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The Trafford area has a long heritage, with evidence of Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Roman activity. Amongst the relics of the past are two castles – one of them a Scheduled Ancient Monument – and over 200 listed buildings. The area underwent change in the late 19th century and the population rapidly expanded with the arrival of the railway. Trafford is the home of Manchester United F.C. and Lancashire County Cricket Club and since 2002 the Imperial War Museum North.The borough includes the once independent towns of Altrincham, Sale, Stretford, Bowden, Hale and Urmston.
Trafford has a strong economy with low levels of unemployment and contains both Trafford Park industrial estate and the Trafford Centre, a large out-of-town shopping centre. Apart from the City of Manchester, Trafford is the only borough in Greater Manchester to be above the national average for weekly income. Socially, the area includes both working class areas like Old Trafford and Stretford and middle class ones such as Bowdon and Hale. Altrincham and Sale West is the only parliamentary constituency in Greater Manchester to be held by the Conservative Party. Trafford has the best record for education in Greater Manchester.
Trafford is an Anglo-French version of Stratford, deriving from the Old English words stræt (a street - paved Roman road) and ford (a river crossing).
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