Publisher's Synopsis
In the suburbs of the city of Manchester, a few miles southwest of the city centre, lies Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Known locally as 'Chortlon', the area is made up of the ancient settlements of Chorlton, Hardy, Barlow and Martledge, whose characters have all altered over the centuries; the closure of the railway station and, in the 1970s, the construction of flats and social housing in the southern areas changed the area's make-up. In Victorian and Edwardian times, the rural setting of the town made it a popular spot with the middle class, while today Chorlton is characterised as one of Manchester's up-and-coming 'bohemian' suburbs. The leafy suburb is increasingly popular among young professionals, boasting a mixture of cosmopolitan cafes, trendy bars and boutique shops.
