school at Oldfield House intended for 40 boys aged 8–11 from the surrounding area.

[136] Broadheath railway station served the northern part of Altrincham between 1853 and 1962, on the line from Manchester, via Lymm, to Warrington.

The Interchange connects the town to several locations in Greater Manchester, such as Sale and Bury; the service also includes Navigation Road station.

[138] National Rail services link the Altrincham and Navigation Road stations with Chester (via Northwich) and with Manchester (via Stockport).