Editing Salford (section)

==Geography==
{{Further|Geography of Greater Manchester}}
{{Geographic Location
|title     = '''Neighbouring towns, villages and places.'''
|Northwest = [[Worsley]]
|North     = [[Swinton, Greater Manchester|Swinton]] and [[Pendlebury]]
|Northeast = [[Prestwich]]
|West      = [[Eccles, Greater Manchester|Eccles]]
|Centre    = Salford
|East      = [[Manchester]]
|Southwest = [[Stretford]]
|South     = [[Manchester]]
|Southeast = [[Manchester]]
}}

At {{Coord|53|28|59|N|2|17|35|W|type:city}} (53.483°, −2.2931°), and {{convert|205|mi|km|0}} northwest of [[central London]], Salford stands about {{convert|177|ft|m|0}} above sea level,<ref>{{Citation |title=Salford, United Kingdom |work=Global Gazetteer, Version 2.1 |publisher=Falling Rain Genomics, Inc |url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/UK/0/Salford3.html |access-date=22 January 2009 }}</ref> on relatively flat ground to the west of a [[meander]] of the River Irwell&nbsp;– the city's main [[Topography|topographical]] feature. In 1904, Salford was recorded as "within a great loop of the River Irwell&nbsp;... roughly three-quarters of a mile from north to south and one mile from east to west".<ref>{{Harvnb|Cooper|2005|p=8}}.</ref> Salford is contiguous with [[Manchester]], and has been described "in participation of its trade, and for all other practical purposes, an integral part of it; presents a near resemblance to it in streets and edifices; contains several public buildings and a great public park, which belong fully more to Manchester than to itself".<ref name="Vision of Salford">{{Citation|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/entry_page.jsp?text_id=943270&word=NULL|publisher=visionofbritain.org.uk|title=Descriptive Gazetteer entry for Salford|author=[[Great Britain Historical GIS]]|access-date=11 April 2008}}</ref> Greengate, the original centre of Salford, is located at a fording point on the river opposite [[Manchester Cathedral]]. In 1969 [[Nikolaus Pevsner]] wrote: {{blockquote|That [neighbouring] [[Stretford]] and Salford are not administratively one with Manchester is one of the most curious anomalies of England.<ref name="Flemish">{{Harvnb|Pevsner|1969|p=265}}.</ref>|Nikolaus Pevsner|''Lancashire, The Industrial and Commercial South, 1969''}}
{{climate chart
|Salford
|1|6|70
|1|7|50
|3|9|60
|4|12|50
|7|15|60
|10|18|70
|12|20|70
|12|20|80
|10|17|70
|8|14|80
|4|9|80
|2|7|80
|source={{Citation|url=http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/UKXX0129_c.html|publisher=Yahoo! Weather|year=2008|title=Records and averages|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050911082508/http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/UKXX0129_c.html|archive-date=11 September 2005|df=dmy-all}}
|float=right
}}

The Irwell, sourced at [[Cliviger]] in Lancashire, flows from the north and for a distance forms the statutory boundary between Salford and Manchester. Flooding has historically been a problem and the Irwell has seen much modification along its course in Salford with some bends being removed, [[Channelization (rivers)|channelisation]], and the construction of [[levees]] and bank reinforcements.<ref>{{Citation | last =O'Rourke | first=Adrian | title = Eyewitness in Manchester  |url =http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/00features/424/00a.html | format =http| access-date=22 October 2008  |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060509134238/http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/00features/424/00a.html |archive-date = 9 May 2006}}</ref><ref name=hampson-4-vi>Hampson (1972), Book Four: 1800–1930, Chapter VI: "Peel Park and the Irwell Floods", pp.&nbsp;257–262.</ref> Salford has expanded along the river valley to the north and south and on to higher ground on the valley sides at [[Irlams o' th' Height]] and [[Higher Broughton]]. Unconsolidated glacial deposits along the riverbank at Broughton have caused several landslides along the riverbank. The City Engineer's Department of the City of Salford recorded one such incident near Great Clowes Street in February 1882, and others in 1886, 1887 and 1888. In 1892 the road was propped with timber supports. The tram service along the road was discontinued in 1925, and the road closed to mechanically propelled vehicles in January 1926. Further slips saw the road closed completely in July 1933, and although no substantial movements have been recorded since 1948 slow subsidence around the Cliff continues to this day.<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1985|pp=353–354}}.</ref>

[[File:SalfordSkyline.jpg|thumb|left|300px|alt=Image of the skyline of Salford, from a distance|Salford's cityscape from [[Hartshead Pike]]]]
Salford's built environment is made up of a range of building stock. Some inner-city areas are noted for chronic [[urban decay]]. Salford's housing stock is characterised by an oversupply of older, smaller terraced housing and flatted accommodation that declined in value during the late 20th century. As demand fell, it left many owners in [[negative equity]] and often without the means to maintain their homes in reasonable condition. As a result, much of the built environment is poor.<ref name="Renewal"/>

Land use in Salford is overwhelmingly urban, with a number of green spaces. The largest is [[Kersal Dale]] country park, which covers about {{convert|32|ha|km2}}.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.salford.gov.uk/leisure/parks/parksinsalford/countryparks/thecliff.htm|title=The Ciff/Kersal Dale|last=Anon|work=Country Parks and local nature reserves|publisher=Salford City Council|access-date=2 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121203753/http://www.salford.gov.uk/leisure/parks/parksinsalford/countryparks/thecliff.htm|archive-date=21 November 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Others include Kersal Moor in Higher Kersal, The Meadow, [[Peel Park, Salford|Peel Park]] and the adjacent David Lewis Recreation Ground close to the [[University of Salford]], and Albert Park and Clowes Park in Broughton. The territory of Salford is contiguous with other towns on all sides, and as defined by the [[Office for National Statistics]] forms the sixth-largest settlement in the [[Greater Manchester Urban Area]],<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/census2001/ks_urban_north_part_5.pdf |title=Census 2001: Key Statistics for urban areas in the North; Map 3 |publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]], Government of the United Kingdom |access-date=19 February 2008 |year=2001  |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326053354/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/census2001/ks_urban_north_part_5.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/greater_manchester_urban_area.asp |title=Greater Manchester Urban Area |year=2001 |author=Office for National Statistics |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |access-date=24 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205014453/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/greater_manchester_urban_area.asp |archive-date=5 February 2009 }}</ref> the [[List of conurbations in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom's second-largest conurbation]]. The [[M602 motorway]] enters Salford from [[Eccles, Greater Manchester|Eccles]] to the west. The [[A580 road|A580 "East Lancashire Road"]] terminates at Salford, entering the area from [[Pendlebury]].

===City centre===
Salford is polycentric (has more than one centre). The main city centre could be considered to be located around Bexley Square near where the town hall and cathedral are located. However, its main shopping centres are [[Salford Shopping Centre]] in [[Pendleton, Greater Manchester|Pendleton]] and [[Salford Quays]]. As the city has expanded and incorporated [[Eccles, Greater Manchester|Eccles]], [[Walkden]], [[Swinton, Greater Manchester|Swinton]] and [[Pendlebury]], there are now retail and economic centres belonging to these towns.