Chorlton is derived from Old English and probably means Ceolfrith's Farm
or settlement. Hardy is probably from the name Hearda or the Anglo-Saxon
for 'island' or 'dry ground in a well-watered land'; it may also mean
'by the woods' as the ancient forest of Arden Wood grew either side of
the River Mersey. Despite there being no record of Chorlton-cum-Hardy as
a settlement name before 1700, there was an Anglo-Saxon settlement here
from the ninth century. In 1904 Chorlton-cum-Hardy was incorporated into
the City of Manchester. The district borders onto Stretford, Sale,
Didsbury, Withington and Whalley Range, with the River Mersey forming
part of its southern boundary. As a result, Chorlton-cum-Hardy has a
rich and historically diverse heritage. Through a selection of old and
new photographs Chorlton-cum-Hardy Through Timetraces the area's
development over the last century, and is essential reading for anybody
who knows and loves this historic suburb.