How The Heatons grew from just a train station into a popular suburb
SINCE THE 1860S, THE HEATONS HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED FROM A STATION INTO THE LEAFY, LIVELY SUBURB IT’S KNOWN AS TODAY, SAYS PHILIP JAMES’ JAMES ARMITAGE
BEING within walking distance of local transport links always adds value to a property – and The Heatons is no exception. For this leafy, village-like suburb its close proximity – just two train stops and an eight-minute ride to Piccadilly and a four-minute journey to Stockport – is a huge bonus for those choosing a family home.
And now, the area’s original train station at Heaton Chapel, which dates from the 1860s and is a listed building, has finally undergone long-due renovations after its roof collapsed last year. As part of the building work, Northern Rail and Network Rail have also improved the station buildings with new lighting, re-painted safety lines, repair to the timber windows and flooring and re-painting the ticket office and stairwells. In addition to this, they have deep-cleaned the waiting shelters and are installing art work in various locations.
In addition to the renovations, the station has also had an overhaul in its usability and decor in the form of disabled access ramps and flowers along the platforms – all thanks to campaigning from a group called Friends of Heaton Chapel Station, which was set up in 2011.
PUTTING THE HEATONS ON THE MAP
Without the development of the Manchester-to-Crewe railway line, it’s unlikely The Heatons would have developed into the stunning area it is now – lined with beautiful Victorian properties. Before the building of the railway line, the area that we know as Heaton Moor was agricultural farm land owned by the Egerton family of Tatton Hall. Parliamentary approval was given for the railway line to be built from Heaton Norris to Manchester in 1837. It is said that a station wasn’t originally planned at Heaton Chapel but the clergyman at St Thomas’s Rectory appealed to his former pupil, who worked at the railway company, and managed to sway the decision.
It seems he was determined to put Heaton Chapel on the railway map, despite the extensive work required, and the new station – which opened in 1851 – helped The Heatons become the fashionable suburb we know and love today.
Since then, the train line has seen incredible success and was even quadrupled in size in the 1880s – adding more waiting rooms to cater to the different classes of passengers at the time.
The name of the station also changed from Heaton Chapel and Heaton Moor to just Heaton Chapel following a modernisation of the line in 1955. It was during this electrification of the lines that the original waiting rooms were demolished, leaving just a small shelter on each side of the line.
ADDING VALUE TO NEARBY PROPERTIES
As the premier estate agent in the SK4 suburb, Philip James has marketed and sold many of the Victorian villas that were built around the station and down Heaton Moor Road, which continue to be just as desirable today thanks to their original features and nearby transport links.
One such property is currently available to rent – a stunning five-bedroom home on Tatton Road North. Built in 1867, it was believed to have been the original stationmaster’s house and the architecture matches that of the station ticket office.
There’s a clear correlation between an increase in house prices the closer the property sits to Heaton Chapel train station, as it provides the easiest and quickest way to commute into the city centre or further afield.
NEW TRAIN CONNECTIONS
Now, a new section of railway track that will link Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria train stations, known as the Ordsall Chord, is set to have a huge impact on rail travel across Greater Manchester when it opens around Christmas 2017. The new connection will allow more trains to run through Victoria instead of Piccadilly, lowering the congestion that commuters endure every day.
The Heatons have been a popular location for buyers and renters for more than 150 years now, and its desirability only increases every year. Last year, Philip James sold more than £60m worth of properties. According to Property Industry Eye, properties in SK4 sell quicker than any other postcode in the north west – and this isn’t slowing down!