Charming lane is a relic from old Manchester - with cottages owned by one family

It’s one of Greater Manchester’s most affluent suburbs, brimming with independent bakeries, shops and cafes, so it’s little wonder that Didsbury is also one of the most covetable postcodes to live in. Stroll down Wilmslow Road in the centre of the village and you’ll find everything from sweet shops and cheesemakers, to trendy fashion boutiques and snug pubs.

As well as tree-lined streets, buzzing bars and brunch spots, Didsbury also boasts a fascinating history. The earliest recorded reference dates back to 1235 when a chapel was allowed to be built here. And, up until the Industrial Revolution, having developed into a small agricultural hamlet, it was a ‘sub-manor’ of Withington.

For those familiar with the beautiful gardens on entry to the village from the south-east - or just the Didsbury Dozen pub crawl - the name Fletcher Moss will most certainly ring a bell. Alderman Fletcher Moss, the philanthropist born in 1843, donated the Fletcher Moss park to the city of Manchester in 1915 - hence the name - and was also the driving force behind Didsbury Library being built.

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He spoke very highly of the hamlet, describing it at the end of the 18th century as a collection of half-timbered, thatched cottages, a smithy and handloom-weavers houses, along with a church and two inns.

The onset of the 19th Century brought great change, as businessmen who had benefited from the onset of industrialization built large villas and country houses around Didsbury. The largest, The Towers, was owned by John Edward Taylor, proprietor of the Manchester Guardian.

These days, it may be hard to imagine what Didsbury looked like, back in the time that