Walking Withington’s past …… the new history book

For anyone who lives in Withington, has lived in Withington or is just curious about the place the latest publication from the local Civic Society is essential reading.

Entitled “Withington Village A History walk in south Manchester” by David Rydeheard is an expanded and updated story of the village based on an earlier book from 2014, which in turn was based a series of historical notes compiled by Louise Kane who was an official tour guide for Manchester City Council.

Now I have that earlier “Walk through the history of Withington”. 

It ran to 33 pages and is a fascinating mine of information which is more invaluable because it can be used to walk around the old township.

David’s new edition follows the same format, has grown to 54 pages and reflects the changes to the area over the last 25 years and acknowledges not only Louise Kane but the Withington historians Kenneth Whittaker and Roger Smith.

And like all good history books it contains extensive footnotes, references and further reading marking it out as a serious and scholarly contribution to our understanding of Withington’s past.

That said it is also a history tour allowing you “to start the tour at any place in Withington village [but] starts at Withington Green at the junction of Cotton Lane”.

And it has something for everyone from accounts of buildings, roads, and people to an entry on “Withington walls” featuring some of “the more than 100 artworks that you can see when walking around Withington village and the product of Withington Walls, a pioneering community arts project”. 

As such it is a fine addition to all those volumes dedicated to local history.

Looking back over the previous century and half these books seem to come in batches.  

In the late 19th century Thomas Ellwood in Chorlton and Mrs. W. C. Williamson  of Fallowfield were amongst a group of historians who wrote histories of their neighbourhoods.  

In part this was motivated by a wish to record the traditions and appearances of small farming communities which were being transformed by urban creep and the decline in agriculture.**

So, Thomas Ellwwod recorded the recollections of the oldest inhabitants of Chorlton-cum-Hardy who in turn drew on the collective memories of parents and grandparents which quickly took the story back to almost the time when the old King George lost the American colonies. 

His articles included accounts of bull baiting on the village green, lost rural traditions like May Songs, the Rush processions, and the Easter enactment of St George and the Dragon with the practice of “lifting” and the sometime intimidating “Riding the Stang”.

In the same vein Mrs. Williamson wrote about the last handloom weavers in Fallowfield, Burnage, and Didsbury in the middle decades of the 19th century.

Fast forward to the 1960s and 70s, and there was another clutch of history books  written for a new audience as the life styles of the early decades of the 20th century vanished under the impact of  changes in transport, consumerism and popular entertainment along with the advance or residential spawl which all but eliminated the last vestiges of the countryside.

In 1970 John Lloyd published his still popular history of Chorlton, a year before Ivor Million wrote his book on Didsbury, Kenneth Whittaker his account of Withington and there were other publications on places like Stretford, and Urmston.

All of which makes David’s book a timely addition in the 21st century to our knowledge which sits with others by Andrew Simpson on Chorlton and Michael Billington on Urmston, Flixton and Daveyhulme and a wealth of electronic descriptions from the internet.

Location; Withington, a suburb of Manchester and a former agricultural township

Pictures; extracts from David’s new book, 2026

* Withington Village A History walk in south Manchester David Rydeheard, 2026, Withington Civic Society, www.withingtoncivicsociety.org.uk 

**Ellwood, Thomas L, History of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 1885-1886, South Manchester Gazette,  Williamson, Mrs W.C. Sketches of Fallowfield and Surrounding Manors, Past and Present, 1888.