Alistair Cooke the broadcaster once lived on Newport Street. He attended the local primary school. So did the artist Harold Riley. This is Seedley in Salford. Seedley isn’t just a name on a map. It’s a story woven into the fabric of Manchester’s history.
Seedley has a rich past. It was once part of the County Borough of Salford. This was in Lancashire before Greater Manchester existed. The area’s mostly terraced houses. Many were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Seedley wasn’t always so quiet. A railway station served the area from 1882 to 1956. Seedley Baths opened in 1910 and closed in 1978. The M602 motorway now stands where the baths once were. The junction where Derby Road and White Street met is gone.
Seedley’s industrial past is fascinating. The Seedley Bleach Works was established around 1856. Some sources say 1887. It was still hiring workers in 1917. The works were accessible via Nona Street. It was bordered by Nansen Street.
Before the bleach works Seedley Print Works stood on the same site. Robert Goulden Emmeline Pankhurst’s father owned it. He was a social activist. The print works produced textile designs. They printed textiles too. Records show it operating from 1845 to at least 1870.
The print works predates the surrounding houses. These were under construction in 1888. Seedley’s history is etched in its streets and buildings. The area experienced population decline in the 1990s. High crime poverty and empty houses were common. Regeneration plans started in 1999. They aimed to revitalize the area.
Seedley is close to Pendleton Salford and Weaste. It has good bus links. Bus routes 67 70 74 75 and 100 serve the area. These connect Seedley to Manchester and beyond. Seedley may not have a Metrolink or National Rail station. But its history and connections are undeniable. Emmeline Pankhurst a key figure in the British suffragette movement lived here. Seedley’s story is one of industry transformation regeneration and resilience. It’s a story worth exploring.