According to local folklore, Gorton derives its name from Gore Town, due to a battle between the Saxons and Danes nearby.

The brook may have acquired that name because of the dirty appearance of its water, perhaps caused by discolouration due to peat or iron deposits.

[12][13] The rector's daughter, Anna Connell, is widely credited as the founder, although churchwarden William Beastow is believed to be the person who played the main part in creating sporting activities for the parish.

[15] A Blackfoot Sioux chief named Charging Thunder came to Salford aged 26 as part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in 1903.

Like many Lakota tribesmen, Charging Thunder was an exceptional horseman and performed thrilling stunts in Buffalo Bill's show in front of huge crowds, on the site of what is now the Lowry in Salford Quays.

He married Josephine, an American horse trainer who had just given birth to their first child, Bessie and together they settled in Darwen, before moving to Gorton.

His name was changed to George Edward Williams, after registering with the British immigration authorities to enable him to find work.

[16] The zoo was the third-largest in the UK, and the exhibition hall held concerts from a range of national and international artists, such as Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones.

[17] She and Ian Brady lived there at the time of the first three Moors murders, before moving to Hattersley in 1964 when Hindley's family home was included in a local demolition programme.

Their first victim, Pauline Reade (who died in July 1963 aged 16, but whose body was not found for 24 years), was a Gorton resident and a neighbour of Hindley.

Today these sites continue to employ workers in a variety of fields, from local private businesses to national companies, including the manufacturing headquarters of Iceland.

The parade of shops used for filming in the initial series was built on the site of St Mark's Church, Clowes Street, the birthplace of Manchester City F.C.

[23] The construction of the new hypermarket and neighbouring petrol station continued, and in late October 2008, the new Tesco Extra store opened its doors for trading.

Further retail outlets were developed near this site along Hyde Road, including Subway, Coral and Age UK.

[25] Many local placenames allude to this history, including Winning Hill, also known as Ryder Brow, a locality within Gorton that contains many topographical features, including Bottom o’ th’ Brow at the base of a valley and Gore Brook that runs through Gorton, flowing west to the river Mersey.

The trail is partly semi-rural, largely located within the Gore Brook Valley Conservation Area, and highlights various local landmarks, including ecological and topographical sites, and grade-listed monuments and buildings.

Other listed buildings and monuments include: Gorton was home to the world-famous Belle Vue Zoological Gardens from 1836 until its closure in the 1980s.

[30] The area is served by several railway stations including Gorton, Ashburys, Belle Vue and Ryder Brow.

Services are operated by Northern, with trains to Manchester Piccadilly, Glossop, Hadfield and Rose Hill Marple.

[33][34] A company that became renowned for its locomotives, exported world-wide, was established at Gorton on the southern side of the railway line,[note 1] in 1854.

Following Boundary changes that took effect following the July 4th 2024 General Election, the area is now covered under the Gorton and Denton constituency.