Altrincham

Altrincham is a town in Greater Manchester in the northwest of England. It was a small market town until the 18th century, then industrialised with the coming of the Bridgewater Canal and later the railway. Altrincham was historically in Cheshire, but in 1974 was re-assigned into the new entity of Greater Manchester, and became a commuter town for the big city. The main reason to visit is the thriving cafe culture centred on the market house together with Dunham Massey Hall, and Tatton Hall a few miles south.

The TIC has closed but Altrincham Unlimited is an online listings magazine, including parking options. The town produces a quarterly magazine Altrincham Today.

Get in

Altrincham Interchange 📍 has the tram, train and bus stations, and the main taxi rank.

By plane

Manchester Airport (IATA: MAN) is only about 5 miles east, so a taxi is often a good option. D & G Bus 288 runs hourly (06:30-22:30) from the airport station to Altrincham Interchange (20 min), continuing to Timperley and East Didsbury. Otherwise take the train into Piccadilly then tram or train as described below; or if you've time on your hands take the tram from the airport and change at Cornbrook for the Altrincham tram, and reckon 90 min.

By train

Long-distance train routes usually mean changing at Manchester Piccadilly, or at Victoria from some northern starting points. But trains from London Euston and the Midlands to Piccadilly also call at Stockport and this can be a quicker connection.

An hourly train runs from Piccadilly via Stockport to Altrincham Interchange (30 min) then continues through Knutsford to Chester.

These trains also call Navigation Road 📍 at the north end of town, then the Interchange, then Hale 📍 at the south end before trundling on across Cheshire.

By tram

Metrolink trams (green and purple lines) take 30 min from central Manchester via St Peters Square, Deansgate, Old Trafford, Stretford, Sale and Timperley to the Interchange. Altrincham is in Fare Zone 4 so a single journey is £4.60; trams run every 10 min or so 06:00-00:00. The purple line starts from Piccadilly; the green line starts from Bury and runs via Prestwich and Victoria then through city centre. Change in city centre for the other lines to Wythenshawe and the airport, to Imperial War Museum and Trafford Centre (this line opened in March 2020), through Piccadilly to Ashton-under-Lyne, through Victoria to Oldham and Rochdale, and to Salford Quays and Eccles. See TGM website for fare deals, service updates and travel planner; you must tap in and tap out with a card or buy your ticket before boarding.

By bus

Long-distance coaches don't serve Altrincham, change at Manchester city centre or the airport for local transport.

Arriva North West Bus 263 runs (06:00-23:00) from Manchester Piccadilly via Stretford and Sale to Altrincham Interchange. It takes an hour and runs every 15 min daytime.

Buses also run to Altrincham from Warrington, Lymm, Knutsford and Macclesfield.

By car

From London and most points south, follow M6 to jcn 19 then A556 / 56 north into town. From the north follow M60 onto A56, from the east follow M62 and M60 onto M56 then A560.

The direct road from central Manchester is A56 through Stretford. It was once the Roman road to Chester (Deva), and if you try it in rush hour you'll lurch along at XVIII thousands-of-paces per hour, slower than their chariots.

Get around

The town centre is best explored on foot. Dunham Massey Hall is two miles west: Bus 5A / Cat5 runs hourly from the Interchange to the Hall and Garden entrance, continuing to Lymm, Thelwell and Warrington. You need your own wheels to reach Tatton Park.

Cycle Hub near Platform 1 at Interchange station is a bike locker facility (open 06:00-00:00) where you can leave your bike securely under cover and take another mode of transport. Access is via a season ticket from Transport for Greater Manchester.

See

Dunham Massey, WA14 4SJ (B5160 two miles west of town), 53.3849°, -2.4045°, +44 161 941 1025, dunhammassey@nationaltrust.org.uk. House Apr-Oct Sa-W 11:00-17:00. A National Trust mansion from 17th century though mostly Georgian, as shown in the banner at the top of this page. It has notable collections of Huguenot silverware and oil and watercolour paintings; the library has a 17th C relief woodcarving of the Crucifixion by Grinling Gibbons. Other historic buildings are the watermill, coach house and stables. Extensive gardens with snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells, and a 300-acre deer park. Adult £17, NT free 2020-01-15
Tatton Park 📍: see Knutsford for details of this grand mansion house, 5 miles south across the boundary into Cheshire.
Art With a Heart, New Street WA14 2QS, 53.3858°, -2.3534°, contact@artwithaheart.org.uk. W-Sa 11:00-16:00. Community arts centre. Free 2020-01-15
Public mementoes include:

Bravest Little Street in England was how King George V hailed Chapel Street, from where 161 men volunteered to fight at the onset of World War I; 29 were killed. The street was demolished in 1960 to make way for flats. There's a blue plaque on the side of Phantong Thai Restaurant on Regent St, just south of the Travelodge.

Bee Bop a Raver is a glam-rock multicoloured, kinda scary bee, outside Myerson Solicitors at the junction of Barrington Road and Woodlands Road.

Frank Sidebottom, the comic creation of Chris Sievey, stands at Timperley village crossroads, junction of Stockport Rd and Thorley Lane.

Do

Goose Green 📍: Altrincham has yet to adopt the Italian passeggiata - the evening stroll to see and be seen - but Goose Green is its closest shot. This historic street has been given a makeover and is home to several restaurants and bars. A statue of a goose stands in the alley from the main road.

Vue Cinema is at its east end on Denmark Street.

Everyman Altrincham, 74 George St WA14 1RF (Enter off Central Way, not George Street), 53.38692°, -2.35143°, +44 872 436 9060 (premium rate). Bijou cinema with small screens and food served at your seat. Settees to sit on and lots of leg room. 2020-01-16
Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, Barrington Rd WA14 1HZ, 53.39373°, -2.34998°, +44 161 928 1677. Two theatres here with regular programme of drama, musicals, concerts and panto. 2020-01-08
Altrincham Little Theatre (Club Theatre), Oxford Road WA14 2ED, 53.3834°, -2.3514°, +44 161 928 1113, alt.theatre@msn.com. Friendly little drama group. 2020-01-15
Watch football at Altrincham FC, Moss Lane WA15 8AP, 53.38346°, -2.33532°, +44 161 928 1045. They play soccer in the National League, England's fifth tier. Their home ground at Moss Lane (capacity 7800, and sponsored as the J Davidson Stadium) is half a mile east of town centre. 2021-05-22
Planet Ice is the ice rink, on Oakfield Rd behind Interchange railway station. Public skating is M-F 12:00-15:45, with other sessions for lessons and demos. Manchester Storm play home games here in the Elite Ice Hockey League, the UK's top tier.
Altrincham Leisure Centre, Oakfield Rd WA15 8EW (Behind Interchange railway station), 53.38811°, -2.34494°, +44 161 926 3255. Tired old venue (its replacement is being planned in 2020) but a good range of facilities including swimming pools, sports halls and gym. 2020-01-16
Timperley Sports Club, Stockport Rd, Timperley WA15 7LU (off A560 to east of town), 53.39103°, -2.33099°, +44 161 980 4397, info@timperley-sports.com. Private sports club with cricket, field hockey and lacrosse teams. Most of these involve annual membership but you may be able to join occasional fitness classes. Over-50s Zumba anyone? 2020-01-15
Walk or boat along the Bridgewater Canal, which passes north of town centre. It stretches 41 miles / 66 km from Wigan to Runcorn and is navigable throughout, with no locks. Opened in 1761, it's one of the earliest "true" canals, not a channeling of a natural river, and its commercial success sparked a frenzy of canal-building across Britain and Ireland. The towpath is in variable condition and in 2020 is only intermittently suitable for cycling. Multiple access points, eg the bridge on A56 Manchester Road, where there's a couple of pubs.
The Trans Pennine Trail meanders from Southport and Liverpool on the Irish Sea coast, right across the Pennines to York, Hull and Hornsea on the North Sea coast. It's suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, and passes north of Altrincham and the Bridgewater canal. Westbound from town, you could join it just north of Oldfield Brow canal bridge: it follows an old railway embankment straight west through Dunham Massey village (but some distance from the Hall) and Lymm. Eastbound from Altrincham, it zigzags north along the edge of the housing towards the Mersey.
Play golf at:
- Altrincham Golf Course, Stockport Rd, Timperley (Off the A560 to the east of the town.), 53.39037°, -2.33640°, +44 161 928 0761. An 18-hole, par 71, 6,385 yard, parkland golf course with Timperley brook meandering throughout. A pay-and-play course which also offers great value golf course season tickets. The course plays well all year round.
- Ringway Golf Club, Hale Rd, Hale Barns, 53.37091°, -2.31575°, +44 161 980 2630. This private members' club welcomes visitors and societies.
- Dunham Forest Golf Club, Oldfield Ln, 53.38778°, -2.37811°, +44 161 928 2605. Visitors should contact the Professional Shop on +44 161 928 2727 to check availability and reserve a tee time.
- Hale Golf Club, Rappax Rd, 53.36685°, -2.32799°, +44 161 980 4225. Visitors are very welcome at Hale Golf Club. A 9-hole course.
Code to Exit, 143 Manchester Road WA14 5NS, 53.3991°, -2.3527°, +44 161 759 5025. M Tu Th-Sa 09:30-21:00, Su 09:30-18:00. Escape room games: teams are locked in for an hour to jointly solve a puzzle. It's all about clues and riddles, no physical challenges are involved. £20 pp 2020-01-15
Learn vegetarian / vegan cookery at Parkdale 📍 along A56 Dunham Rd, the headquarters of the Vegetarian Society UK.

Buy

George Street has the usual retail chains.
Altrincham Market, Market St, Greenwood St and Central Way, 53.38722°, -2.35198°. Tu-Sa 09:00-22:00, Su 09:00-18:00. Indoor and outdoor market for local produce. The Farmers' Market is first Friday of each month, plus Christmas Market in December. 2020-01-15
Abacus Books, 24 Regent Rd WA14 1RP (by Coco's), +44 161 928 5108. Th-Sa 11:00-16:00. Independent bookshop. 2020-01-15

Eat

Altrincham Fish Bar, 41 Greenwood St WA14 1RZ (marketplace). M-Th 11:00-15:00, F 11:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-18:00, Su 12:00-16:00. Traditional fish and chip shop, takeaway or sit outside or in, with formica tables and maritime kitsch. 2020-01-06
Coco's, 18 Regent Road WA14 1RP, 53.38603°, -2.35244°, +44 161 928 2303, info@cocositaliancafe.co.uk. Daily 12:00-22:30. Welcoming place with good Italian food, great value for money. 2020-01-06
Da Noi, 9-11 Old Market Place WA14 4NP (On A56 to north of town), +44 161 928 8817. M-Th 17:00-22:00, F Sa 12:30-22:30, Su 12:30-21:00. You could easily miss this place on the bend of A56 just north of Old Market Place. Excellent Italian food. 2020-01-06
The Greenhouse, 41-43 Oxford Rd WA14 2ED (next to Yara), +44 161 929 4141. Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00. Small vegetarian restaurant serves fresh-made salads and hot meals. 2020-01-06
Piccolino, 214/215 Ashley Rd, Hale WA15 9SZ, 53.37596°, -2.34382°, +44 161 928 9500, piccolino.hale@piccolinorestaurants.co.uk. Daily 10:00-23:00. Good upscale Italian restaurant. 2020-01-06
Yara, 23 Oxford Road WA14 2ED (next to Little Theatre), +44 161 926 8001. M 16:00-23:00, Tu-Su 12:00-23:00. Traditional Lebanese and Syrian food, excellent quality, BYOB. 2020-01-15
Sugo Pasta Kitchen, 22 Shaw's Rd WA14 1QU (opposite town hall), +44 161 929 7706. Tu-Th 17:00-22:00, F Sa 12:00-22:00, Su 12:00-20:30. Gets rave reviews for its pasta, booking recommended. 2020-01-06
Tre Ciccio, 4a Moss Lane WA14 1BA (next to rwy station), +44 161 414 0196, altrincham@treciccio.co.uk. Tu-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su M 10:00-21:00. Excellent setting for good Italian food. Limited choice, pizza and chicken plus a pasta daily special, but very well prepared. 2020-01-06

Drink

Old Market Tavern, Old Market Pl WA14 4DN (at bend of A56), 53.38942°, -2.35060°, +44 161 927 7062. M-Th 15:00-23:00, F Sa 12:00-00:00, Su 12:00-23:00. Great selection of local cask ales plus Belgian beers, traditional ciders, wines and spirits. Live bands Friday and Saturday nights. 2020-01-07
Pi, 18 Shaws Rd WA14 1QU (by the market). Su-Th 11:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-00:00. Great range of ales. Food is, guess what, pie, much enjoyed by reviewers. 2020-01-07
Mort Subite, 39 Greenwood St WA14 1RZ. Su-F 18:00-00:00, Sa 13:00-00:00. Belgian bar, down in a basement so it feels atmospheric and continental, cash only. 2020-01-07
Costello's, 18 Goose Green WA14 1DW, +44 161 929 0663, info@costellosbar.co.uk. Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F Sa 12:00-01:00. Friendly bar with good selection of beers from the local Dunham Massey Brewing Company. 2020-01-07
Old Packet House, Navigation Rd WA14 1LJ, 53.39776°, -2.35193°, +44 161 929 1331. Daily 12:00-23:00. Good beer and food on banks of Bridgewater Canal. Trafford & Hulme CAMRA pub of the year 2018 and 2019. Serves lunch daily, supper Tu W Th. 2020-01-07
Gardeners Arms, 41 Deansgate Lane, Timperley WA15 6SQ, 53.3989°, -2.3419°, +44 161 941 6611. Su-Th 11:30-23:00, F Sa 11:30-00:00. Re-opened in autumn 2019 after make-over by Priory Inns. Modern interior, reasonably priced meals, dog-friendly. 2020-01-07
Quarry Bank Inn, 151 Bloomsbury Lane, Timperley WA15 6NY (B5165 a mile east of Altrincham), 53.39653°, -2.32233°, +44 161 903 9483. Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F Sa 12:00-00:00. Good traditional pub in Timperley Village, Mo and Th are cask ale club nights. Food served until 20:00. Still has a bowling green attached. 2020-01-07
The Railway, 128-130 Ashley Road, Hale WA14 2UN (next to Hale railway station), +44 161 941 5367. M-Th 12:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-00:00, Su 12:00-23:00. A traditional pub run by Robinsons with excellent real ales and a great atmosphere. Unchanged from the 1930s, still with individual rooms so you can escape into your own corner if you wish. 2020-01-07
Swan with Two Nicks, Park Lane, Little Bollington WA14 4TJ (3 miles west of Altrincham, take A56 to Park Lane), 53.37954°, -2.40837°, +44 161 928 2914, info@swanwithtwonicks.co.uk. Daily 12:00-23:00. Country pub and restaurant on riverside near Dunham Park, dog-friendly, and on fine weekends it gets busy. Good food and real ale including brews from local Dunham Massey Brewery. 2020-01-07

Sleep

See also Manchester Airport for hotels just east of Altrincham, especially those at M56 junction 6 with Wilmslow Rd.
Best Western Cresta Court Hotel, Church St WA14 4DP (jcn of A560 and A56), 53.39093°, -2.35009°, +44 161 927 7272. 140-bed BW chain hotel, clean and comfy but sometimes noisy from highway or other guests. Free parking and Wifi throughout. B&B double £95 2020-01-05
Mercure Altrincham Bowdon Hotel, Langham Rd, Bowdon WA14 2HT, 53.37808°, -2.35202°, +44 161 928 7121, h8198@accor.com. Kinda basic hotel, Mercure usually do much better than this. Some rooms have been refurbished (as shown on website) and are comfy but the rest are poky and shabby. B&B double £80 2020-01-05
Travelodge Altrincham Central, Grafton Tower, Stamford New Rd WA14 1DQ, 53.38576°, -2.35120°, +44 871 984 6509 (premium rate number). Clean and comfy budget chain hotel, close to town. Parking £5 for 24 hrs. B&B double £75 2020-01-05
Britannia Ashley Hotel, Ashley Road, Hale WA15 9SF, 53.37706°, -2.34610°, +44 871 221 0191 (premium rate number). The Britannia hotel chain has a poor reputation, and this place gets consistently bad reviews for its dismal rooms, service and food. B&B double £40 2020-01-05
Bull's Head, Wicker Lane, Hale Barns WA15 0HG (by Ringway Golf Course), 53.36955°, -2.31563°, +44 161 903 1300. Lodge and village pub run by Robinson's Brewery, handy for the airport and M56. Friendly and well-run, good pub grub, but restaurant and bar are closed Feb & March 2020. B&B double £85 2020-01-05

Connect

As of June 2021, Altrincham has 4G from all UK carriers. 5G has not yet arrived but is getting close.

Go next

Manchester's got the lot - the big city deserves a few days to explore.
Chester retains its ancient walls and many historic buildings.
Knutsford is a pleasant market town; Tatton Hall midway from Altrincham is the big draw.

Altrincham - market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England