Trafford is a
metropolitan borough of
Greater Manchester, England. With an estimated population of about 211,800 in 2006, it covers and includes the towns of
Altrincham,
Partington,
Sale,
Stretford, and
Urmston. The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the
Local Government Act 1972 as a merger of the
municipal boroughs of Altrincham,
Sale, and
Stretford, the
urban districts of
Bowdon,
Hale, and
Urmston and part of
Bucklow Rural District. All were previously in
Cheshire, apart from Stretford and Urmston which were in
Lancashire. The
River Mersey flows through the borough, separating North Trafford from South Trafford. Historically the Mersey also acted as the boundary between the
historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.