Walkden is a town within the metropolitan district of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is seven miles (11.5 km) to the west-northwest of Manchester, and six miles (10.1 km) west-northwest of Salford. Historically part of Lancashire, Walkden was once a centre for coal mining and textile manufacture According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, Walkden had a total resident population of 38,685. Geography and administration Until 1894, the majority of Walkden lay within the ancient ecclesiastical Parish of Eccles, within the Hundred of Salford, although some parts of Walkden; including Linnyshaw and Toppings Bridge, lay within the Parish of Deane. Walkden was one of several areas amalgamated into the newly created City of Salford metropolitan district of Greater Manchester in April 1974, as part of the provisions of the Loca