Stockport (town)

Stockport (town), town, administrative centre of Stockport borough, on the River Mersey in Greater Manchester, north-western England. The Mersey is formed here by the confluence of the Tame and Goyt. Although it is mainly a residential area for Manchester commuters, Stockport's own industries include electronics, plastics, engineering, printing, and food processing. Notable landmarks include the church of St Thomas, built in 1822; and the War Memorial Art Gallery, which has a fine collection of 19th- and 20th-century British painting and sculpture, including works by L. S. Lowry and Sir Jacob Epstein. The town is dominated by the huge railway viaduct (1839-1840) that spans the narrow valley of the Mersey. The banks of the Mersey were formerly lined with cotton and textile mills, once the major industry of the town. A former hat factory houses the Hatting Museum. Population 291,100 (2000 estimate).