Davenport: a short history  - by Charlie Hulme

Davenport, today a residential suburb which lies on the outskirts of the town of Stockport in Greater Manchester, takes its name from its railway station, which in turn was named after the Davenport family which for centuries lived at Bramall Hall. When the railway came to the area in the 1850s in the shape of the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge line, there was no settlement here; it was just a far corner of the Davenport family's estate.  However, the Davenports had ideas of developing this part of their land as a residential suburb.

The map reproduced above appears to have been prepared in the 1850s under the direction of Lady Maria Davenport, to show how the area could be divided into building plots. The regular grid scheme, as envisaged in the plan, thankfully bears no resemblance to Davenport as it eventually developed.

The station was built at the point where the Stockport to Bramhall road, believed by some to be a Roman Road, crossed the railway; it is thought that the station was not actually built for the opening of the line, but did open a few years later and was named Davenport after its sponsors. Not long afterwards, however, the Davenports sold much of their land, including what is now Davenport, to a property company, and moved away from the area. A few large houses were constructed around the station, several of them for the moguls of the hatting industry for which Stockport is famous.

The map above shows the station area as it was in the 1870s. 



The now-familiar station booking office appears to have not yet been built at this time; it seems to date from some time in the 1880s. Our picture (courtesy of Stockport Library) shows a train from the Manchester direction arriving in Edwardian days.

Between 1880 and 1914, much building development created the village of Davenport as we know it, including the row of shops along Bramhall Lane, although the main shopping area we now know as 'Davenport Village' does not fall within the area originally known as Davenport, which referred only to the area south of Kennerley Road.  As the map shows, the boundary between Bramhall and Stockport followed Kennerley Road and the old route of Garner's Lane, and development on the Stockport side was of a more industrial and commercial character with smaller houses, while larger houses, including the private housing estate of Davenport Park, continued to dominate the Bramhall side.

In 1901, the boundary was changed to follow the  Midland Railway railway line (then under construction) nearer to Bramhall, the new line becoming the border between Stockport County Borough and the Hazel Grove and Bramhall Urban District. Since 1974 both have been part of Stockport. The 1900s saw the beginning of more housing development in the area which had become part of Stockport, and after World War II a new phase began with the demolition of a number of the original large houses, to be replaced by flats and smaller houses. This process continues today, with houses being built on any land which becomes available.

Today, Davenport is a good place to live, with its good transport links, useful shops and profusion of trees giving a feel of the countryside. Community facilities such as libraries and meeting rooms are not to be found, although there is the open space of Cale Green Park opposite the station, and the Jolly Sailor pub a short walk towards Bramhall. Stockport with its many facilities is just a short train or bus ride away.