Walking through Wythenshawe today, it's difficult to imagine that a century ago it was just a small family-owned estate in Cheshire.

Sprawling tree-lined streets, over 6,000 homes and one of the country's busiest airports now make up the south Manchester suburb's landscape.

Later known as the 'garden city', the development of Wythenshawe was once described as the 'boldest scheme that any municipality had yet embarked on.'

Its journey began in 1919, at the start of a new post-war era in England.

Thousands of men were returning home from battlefields, only to find a lack of decent housing for them and their families.

'Homes fit for heroes' was the government's promise to those soldiers returning from the horrors of the First World War.

The act pledged to provide a new standard of working class housing, with 500,000 homes to be built across the country in three years.

(Image: Manchester Council)

It was an ambitious project and, to Manchester Council's Housing Committee, it was obvious the already packed-in city lacked the space.

A city surveyor was called in to compile an urgent report on what other land could be acquired.

He noted that the land on the eastern and western boundaries of the city was 'too built up.'

Although the north was 'bleak' and 'smoky,' the land was too expensive to build on, and it was unpopular with existing tenants.

To the south of Manchester lay the River Mersey and, beyond this, an area of unspoilt and undeveloped land, known as the Wythenshawe Esate.

The surveyor believed the 'beautifully wooded' estate would "form one of the finest garden cities in the United Kingdom, affording a residential district for the working classes of Manchester."

(Image: Manchester Council)

For six hundred years, the estate had belonged to the Tatton family, who lived at Wythenshawe Hall.

It had remained largely untouched, consisting of a few farm houses and country homes like Peel and Baguley Hall.

But the land was about to undergo a huge transformation - thanks to one man.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

The vision to transform the leafy suburb

Alderman William Jackson, known as the 'father of Wythenshawe', was deemed the driving force for what would later become an internationally known estate.

He was elected to Manchester Council in 1918, and served as Lord Mayor from 1923 to 1924, before chairing the Wythenshawe Estate Special Committee.

Jackson had a vision for the leafy suburb.

(Image: Manchester Council)

He had realised its potential during long country walks along the tree-lined lanes of the estate soon after the war.

His biggest and most difficult task, though, was to convince Manchester Council and the government to invest in his ambitious ideas.

To do this, he enlisted the help of one of the country's leading town planners, Professor Patrick Abercrombie.

Both Jackson and Abercrombie shared a similar hope for Wythenshawe - that it would become the greatest 'garden suburb' in the country.

Professor Abercrombie prepared an inspiring report about the suitability of purchasing the land at Wythenshawe to meet the demands of the 1919 housing act.

In a report dated March 1920, he said: "The estate is entirely desirable.

"The planting in the neighbourhood of Wythenshawe Hall is exceedingly attractive and could easily be worked into the subsequent development so to preserve the individual trees and woods.

"Baguley Hall is one of the most interesting old halls in Cheshire and would well repay judicious restoration."

(Image: Manchester Council)

Professor Abercrombie added: "There are also many charming lanes and generally an air of unspoilt rusticity which should and could be preserved in spite of development.

"The little valley formed by the Gatley Brook is one of those natural features which could be retained for public use without interfering with economic development.

"The Sanatorium (now Wythenshawe Hospital) cannot be considered in any way an objectionable feature - it is in fact a testimony of the health lines of the site."

His conclusion was that the Wythenshawe Estate stood out 'as the one piece of unspoilt land suitable for building in the immediate vicinity of Manchester.'

He recommended the estate be bought immediately.

Stumbling blocks put dreams on hold

Encouraged by Alderman Jackson, most of the Housing Committee and the city's departments had been in favour of purchasing Wythenshawe from the Tatton family.

But William Tatton had no intention to sell his land.

Dreams were temporarily dashed until his death in 1924, when his son Robert Henry Granville Tatton agreed to sell the estate.

Crucial to Jackson's plans were former Lord Mayor Ernest Simon and his wife Lady Shena Simon.

(Image: Manchester Council)

In 1925, they bought Wythenshawe Hall and park and donated them to the city of Manchester.

The development began to take shape, and a small committee of seven members was headed up by Jackson, called the Wythenshawe Estate Special Committee.

Their task was deemed to be unusual and difficult, and the committee were soon faced with a number of obstacles - testing their commitment to the garden city dream.

Jackson and his team believed their development would only succeed if Wythenshawe was included within the boundaries of Manchester city.

At the time, it was under the jurisdiction of Bucklow Rural District and Cheshire County Council.

In 1927, Jackson spearheaded an application to parliament to include the three parishes of Wythenshawe; Northenden, Baguley, and Etchells.

(Image: Manchester Council)

It was a hotly-contested parliamentary bill, met with strong opposition by Cheshire, and was ultimately rejected by parliament.

Jackson and his team endeavoured to make as much progress as they could but, without full control the Estate, they were met with endless difficulty.

Three years later, they tried again.

Keen for a fight, Manchester had a difficult time against parliament. But this time, they got the powers they wanted.

In 1930, a decade after Jackson's dream, Manchester finally became the owner of the Wythenshawe Estate.

Under the influence of renowned architect and urban planner, Barry Parker, Wythenshawe became an exciting and desirable garden city to live.

(Image: Manchester Council)

Ernest Simon, later given the title of Baron of Wythenshawe, wrote in a report some years later: "It had a parkway to keep the fast traffic away from the houses and sidewalks, it had shopping centres, schools and clinics and playgrounds.

"And in the centre was the finest of all: Wythenshawe Park with its old hall functioning as an art gallery and teahouse."

His wife, Lady Simon of Wythenshawe, later took over from Alderman Jackson as chair of the Wythenshawe commitee.

She later wrote: "It is much to the credit of the Manchester City Council that under the very able leadership of Alderman Jackson and a number of enthusiastic and devoted workers, it should ultimately have succeeded in carrying this great project through to success.

And in 1937, Jackson was awarded the freedom of Manchester for his dedication to the garden suburb.

(Image: Colin Horne - Manchester Evening News)

Today, Manchester has around 65,000 socially rented homes. Many of those still remain in Wythenshawe.

The city has one of the highest areas in the UK for this type of housing.

To celebrate the work of William Jackson and other key figures in Manchester's Housing committee, the council launched an exhibition earlier this month entitled '100 years of council housing.'

It takes a closer look at housing built in Manchester following the 1919 act, with particular focus on the first home built in Wythenshawe, the Blackley Estate, and Burnage.

Cllr Suzanne Richards, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “This exhibition is a timely reminder of how new social housing brought a feeling of powerful hope following the First World War and how the homes we live in are central to our happiness and well-being.

"My grandfather worked for Manchester Corporation and then for Manchester Works, building council housing across the city.

"I am proud of his and the many other workers' legacy of council house building in this city, which this exhibition celebrates.

"Everyone in this city deserves a safe, secure and decent home to live in.

(Image: Joel Goodman)

"The council has made a commitment to this and we have set an ambitious target to support the building of 6,400 new affordable homes up to 2025 - with a significant number being made available for social housing."

The exhibition is being held in the exhibition area on the Ground Floor of Manchester Central Library.

We have a dedicated Facebook page bringing you all the latest news, events and community news from across south Manchester.

To keep up to date with all that is happening, and to join in the discussion, follow the page here.

Here's the link to the M.E.N's main Facebook page where we share our latest stories.