The four Heatons - Heaton Moor, Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Norris - are known collectively as the four Heatons and it's possible here to find some treasures among the lovely houses and leafy parks.

The four Heatons - Heaton Moor, Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Norris - are known collectively as the four Heatons and it’s possible here to find some treasures among the lovely houses and leafy parks.

Cafe society lives here among the affluent housing of this attractive commuter area and that makes for a lively, youthful vibe as well.

Close to links for Stockport and Manchester, the Heatons aren’t just a great place to live, they also have attractions enough to make them worth visiting.

If you want to see the diversity of shops and businesses in the area check out the website for the Four Heatons Traders’ Association. It has a long list of members covering everything from solar window suppliers to a dog walking and pet boutique service.

The people who live here have everything they’d want and more on their doorstep. Heaton Moor, for example, not only has bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes that attract visitors from outside the area but lovely stylish boutiques.

At Heaton Chapel you can have greetings cards designed, or seek help in finding the perfect bicycle for you.

All of the Heatons were originally districts of Heaton Norris, the then ecclesiastical centre of the area, and lay within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.

Heaton Norris railway station opened in 1840 and Heaton Chapel and Heaton Moor railway station opened in 1853, changing the area. It was the arrival of the railways which made Heaton Moor a railway suburb.

Local farmland was sold, and new wide tree-lined streets were developed. In neighbouring Reddish, industry was expanding too, helping to fuel the influx of people. The impressive churches of the area were built after 1850, though St Thomas’s dates from 1758. In 1880 Heaton Mersey got a railway station on the Midland Railway line into Manchester central and it subsequently grew as a residential hotspot. Consequently, it remains blessed with great amenities for those who live there.

Where are the four Heatons? They are on the northwest of Stockport bordering Manchester and on the north bank of the River Mersey and south of the Cringle Brook, to the west of Reddish and the River Tame.

About the Heatons The land gently slopes towards the north, from a high point in the south, where there is a steep descent to the Mersey. Most of the townships are between 60m and 70m above sea level, and 30m to 60m above the river. Heaton Norris is about 7km south of St Ann’s Square, Manchester.

The print version of this article appeared in the March 2012 issue of Cheshire Life

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