Altrincham sits on the southern edge of Greater Manchester, connected to Warrington by the A56 — one of the more direct and well-maintained routes between the two towns. The journey from Altrincham to our Tilley Street depot at Cockhedge Shopping Centre takes around twenty to twenty-five minutes in normal traffic, following the A56 south through Hale and Dunham Massey before crossing into Warrington. It is a straightforward drive with no significant access issues, and for anyone based in Altrincham who needs a van for a house move, a trade job, or a delivery run, van hire in Warrington is a practical and cost-effective option.
Which Van Suits an Altrincham Job
Altrincham covers a wide range of property types and commercial premises — from the terrace streets around the town centre and the retail park off Atlantic Street, to the larger detached properties in Hale and Bowdon. The right van depends on what you are moving, where you are loading, and whether you need to navigate any tight residential roads along the way.
For most domestic moves or trade jobs in the area, a short wheelbase low roof van or a short wheelbase medium roof van gives you good load capacity while remaining manageable in the narrower streets around central Altrincham and the older residential areas nearby. The medium roof variant adds useful internal height for transporting items upright or stacking boxes without the van becoming difficult to park or manoeuvre.
If you are clearing a larger property in Hale or Bowdon, moving the contents of a family home, or running a multi-drop delivery across south Manchester, a long wheelbase high roof van gives you a substantially larger load area and is still well within the category B car licence limit. For the biggest single loads — when you genuinely need maximum internal length — the extra long wheelbase van offers over 4.3 metres of load space in a Jumbo VW Crafter body, which handles the A56 and M56 routes comfortably.
For heavy or awkward items where a loading dock is not available, the Luton van with tail lift is worth considering. The powered tail lift allows one person to load heavy furniture, appliances, or equipment safely at ground level without needing a team of people or a raised loading area. This is particularly useful for Altrincham customers collecting large purchases or clearing properties where access for helpers is limited. If you are less familiar with how the tail lift works in practice, our guide to van hire for tradespeople in Warrington covers loading and equipment considerations in useful detail.
The Route from Altrincham to Our Depot
The A56 is the natural route from Altrincham to Warrington. Heading south from Altrincham town centre, the road passes through Hale and Bowdon before entering the Dunham Massey area, where it continues as a rural A-road through to Lymm and then into Warrington. From the Lymm direction the route continues via the A57 into central Warrington, where the Cockhedge Shopping Centre depot is clearly signposted on Tilley Street adjacent to Asda.
Alternatively, some Altrincham customers prefer the M56 and M6 approach, joining the motorway at junction 7 of the M56 near Bowdon and travelling west to junction 21 of the M6, then south into Warrington. Both routes work well in normal conditions — the A56 is more direct but the motorway option can be faster at peak times. Secure on-site car parking is available at the depot, so you can leave your vehicle there for the duration of the hire.
Collecting and Returning the Van
When you collect from Tilley Street you will need your photocard driving licence and your DVLA check code, generated via gov.uk in the day or two before your hire. The code is valid for 21 days and used once only, so generate it close to your collection date. No deposit is required on most vehicles in our fleet of over 70 vans, and both short and long term hire rates are available.
We are open Monday to Saturday from 8am until 4pm and closed on Sundays. Customers from Lymm van hire territory pass through on the A56 en route to the depot, and Sale van hire customers travel a similar distance from the north. To check availability or get advice on which vehicle is right for your job, call us on 01925 396 222 or visit our contact us page.
