Chorlton is derived from Old English and probably means Ceolfrith’s Farm or settlement. Hardy is probably from the name Hearda or the Anglo-Saxon for ‘island’ or ‘dry ground in a well-watered land’; it may also mean ‘by the woods’ as the ancient forest of Arden Wood grew either side of the River Mersey. Despite there being no record of Chorlton-cum-Hardy as a settlement name before 1700, there was an Anglo-Saxon settlement here from the ninth century.

In 1904 Chorlton-cum-Hardy was incorporated into the City of Manchester. The district borders onto Stretford, Sale, Didsbury, Withington and Whalley Range, with the River Mersey forming part of its southern boundary. As a result, Chorlton-cum-Hardy has a rich and historically diverse heritage. Through a selection of old and new photographs Chorlton-cum-Hardy Through Timetraces the area’s development over the last century, and is essential reading for anybody who knows and loves this historic suburb.