Wikipedia:Today's featured article/April 10, 2015

Sale (Town Hall pictured) is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Cheshire, it is on the south bank of the River Mersey, 5.2 mi southwest of Manchester. In 2001, it had a population of 55,000. Evidence of Stone Age, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon activity has been discovered locally. By the 17th century, Sale had a cottage industry manufacturing garthweb, the woven material from which horses' saddle girths were made. The Bridgewater Canal reached the town in 1765, stimulating Sale's urbanisation. The arrival of the railway in 1849 triggered Sale's growth as a commuter town for Manchester, leading to an influx of middle-class residents; by the end of the 19th century the town's population had more than tripled. Sale's urban growth resulted in a merger with neighbouring Ashton upon Mersey, following the Local Government Act 1929. The increase in population led to the granting of a charter in 1935, giving Sale honorific borough status. Since then, Sale has continued to thrive as a commuter town, supported by its proximity to the M60 motorway and the Manchester Metrolink network. Sale Sharks rugby union and Sale Harriers athletics club were founded in Sale, although both have now relocated elsewhere.

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