Belle Vue, Manchester

Belle Vue
Frontage of Belle Vue Stadium
Belle Vue is located in Greater Manchester
Belle Vue
Belle Vue
Location within Greater Manchester
OS grid referenceSJ875965
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMANCHESTER
Postcode districtM18
Dialling code0161
PoliceGreater Manchester
FireGreater Manchester
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester
53°27′55″N 2°11′15″W / 53.4652°N 2.1875°W / 53.4652; -2.1875

Belle Vue is an area of Manchester, England, sited east of the city centre; it is bordered by the Hope Valley line to the east and the Glossop line to the west. It is part of the electoral ward of Longsight.[1] [2]

History

[edit]

In 1897, the machine tool manufacturer Kendall and Gent opened its Victoria Works in Belle Vue. The company closed down in the late 1960s.[3]

The area is best known for the former Belle Vue Zoological Gardens and Belle Vue Stadium. The zoo opened in 1836 and a small amusements area was added in the 1870s, which developed into a major amusement park in the 20th century. It occupied a 96-acre site and, at the height of its popularity, attracted two million visitors annually.[4] In 1910, the Kings Hall was opened which housed The Hallé for several years, hosting major concerts over the years. The zoo closed in September 1977, due to mounting debts; the amusement park remained open on summer weekends until 1980. The land was sold in 1982 and the site was finally cleared in 1987.[5]

Sport

[edit]

The National Basketball Performance Centre, headquarters of Basketball England, is located in Belle Vue. It the home arena of men's basketball team Manchester Giants, women's basketball team Manchester Mystics and women's netball team Manchester Thunder.

The National Speedway Stadium is home to the Belle Vue Aces speedway team.

Transport

[edit]

Belle Vue railway station lies on the Hope Valley line.

On Mondays to Saturdays, Northern Trains operates an hourly service in each direction between Manchester Piccadilly and New Mills Central. There is no Sunday service.[6]

Bus services are operated predominantly by Stagecoach Manchester, which link the area with Manchester Piccadilly, Gorton, Hattersley, Hyde, Stockport and the Trafford Centre.[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ordnance Survey / Manchester City Council
  2. ^ Longsight as it was on a 1982 map from the City of Manchester Planning Department
  3. ^ Grace's Guide
  4. ^ Belle Vue rendezvous, BBC Manchester Places
  5. ^ The Way We Were: Belle Vue - Showground of the world, Manchester Evening News
  6. ^ "Timetables and engineering information for travel with Northern". Northern Railway. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Belle Vue Bus Services". Bus Times. 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.