User:Rahotepuk/Sandbox

Chorltonville is a garden village dating from 1911 within Chorlton, in Manchester, North West England. It retains much of its original character, including architecture inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement.

Geography
The Chorltonville estate comprises 262 houses in twelve streets, centred on a "village green", the Meade. It measures about 500 metres east-west by 260 metres north-south - around 10.5 hectares. The estate is separated from the rest of Chorlton on the north by Chorlton Brook, and on the south side borders Mersey Valley Countryside area. The estate and an adjoining football field are one of Manchester Council's 32 conservation areas.

History
The estate was conceived by two local businessmen, J. Dawson and W. Vowles, and built between 1910 and 1911. Their objectives in building Chorltonville were:
 * To provide beautiful, healthy, conveniently-planned homes, with plenty of light and abundance of fresh air, at reasonable rents.
 * To assist health by the provision of wide open spaces-giving ample accommodation for healthy outdoor recreation.
 * By laying out a bowling Green, tennis Courts, and otherwise providing for the social well-being of the tenants.
 * To prove that all this can be done so as to yield a satisfactory return on the capital invested.

The estate was opened on 7th October 1911. The houses were originally available for rental only, with annual rent starting at £24. They were intended to be occupied by skilled artisans, but were quickly taken over by professional families.

After the Second World War the Owners' Committee sold off the tennis courts and recreation area. The tennis courts were absorbed by gardens of adjoining Chorltonville houses, and the recreation area became a private football ground, currently owned by Chorlton & West Didsbury Football Club.



Characteristics of the estate
Inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement, the builders attempted to make Chorltonville like a rural village using various techniques:
 * Curved, winding streets, emulating country lanes.
 * Grass verges beside the roadways.
 * Numerous trees (currently there are about 360 in the public areas).
 * Diverse house styles. Each pair of semi-detached houses mirror each other, but are slightly different from other pairs in the same street.
 * Use of interesting architectural details: bay windows, tile decals on gable ends and under windows, stained glass, exposed beams.
 * Two "village green" areas.

Most of these features survive to the current day. Virtually all the orginal houses are still standing, although many have lost their stained glass. A programme of tree replacement ensures that the trees on the estate are healthy and new planting ensures their long term well being.

Management of the estate
Chorltonville is a private estate, owned in common by all its home owners. A committee drawn from volunteers among the owners is responsible for maintaining:
 * Roadways and footpaths
 * Grass verges
 * Trees
 * Drainage gullies
 * Lamp posts and street furniture

To fund this work, all residents are liable for a levy (£155 in 2008) above the council tax paid to Manchester City Council.