Cheetham Hill is less than two miles north of Manchester city centre. The housing is in two main parts: between Smedley Lane and Queens Road (east of Cheetham Hill Road) in the south of the area (nearest the city centre); and west of Cheetham Hill Road, further north in Cheetham Hill itself. Cheetham Hill Road is a major route from the north into the city. See detailed map. (The wider Cheetham Hill area includes 'Cheetwood', an estate between Bellott Street and Elizabeth Street at the city centre end of Cheetham Hill Road. It is covered in a separate area guide - see Cheetwood).
Living in Cheetham Hill
The area is in line for a major boost with a £20 million investment in a new Tesco supermarket, complete redevelopment of the Cheetham shopping centre, and high quality environmental improvements. The project will create more than 700 jobs, and new opportunities for local people and businesses. Work will start on the Arlington Street site in 2005.
Cheetham Hill is handy for many local facilities. Cheetham Hill Road is a busy, vibrant, recently-refurbished area of shops, supermarkets, stalls and banks. There are cafes and a post office there too. The Abraham Moss centre (Crescent Road, Crumpsall) is within half a mile of all homes. It has swimming pools, a gymnasium, sauna, squash courts, fitness suite, football pitches, tennis courts, cricket area, sunbeds, steam room and a whole range of programmed activities like aerobics, gymnastics, karate, badminton, basketball, junior clubs and much more. There is a theatre with regular plays and concerts, and a modern library there too. Smedley Lane playing fields, in the south of the area, has a football pitch, playground and basketball, Cheetham Park (Halliwell Lane) further north has a playground and basketball courts, while there are tennis courts and bowling green at Mandley Park on Cheetham Street East.
There is good public transport from all parts, with regular buses down Cheetham Hill Road - the vibrant city centre, with its shops, entertainment and leisure facilities is just a few minutes journey. Most Cheetham Hill homes are less than half a mile away from one of the two Metrolink stations in neighbouring Crumpsall - there are frequent, speedy trams between Bury and Manchester city centre. The trams bring shopping, leisure and employment opportunities within easy reach. It is just two miles to Heaton Park - one of the biggest city parks Europe! It has historical buildings and a wide range of leisure and sporting activities set in rolling land and woods. It stages the Manchester Show North, Fundays and family events. There are regular buses and trams to the park. See detailed map.
Learning in Cheetham Hill
Young children in the Smedley Lane area can go to Temple primary on Smedley Street, or St Chads Catholic school in Cheetwood on the other side of Cheetham Hill Road. Further north, up Cheetham Hill Road, are Cheetham CofE Community school (Halliwell Lane), and King Davis school at Wilton Polygon. The nearest Catholic school is St Annes on Moss Bank, less than half a mile from Cheetham Hill Road, in neighbouring Crumspall. The nearest secondary schools are also in Crumpsall, at Abraham Moss on Crescent Road (half a mile) and King David High school on Eaton Road (half a mile from the northern part of Cheetham Hill).
Find out more about this area's schools and how well they perform. Go to Manchester Schoolfinder.
Facilities for pre-school children include a family centre, adult and toddler group, and playgroup at Woodville Resource centre on Shirley Road, and an adult and toddler group at Halliwell Lane. There are more adult and toddler groups, and a children's centre in the Cheetwood area, south of Bellott Street. There is a junior youth club (5-11 year olds) at Cheetham Community school on Halliwell Lane.
Find out more about council-run nurseries in this area. Go to Finding a Children's Centre.
The nearest adult education centre is at Abraham Moss on Crescent Road, Crumpsall. See detailed map.
Find out more about adult education.
Housing in Cheetham Hill
The wider Cheetham Hill area has a healthy mix of housing. More than a third of it is owner occupied, and about 40 percent is rented from the council. There's a lot of private renting, and plenty of housing association homes too. There are about 650 council homes - all managed by Northwards Housing. More than half are flats in small blocks, but there are 230 two- three- and four-bedroom houses too, plus a few maisonettes and bungalows. See detailed map.
Northwards Housing has a £130 million improvement plan that will bring all homes, and local environments, up to decent modern standards by 2010. Every Northwards home will benefit from some of this work by 2008.
