Cheetham Hill and Miles Platting, twin stars in the Hyperborean firmament.

Miles Platting was incorporated into the City of Manchester in 1838. The origin of the name is unclear as there are no early records of the district at all. The derivation of the word "Platt" however is from an old word meaning "a small piece of ground" and "miles" is probably a corruption of the word "mills". Arguably, therefore, the placename might stand for "mills on a small piece of ground", but this is purely speculative.

By the 1870s, Miles Platting had many mills, a chemical works, timber yard, gas works and a tannery. Certainly the black grimness of the local landscape was its most notable feature. Its population was very large for the geographical size of the district and densely packed back-to-back houses were common.

By way of contrast, Cheetham Hill is blessed with a wealth of unrivalled scenic beauty, a depth that only five thousand years of history can provide, and a variety of cultures bequeathed by our numerous invaders. There are shimmering lakes, towering mountains, thatched cottages, quaint harbours and sheep-covered rolling hills. On leisurely days and fun evenings you'll discover the people, the history, the landscape and the culture, and see why Shakespeare so unabashedly called Cheetham Hill 'this demi-paradise, this other Eden'.