As part of 'new' east Manchester, Beswick is being radically transformed. Multi-million pound investment is bringing massive improvements to housing, the environment, health and education. The Sportcity complex has brought modern sporting, leisure and shopping facilities to the area.
In September 2003 all council homes in the area transferred to a new not-for-profit landlord - Eastlands Homes. This new housing company has made huge improvements to local housing and the environment around.
Beswick starts just a mile east of the city centre. Most Beswick homes are between Ashton New Road in the north, Ashton Old Road in the south, and Grey Mare Lane/Alan Turing Way in the east. See detailed map
Living in Beswick
The small Grey Mare Lane shopping precinct, has a few local shops and a post office. Grey Mare Lane Market has a variety of stalls selling household goods and hardware, as well as a delicatessen. Shopping facilities have been vastly improved by the new 'East Manchester town centre' just half a mile away between Alan Turing Way and Ashton New Road. The modern complex includes a massive Asda superstore - and there'll be smaller local shops, banks, post office, a lively market, hotel and conference facilities, and a variety of bars and restaurants. The centre is a massive boost to facilities in the area, and is bringing jobs and training opportunities too.
The regeneration will also help people who prefer to shop locally, by improving the facilities at the precinct and other local sites with good-quality newsagents, grocers, butchers and so on. The Commonwealth Games brought a range of excellent new sporting facilities to the doorstep - including athletics, squash and tennis. Other facilities include the national cycling centre just off Bank Street, and Ravensbury community swimming pool on Alpine Street. (both less than a mile away in neighbouring Clayton).
There are small parks and playgrounds at Albert Street, Cambrian Street and Campion Walk (where there's a bowling green too). The local library is on Grey Mare Lane. There are regular buses along Ashton New Road and Ashton Old Road - the vibrant city centre, with its shops, entertainment and leisure facilities is just a few minutes journey. A new Metrolink line will soon bring frequent, speedy trams close to the area with stops at Holt Town (Ashton New Road), Sportcity, and the new town centre. The line will bring better facilities, and jobs, within easier reach. See detailed map
Learning in Beswick
East Manchester is in an 'education action zone' - a special government scheme that means better resources and more staff for local schools. There are five primary schools in Beswick. In the west of the area, towards the city centre, are Corpus Christi with St Anne Catholic school (on Carruthers Street, near Pollard Street) and Bank Meadow school on Limebank Street (off Ashton Old Road). The centre of Beswick is covered by Ashbury school on Charlesworth Street, and CofE School of Resurrection on Pilgrim Drive. St Brigids Catholic school is on the eastern side of Grey Mare Lane. There is no local secondary school in Beswick, so older children usually go to Wright Robinson High school on Abbey Hey Lane, Gorton - about two miles away.
Find out more about this area's schools and how well they perform. Go to Manchester Schoolfinder.
Facilities for pre-school children include Heybury Close children's centre (off Bell Crescent), and a playgroup and adult and toddler group at Beswick playcentre on Campion Walk.
Find out more about council-run nurseries in this area. Go to Finding a Children's Centre.
The Mancat (Manchester College of Art and Technology) college on Whitworth Street is just across Ashton Old Road, and there's an adult learning centre in the refurbished Victoria mill on Vickers Street in nearby Miles Platting. See detailed map
Find out more about adult education.
Housing in Beswick
There is a mixture of housing in Beswick. Most homes are rented from Eastlands Homes or from other non-profit landlords like housing associations, but there are plenty of privately-owned homes too. See detailed map
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