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Warrington
Town, Borough and Unitary authority
Warrington Town Hall
Coat of arms
Warrington shown within Cheshire
Coordinates: 53°23′30″N 2°35′50″W / 53.39167°N 2.59722°W / 53.39167; -2.59722Coordinates: 53°23′30″N 2°35′50″W / 53.39167°N 2.59722°W / 53.39167; -2.59722
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	North West England
Ceremonial county	Cheshire
Historic county	Lancashire
Founded	8th century (exact date unknown)
Town charter	12th century (exact date unknown)
Unitary authority	1 April 1998
Administrative HQ	Warrington (Town Hall)
Government
• Type	Unitary authority
• Body	Warrington Borough Council
• Leadership	Leader and cabinet
• Executive	Labour
• Mayor	Les Morgan
• MPs	Helen Jones (L) Faisal Rashid (L)
Area
• Borough	69.7 sq mi (180.6 km2)
• Urban	17.3 sq mi (44.9 km2)
Area rank	173rd
Population (mid-2017 est.)
• Borough	209,700
• Rank	82nd
• Density	3,000/sq mi (1,160/km2)
• Urban	165,456 (46th)
• Urban density	9,550/sq mi (3,686/km2)
• Ethnicity	92.9% White British 2.5% Asian
Demonym(s)	Warringtonian[1]
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Postcode area	WA1–WA5
Dialling code	01925
ISO 3166 code	GB-WRT
GSS code	E06000007
NUTS 3 code	UKD21
ONS code	00EU
OS grid reference	SJ605885
Website	www.warrington.gov.uk

Warrington is a large town and unitary authority area in Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey, 20 miles (32 km) east of Liverpool, and 20 miles (32 km) west of Manchester. The population in 2016 was estimated at 208,800,^[2] more than double that of 1968 when it became a New Town. Warrington is the largest town in the county of Cheshire.

Warrington was founded by the Romans at an important crossing place on the River Mersey. A new settlement was established by the Saxons. By the Middle Ages, Warrington had emerged as a market town at the lowest bridging point of the river. A local tradition of textile and tool production dates from this time.^[3]

Historically part of Lancashire, the expansion and urbanisation of Warrington coincided with the Industrial Revolution, particularly after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. The West Coast Main Line runs north to south through the town, and the Liverpool to Manchester railway (the Cheshire Lines route) west to east. The Manchester Ship Canal cuts through the south of the borough (west to east). The M6, M56 and M62 motorways form a partial box around the town.

The modern Borough of Warrington was formed in 1974 with the amalgamation of the former County Borough of Warrington, part of the Golborne Urban District, the Lymm Urban District, part of the Runcorn Rural District, the Warrington Rural District and part of the Whiston Rural District.

History

Early history

Warrington has been a major crossing point on the River Mersey since ancient times and there was a Roman settlement at Wilderspool.^[4] Local archaeological evidence indicates that there were Bronze Age settlements also. In medieval times Warrington's importance was as a market town and bridging point of the River Mersey. The first reference to a bridge at Warrington is found in 1285.^[5] The origin of the modern town was located in the area around St Elphin's Church, now included in the Church Street Conservation Area,^[6] established whilst the main river crossing was via a ford approximately 1 km upriver of Warrington Bridge.^[7] Warrington was the first paved town in Lancashire, which took place in 1321.^[8]

English Civil War

Warrington was a fulcrum in the English Civil War. The armies of Oliver Cromwell and the Earl of Derby both stayed near the old town centre (the parish church area). Popular legend has it that Cromwell lodged near the building which survives on Church Street as the Cottage Restaurant. The Marquis of Granby public house bears a plaque stating that the Earl of Derby 'had his quarters near this site'. Dents in the walls of the parish church are rumoured to have been caused by the cannons from the time of the civil war. On 13 August 1651 Warrington was the scene of the last Royalist victory of the civil war when Scots troops under Charles II and David Leslie, Lord Newark, fought Parliamentarians under John Lambert at the Battle of Warrington Bridge.

Industrial history

The expansion and urbanisation of Warrington largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution, particularly after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. As Britain became industrialised, Warrington embraced the Industrial Revolution becoming a manufacturing town and a centre of steel (particularly wire), textiles, brewing, tanning and chemical industries. The navigational properties of the River Mersey were improved, canals were built, and the town grew yet more prosperous and popular. When the age of steam came, Warrington naturally welcomed it, both as a means of transport and as a source of power for its mills.

Second World War

Many people, particularly Americans, remember Warrington best as the location of RAF Station Burtonwood Burtonwood RAF base. During World War II, it served as the largest US Army Air Force airfield outside the United States, and was visited by major American celebrities like Humphrey Bogart and Bob Hope who entertained the GIs. The RAF station continued in use by the USAAF and subsequently USAF as a staging post for men and material until its closure in 1993.

Post-war expansion

Warrington was designated a new town in 1968 and consequently the town grew in size, with the Birchwood area being developed on the former ROF Risley site.^[9] Heavy industry declined in the 1970s and 1980s but the growth of the new town led to a great increase in employment in light industry, distribution and technology.

IRA bombing

On 20 March 1993, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated two bombs in Warrington town centre. The blasts killed two children: three-year-old Jonathan Ball died instantly, and twelve-year-old Tim Parry, from the Great Sankey area died five days later in hospital. Around 56 other people were injured, four seriously. Their deaths provoked widespread condemnation of the organisation responsible. The blast followed a bomb attack a few weeks earlier on a gas-storage plant in Warrington.

Tim Parry's father Colin Parry founded The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace (known as the Peace Centre) as part of a campaign to reconcile communities in conflict. The centre opened on the seventh anniversary of the bombing, 20 March 2000. He and his family still live in the town.

Other history

In 1981, Warrington was the first place to field a candidate for the new Social Democratic Party; former Home Secretary Roy Jenkins stood for Parliament but lost to Labour Party candidate Doug Hoyle by a small number of votes. On 23 November 1981, an F1/T3 tornado formed over Croft and later passed over Warrington town centre, causing some damage.^[10]

There was a RAF training camp at Padgate, a Royal Naval air base at Appleton Thorn (RNAS Stretton) and an army base at the Peninsula Barracks in O'Leary Street.^[11] The Territorial Army was based at the Bath Street drill hall until they moved to Peninsula Barracks.^[12]

In October 1987, Swedish home products retailer IKEA opened its first British store in the Burtonwood area of the town, bringing more than 200 retail jobs to the area.^[13]

Governance

History

Historically in Lancashire, Warrington was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1847 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. Warrington acquired county borough status upon reaching a population of 50,000 in 1900 and until 1974 was known as the County Borough of Warrington. As part of proposed local government reforms of England, in 1969 the Redcliffe-Maud Report suggested merging Warrington with either Merseyside or Greater Manchester metropolitan counties. Lobbying by the borough council averted this. But, since these county boundary changes were to make Warrington non-contiguous with Lancashire, under the local government reforms of 1974, Warrington, incorporating Lymm Urban District and part of Runcorn Rural District from Cheshire, and part of Warrington Rural District, was made a borough within Cheshire County Council.

On 1 April 1998, Warrington became an independent unitary authority, though it is still served by Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, and forms part of Cheshire for ceremonial purposes, such as the Lord Lieutenancy. Warrington has applied unsuccessfully for city status, the most recent attempt being after the opening of the Peace Centre as a "City for Peace".

In March 2017, Warrington presented a bid to become UK City Of Culture for 2021. Along with Warrington, bids were made from other towns and cities across the UK including Perth, Stoke-on-Trent, Portsmouth, Wells and Sunderland.^[14] A shortlist was announced in July 2017 but Warrington failed to make the final shortlist.^[15]

Warrington Borough Council

The current borders of Warrington Borough cover the former County Borough of Warrington, Lymm Urban District, Warrington Rural District and part of Golborne Urban District, part of Runcorn Rural District and part of Whiston Rural District.

After the May 2016 election the political makeup of the borough council was as follows: 45 Labour councillors, 11 Liberal Democrat, 2 Conservative.^[16]

• 4 Liberal Democrat Wards: Appleton; Grappenhall; Lymm North and Thelwall; Stockton Heath
  


• 16 Labour Wards: Bewsey & Whitecross; Birchwood; Burtonwood & Winwick; Chapelford and Old Hall; Culcheth, Glazebury & Croft; Fairfield & Howley; Great Sankey North; Great Sankey South; Latchford East; Latchford West; Orford; Penketh & Cuerdley; Poplars & Hulme; Poulton North; Poulton South; and Rixton & Woolston


• 1 Conservative Ward: Lymm South


• 1 "split" Ward:, Westbrook (1 Labour, 1 Liberal Democrat).

A by-election in April 2018 meant that Lymm South ward is now split(1 Conservative, 1 Liberal Democrat) and the membership is now 45 Labour, 12 Liberal Demorcrats and 1 Conservative.

Parish Councils

The Borough of Warrington contains 18 Parish councils as well as a central unparished area (see list of Civil Parishes below).

National Representation

At Westminster, Warrington is represented by two MPs. Helen Jones (Labour) represents Warrington North, and Faisal Rashid (Labour) represents Warrington South.

Geography

The Borough of Warrington is bordered by Halton, Cheshire West and Chester, and Cheshire East boroughs in the Ceremonial County of Cheshire and by the metropolitan boroughs of Trafford, Salford and Wigan in Greater Manchester and St. Helens in Merseyside.

Subdivisions, suburbs and civil parishes of Warrington

The Borough of Warrington is subdivided into 18 civil parishes and various suburbs of the central town of Warrington, which is an unparished area:

Civil parishes

Appleton, Birchwood, Burtonwood and Westbrook, Croft, Cuerdley, Culcheth and Glazebury, Grappenhall and Thelwall, Great Sankey, Hatton, Lymm, Penketh,
Poulton-with-Fearnhead (includes Padgate), Rixton-with-Glazebrook, Stockton Heath, Stretton,
Walton, Winwick, Woolston (includes Martinscroft and Paddington)

Other areas

Appleton Thorn, Bewsey, Blackbrook, Bruche, Callands, Chapelford, Cinnamon Brow, Cobbs, Dallam, Fairfield, Gemini, Gorse Covert, Grange, Hermitage Green, Hollins Green, Hood Manor, Howley, Hulme, Kenyon, Latchford, Locking Stumps, Old Hall, Omega, Longford, Orford, Risley, Sankey Bridges, Westbrook, Westy, Whitecross, Wilderspool, Wright's Green

Climate

Warrington has a temperate maritime climate with warm summers and cool winters. Rain is spread across the year, with thunderstorms only usually occurring in the summer months. Summer heat waves are rare but can cause temperatures to exceed 30 °C. Summers are usually snow- and frost-free and rarely experience high winds. Winters are generally mild, with most days above 0 °C and free of lying snow. However, during occasional lengthy cold snaps, night-time temperatures have been known to fall to −12 °C with lying snow lasting for weeks. Ground frost regularly occurs from late October until late March. High winds are common in winter, although rarely above gale force 7.

Green belt

Warrington is within a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties, and is in place to reduce urban sprawl, prevent the towns in the nearby Manchester and Merseyside conurbations from further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, encourage brownfield reuse, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building.^[18]

The main urban area and larger villages of the borough are exempt from the green belt area, but surrounding smaller villages, hamlets and rural areas such as Rixton, Glazebrook, Higher Walton, Kenyon, Stretton, Hatton, Broomedge are 'washed over' with the designation. The green belt was first drawn up in 1977 under Cheshire County Council,^[18] and the size in the borough in 2017 amounted to 11,500 hectares (115 km²; 44 sq mi).^[19]

A subsidiary aim of the green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests,^[18] with rural landscape features and facilities including Walton Hall gardens with zoo and bicycle museum, St Oswald's Church and well, River Mersey with valley and trail, River Bollin, Manchester ship canal, Bridgewater canal, Appleton reservoir, numerous playing fields, parks and golf clubs, Cuerdley and Norton marshes, the Trans Pennine Trail, the Mersey Forest project, and Sow Brook.

Demography

Based on ONS statistics

Population and ethnicity

At the 2011 census, Warrington had a total population of 202,200, of which 49.6% are male and 50.4% are female.^[20] The average age of the population is 38.06 years, which is slightly below the regional and national averages. In 2016 it was estimated that the current population of Warrington is 208,800.

In addition to English, a further 36 languages were recorded spoken by more than 0.01% of Warrington's population aged 3 and over in the 2011 census. Those spoken by more than 0.1% were Polish (0.88%), Slovak (0.21%), Urdu (0.14%), Latvian (0.12%) Non Mandarian or Cantonese Chinese (0.12%) and Tagalog/Filipino (0.11%).

There are around 100 churches or other Christian communities, two mosques, and a Sikh temple Guru Nanak Gurdwara which is the only Sikh place of worship in Cheshire.^[21]

The most multicultural parts of Warrington are in the town centre, as well as the western and north western suburbs, such as Bewsey and Westbrook. In 2011, the town was 92.9% White British, 2.3% other White, 2.4% Asian and 0.3% Black.

Housing and social situation

At the 2011 census, the borough of Warrington had 85,100 households. From 2001 data (80,593 households), 76% were owner occupied, 17.6% were rented from the council, 4.8% were rented from other sources and 1.6% of houses had residents who lived rent free. Warrington has a population density of 10.7 residents per hectare, and 31.9% of residents describe the borough as a comfortably well-off area. 4.3% of households are deemed overcrowded. Of the total population, 5.8% of residents are on some form of benefits.

Employment and education

At 2005, the borough of Warrington had 63.6% employment, with only 2.9% of all economically active people unemployed – although a substantial rise began in 2008 due to the recession. 2.3% of the population are students in full-time higher education. 31.1% of the total population are economically inactive (due to retirement, ill health, or full-time carer status). According to borough statistics, of the population (in the Borough of Warrington in 2005). 26.9% are unqualified (either due to leaving school early or failing the end of school examinations). 46.4% have level 1 or 2 qualifications (level 1 being 1+ GCSE (A*-G) or "O" Level or equivalent, level 2 being 5+ GCSEs (grades A-C), 1+'A' levels/ AS levels (A-E) or equivalent). 19.7% have received level 3+ qualifications (meaning 2+ A-levels (A-E), 4+ AS-levels (A-E) or equivalent minimum).

Economy

Bridge Street, one of the main shopping streets in Warrington

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Halton and Warrington at current basic prices.^[22]

There is a large Unilever factory in Warrington where detergents are made.

Warrington Council and Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are major employers in the borough.

ESR Technology's main operations are located at Warrington.

Retail

The town centre, pictured in 2007

In spite of its proximity to significant retail areas in Manchester, Liverpool, Chester and the out-of-town Trafford Centre, Warrington continues to have one of the larger shopping centres in North West England. Despite the competition, Warrington has seen an increase in its customer trade, due in part to the modernisation of the town centre. It has a shopping centre (Golden Square) first opened in 1974^[23], which has been extended to include a Debenhams store, as well as a Primark store, and a new bus station.^[24] The old Cockhedge Textile Mill was demolished and replaced by another shopping mall. The main shopping streets are Buttermarket Street, Horsemarket Street, Sankey Street and Bridge Street. Where these four streets intersect at Market Gate, there is an award-winning redevelopment with a large fountain and "guardians" (known locally as "the skittles") designed by Howard Ben Tré. Musical instrument retailer Dawsons Music originates in the town, and has been on Sankey Street since 1898. The town also has a large indoor market, and several other small shopping malls, such as Hatters Row. In the surrounding modern suburbs, there are several shopping areas, from small groups of shops to malls such as Birchwood Mall. IKEA chose Warrington as the location for their first store when they came to the UK; the store is located in the large out-of-town shopping area of Gemini, which has a large Marks and Spencer (the third biggest in the UK), Toys "R" Us, and Next outlets.

Leisure

There is ten-pin bowling located at Winwick Quay, and indoor paintball. An indoor karting centre is located near to Bank Quay. Pitch and putt and crazy golf are available at Walton Hall and Gardens. A Laser Quest arena and a snooker club can also be found in Warrington, both located close to the town centre. Gulliver's World theme park is located in Old Hall, Apple Jack's Farm theme park is situated in Stretton.

Developments

The Omega Development Site close to the M62 on the northern edge of Warrington is a major business park to be developed in stages over the next 30 years. The site for this is the 575 acres (2.33 km²) of space on the former Burtonwood Airbase.

Other planned developments in Warrington were delayed by the economic climate, but redevelopment of the Time Square area, including a new Market, multi-story car park with around 1,200 spaces, cinema, retail outlets and council offices is expected to be completed by 2019.

Warrington has also set out its plans to become a "New City" by looking to build up to 24,000 new homes and around 381 hectors of employment land over the next 20 years. Included in the plans are a new "Garden City Suburb" in the south of Warrington. The 4 main areas of growth as outlined in the planning are the waterfront around the River Mersey, the City Centre, the Garden City Suburb and south west urban extension. Once the new homes and employment areas are built it is hoped that it will take the population of Warrington to around 350,000.^[25]

Transport

Warrington after the coming of the railway, 1851

The town has two main railway stations. Bank Quay is on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Glasgow Central and the Manchester Piccadilly to North Wales via Chester line, while Central is on the Liverpool to Manchester line (via Widnes and Warrington) with through services to the North East and to East Anglia. Bank Quay is much altered, but Central (built 1873) is of some architectural merit, featuring polychromatic brickwork. Both have undergone some refurbishment including new entrances. There are also railway stations in the suburbs at Padgate, Sankey, Glazebrook and Birchwood. A new railway station is due to be constructed in Chapelford in the west of Warrington and will be ready for use in the summer of 2019.

The town lies close to the M62, M6 and M56 motorways and midway between Liverpool and Manchester airports. It also has four Primary A roads, A49, A50, A56 and A57. The A580 (East Lancashire Road) forms part of the northern boundary of the borough.

Warrington's Own Buses, one of the few municipal bus companies to survive in public ownership, runs most bus services within the town. First Greater Manchester and Arriva North West provide bus links to surrounding towns and cities such as Manchester, the Trafford Centre, Liverpool, St Helens, Runcorn, Widnes and Chester. A real-time passenger information system was installed and has recently been updated. A new bus station known as Warrington Interchange opened in 2006 at the Golden Square Shopping Centre.

The River Mersey runs through the heart of the town dividing it in two. There are only two main thoroughfares crossing the Mersey in Warrington: at Warrington Bridge at Bridge Foot and at the Kingsway Bridge. Before the M6 was built, these routes were very busy with through traffic.

The Manchester Ship Canal runs through the south of the town; three swing bridges and a high-level cantilever bridge provide crossing points. Although shipping movements on the ship canal are far less frequent than in years past, they can cause severe delay to local road traffic. The picturesque Bridgewater Canal runs through the borough from the scenic village of Lymm to Walton Hall and Gardens, a local park/leisure area. The course of the Sankey Canal runs through the west of the town, although most of it is not suitable for navigation.

Warrington Bus Interchange

Warrington Bus Interchange in October 2009

Warrington Bus Interchange (also known as Warrington Interchange) is a bus station in the town of Warrington, Cheshire, England

The building opened on 21 August 2006,^[26] next to the site of a temporary terminus that had been in use for the past thirteen months. The new interchange was built in conjunction with the extension and upgrade of the adjoining Golden Square shopping centre, and replaced the previous bus station which dated from 1979.^[27]

The interchange consists of 19 departure stands, numbered from 1 to 19, all of which employ a drive-in reverse-out layout. Each stand has a computerised information screen which also ties into the real-time information system. All stands are served from the main concourse building, which contains toilets, two coffee shops, and a combined travel and tourist information office. There is access to the shopping centre via escalators and lifts. The exits on the eastern side of the building lead onto Winwick Street, on which can be found a taxi rank and Warrington Central railway station within around 100 metres.

The bus station is the terminus for all local bus services within Warrington. Regional services operate to neighbouring cities Liverpool, Manchester and Chester, as well as to Wigan, Leigh, Trafford Centre, Altrincham, Northwich, Runcorn, Widnes and St Helens. A small number of National Express long distance coach services operate to destinations including London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Southend-on-Sea and Southport . The majority of bus services are operated by Warrington's Own Buses, who have their own information office within the main concourse selling season tickets. Other services are provided by Arriva North West, First Greater Manchester and Halton Transport.

Culture

Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, opened 1858

In March 2017 Warrington Borough Council made an unsuccessful bid to become the UK City of Culture in 2021.^[28]

Warrington has a concert hall (the Parr Hall), an arts centre (the Pyramid), three museums, and various public libraries throughout the borough. Warrington Central Library was the first rate-supported library in the UK.

There is a cinema at Westbrook, and another is being constructed as part of a town centre redevelopment. There are several parks (see also Parks in Warrington) and designated nature reserves at Woolston Eyes, Risley Moss, Rixton Claypits and Paddington Meadows.

Museums

Warrington Museum & Art Gallery is situated in Warrington's Cultural Quarter on the first floor of a building it currently shares with Warrington Central Library. The town is also home to the Museum of Policing in Cheshire,^[29] located in part of the working police station and the Warrington Museum of Freemasonry.^[30]

A heritage centre for the village of Lymm was given planning permission in February 2016.^[31]

Events

A number of festivals, carnivals and walking days are held annually in the Warrington area. Warrington Walking Day – originally a Sunday school festival – is held on the closest Friday to the last day of June, and the town centre is closed to traffic as churches walk together through the streets.^[32]

Other festivals, besides the many walking days, include:

Music

Regular series of free classical music concerts take place in Holy Trinity Church, organised by the WACIDOM.^[33] This charity is also responsible for the biennial Warrington Competition for Young Musicians, held at Arley Hall. Regular classical recitals also take place at Walton Hall and St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall. Warrington also has many musical groups, including Warrington Male Voice Choir, Gemini Musical Theatre Company (formerly Warrington Light Opera), Warrington Youth Orchestra, North Cheshire Wind Orchestra, Centenary Theatre Company and the award-winning barbershop chorus, the Cheshire Chord Company.

A number of rock and pop musicians are associated with Warrington. Madchester pioneers The Stone Roses are closely associated with the town, particularly the native lead singer Ian Brown. Other artists include Spike Dawbarn from 90's music act band 911, Kerry Katona of Atomic Kitten, Ben Byrne and James Stelfox from Starsailor and Tim Bowness of No-Man. The band Viola Beach (whose single "Swings & Waterslides" posthumously entered the UK Singles Chart at number 11) were formed in Warrington.

The Hit Man and Her TV Show featuring producer Pete Waterman (of Stock Aitken Waterman) and Michaela Strachan debuted and regularly returned to the Mr Smiths nightclub in Warrington.

Heritage

The historic core of Warrington contains many significant heritage assets such as Warrington Town Hall, St Elphin's Church and Warrington Museum situated with Conservation Areas.

In a 2015 study by the Royal Society of Arts , Warrington scored lowest of all authorities in the UK in terms of heritage assets, and the town was described in the national press as "the least cultural place in Britain".^[34][35][36]

Education

Higher Education

The University of Chester has a campus at Padgate that was formerly part of Warrington Collegiate.

Colleges

Warrington is home to two colleges: Priestley Sixth Form and Community College and Warrington Collegiate. A University Technical College is now open and is situated close to the Town Centre and is sponsored by Manchester Metropolitan University.^[37][38] Most of the high schools have their own post-16 provision (sixth-form).

Schools

There are 14 High Schools throughout the borough:

Woolston High School closed in 2012.

There are also 69 primary schools in the borough.

The Manchester Japanese School (マンチェスター日本人補習授業校 Manchesutā Nihonjin Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a weekend Japanese educational programme, is held at the Language Centre at Lymm High School.^[39]

Sport

Halliwell Jones Stadium, home to Warrington Wolves.

Rugby league is the town's premier sport in the form of Warrington Wolves who were historically nicknamed "The Wire"^[40] because of Warrington's history of wire making. The club moved in 2003 to the Halliwell Jones Stadium, leaving its home for over a century, Wilderspool Stadium. Warrington RLFC are the only team to have played every season in the top flight of rugby league. They recently put themselves back on the map as one of the leading rugby clubs in the country by taking home the Challenge Cup for two years running in 2009 and 2010 and a further triumph in 2012. This was won by them for the first time since 1974.^[41] They also reached the Cup Final in 2016, where they lost to Hull FC. 2011 also saw the Wolves gain the Super League Leaders Shield for the first time (which they won again in 2016), and 2012 saw them appearing in the Super League Grand Final for the first time versus Leeds Rhinos with the chance to become only the third team to win the Challenge Cup/Grand Final double – however, they lost. They also reached the Grand Final again in 2013 and 2016, losing to Wigan Warriors both times. Warrington is represented in the British Amateur Rugby League Association leagues by;

• Bank Quay Bulls ARLFC


• Burtonwood Bulldogs ARLFC


• Crosfields ARLFC


• Culcheth Eagles ARLFC


• Latchford Albion ARLFC


• Rylands ARFLC


• Woolston Rovers ARLFC

Football is represented by Warrington Town at Cantilever Park, next to the Manchester Ship Canal. The club has several nicknames including Town, Yellows and The Wire. Warrington Town are currently in the Northern Premier League Premier Division following promotion in 2016.

Rowing in Warrington may well have been taking place for nearly 200 years. It is known that Warrington Regatta is well over 150 years old, often attracting large crowds on the riverbank.
The modern Warrington rowing club started in the mid-1980s and is based near Kingsway Bridge. Warrington is home to both recreational and competitive rowers with some of these athletes now winning national standard events and will be pulling on international vests, Olivia Whitlam along with Richard Egington, were the first rowers from Warrington at the Olympics. The club is now bigger than ever with a large number of juniors, seniors and veterans and is just about to embark on its next project – a new boathouse with state-of-the-art facilities for both the club and local community. Warrington Rowing Club is an accredited Explore Rowing club, which is part of a national strategy led by British Rowing. The purpose of this scheme is to introduce rowing to as many people as possible irrespective of whether they want to take up the sport competitively or on a recreational basis.

Warrington Athletic Club is based at Victoria Park, where a new eight-lane synthetic track was built in 1998, after the original track was destroyed in a fire the previous year.

Speedway racing, formerly known as Dirt Track racing was staged in Warrington in its pioneering era between 1928 and 1930. The track entered a team in the 1929 English Dirt Track League and the 1930 Northern League. Efforts to revive the venue in 1947 failed to materialise.

Warrington Wolves Basketball team was set up in 2009 and competes in the English Basketball League Division Four.

Warrington has four predominant Rugby Union teams; Warrington RUFC, Lymm RFC, Gentlemen of Moore RUFC and Eagle RUFC, who are based at Thornton Road.

Media

Warrington's longest established newspaper is the Warrington Guardian. Published weekly and costing £1, it is currently owned by Newsquest and has sales of just over 17,000.^[42] Bridge Foot based Orbit News Ltd produce a monthly free news magazine, Warrington Worldwide, as well as six community magazines and a news website. The free monthly newspaper South Warrington News is also distributed in the southern half of the borough.

Community radio station Radio Warrington broadcasts from a studio in Warrington Retail Market.^[43] They hold an AM licence and have received planning permission for a transmitter, however, their broadcasts are currently only available online. Independent Local Radio station Wire FM, now based in Orrell, also serves the Warrington area.

Landmarks

See also Listed buildings in Warrington

The park gates at Warrington Town Hall

Sites of interest in Warrington include:

• 
  Grappenhall Heys Walled Garden, a walled garden in Grappenhall


• 
  Warrington Town Hall (and its golden gates), formerly Bank Hall (built 1750), the home of the Philips family and their scion the artist Nathaniel George Philips.^[44]


• The Academy, a dissenters' institute where Joseph Priestley once taught. After being moved from their original location, the building housed the offices of the local newspaper the Warrington Guardian until June 2016. A Grade II listed statue of Oliver Cromwell stands in front of the Academy.^[45]


• "Cromwell's Cottage" (17th century), which Oliver Cromwell is said to have visited.^[46][47]


• The 14th century Parish Church of St Elphin, largely a Victorian rebuild with a 281-foot (86 m) spire, the sixth tallest in the UK.


• 
  Halliwell Jones Stadium home of Warrington Wolves
  


• 
  Parr Hall, home to one of the few remaining Cavaillé-Coll organs.


• Pyramid Arts Centre on Palmyra Square.


• 
  Warrington Transporter Bridge, a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.^[48]


• The Barley Mow, established in 1561, the oldest pub in Warrington.


• 
  Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, Grade II listed building and one of the oldest municipal museums in the UK.


• The Cheshire Lines railway warehouse, now redeveloped as apartments.


• The row of late Victorian terracotta clad shops on Bridge Street.


• Fiddlers Ferry Power Station


• The industrial modernist Unilever Soapworks.


• 
  Holy Trinity Church, 1758, Grade II* listed Georgian church at Market Gate.


• 
  Old St Ann's Church, 1869, Grade II* church designed by John Douglas, now a rock climbing centre.


• 
  St Mary's Church, Grade II church designed by E.W. Pugin and Peter Paul Pugin in Buttermarket Street.


• 
  IKEA store which is located near the Gemini retail park. The first of the IKEA chain to be built in the UK.^[49]


• The former Woolworth's Building in Sankey Street (originally Garnett's furniture showroom and currently Poundland).


• Musical instrument retailer Dawsons Music has been based on Sankey Street since 1898, where its headquarters remain to this day.


• 
  St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall, Grade I listed medieval church.


• 
  St Oswald's Church, Winwick, Grade I listed medieval church.

Notable residents

Up to 1700

• 
  James Bell (1524-1584), Catholic priest and martyr,^[50] born in Warrington.


• 
  Thomas Dallam (c1570 - 1614), Organ builder ^[51] and Elizabethan trade envoy to Constantinople. His family came from Dallam
  


• 
  Edward Barlow (1639 in Warrington – 1719) priest ^[52] and mechanician
  


• 
  John Harrison (1693–1776) inventor ^[53][54] of the marine chronometer which established longitude; long time inhabitant of Warrington


• 
  Susanna Wright (1697 in Warrington – 1784) colonial American poet ^[55] and pundit, botanist, business owner and legal scholar


• 
  Hamlet Winstanley (1698–1756) painter and engraver;^[56] designer of Stanley Street in Warrington town centre. Born in Warrington and lived there in his later years before dying there.

1700 to 1800

• 
  John Macgowan (1726–1780) non-conformist preacher ^[57] and satirist; resident of Warrington


• 
  Anna Blackburne (1726–1793) English naturalist ^[58] and correspondent of Linnaeus; lived and died in Warrington


• 
  Edward Evanson (1731 in Warrington – 1805) a controversial ^[59] English clergyman.


• 
  Joseph Priestley FRS, (1733–1804) non-conformist clergyman,^[60] philosopher and scientist, discoverer of oxygen; lived in Warrington and taught at the Warrington Academy between 1761 and 1767


• 
  Thomas Percival FRS FRSE FSA (1740 in Warrington –1804) physician and author, crafted the first modern code of medical ethics


• 
  Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743–1825) poet ^[61] and literary critic; lived in Warrington 1758–1774.


• 
  Peter Litherland (1756–1805) watchmaker and inventor of the lever watch; born in Warrington


• 
  Elizabeth Whitlock (1761 in Warrington – 1836) actress,^[62] a member of the Kemble family of actors


• Colonel John Drinkwater Bethune (1762 in Latchford – 1844) army officer,^[63] administrator and military historian, wrote the Great Siege of Gibraltar
  


• 
  John Cragg (1767 in Warrington–1854) English ironmaster ^[64] who ran a foundry in Liverpool


• 
  Arthur Aikin FLS, FGS (1773 in Warrington – 1854) chemist, mineralogist and scientific writer,^[65] and was a founding member of the Chemical Society
  


• 
  Charles Rochemont Aikin (1775 in Warrington – 1847) doctor ^[66] and chemist


• 
  Edmund Aikin (1780 in Warrington – 1820) architect ^[67] and writer on architecture.


• 
  Lucy Aikin (1781 in Warrington – 1864) historical writer,^[68] also published under the pseudonym Mary Godolphin.
  


• 
  Maria Hill (1791 in Winwick–1881) Canadian heroine of the War of 1812
  


• 
  Joseph Crosfield (1792–1844) a businessman who established a soap and chemical manufacturing business in Warrington called Joseph Crosfield and Sons.


• 
  William Beamont (1797–1889) Victorian solicitor and local philanthropist, founded several churches and the municipal library ^[69]


• 
  William Wilson (1799 in Warrington–1871) botanist, known for his focus on bryology
  

1800 to 1900

• 
  Sir Gilbert Greenall, 1st Baronet DL (1806-1894) businessman and Conservative MP ^[70] for Warrington 1847/1868 and 1874/1880 and 1885/1892


• 
  Peter Rylands (1820 in Warrington – 1887) a wire-manufacturer ^[71] and Liberal politician who was an MP in two periods between 1868 and 1887.


• 
  Joseph Leicester (1825 in Warrington – 1903) glass blower ^[72] and Liberal politician, MP for West Ham South from 1885 to 1886


• 
  William John Beamont (1828 in Warrington – 1868) clergyman and author, a life of unremitting self-denying usefulness


• 
  William Norman, VC (1832–1896), a local war hero, was born in Warrington.^[73]


• 
  William Kirtley (1840 in Warrington – 1919) the Locomotive Superintendent of the London Chatham and Dover Railway
  


• 
  Jeannie Mole (1841 in Warrington – 1912) socialist, feminist, and trade union organiser


• 
  Luke Fildes (1843–1927), artist,^[74] studied at Warrington School of Art


• 
  John Webster (1845 in Warrington – 1914) English civil engineer who specialised in designing bridges


• 
  Henry Woods RA (1846 in Warrington – 1921) painter and illustrator, a Neo-Venetian school artist


• 
  William Owen (1846 in Latchford – 1910) architect who practised in Warrington, collaborated with William Lever in the creation of Port Sunlight
  


• 
  James Charles (1851 in Warrington – 1906) impressionist artist.^[75]


• 
  B. H. Roberts (1857 in Warrington – 1933) was a Mormon leader,^[76] historian, politician and polygamist
  


• 
  Reginald Essenhigh (1890 in Warrington–1955) MP for Newton from 1931 to 1935 and then a judge


• Jack Wilson (1894 in Warrington – 1970) partner in Wilson, Keppel and Betty a popular British music hall and vaudeville act


• Captain Guy Wareing DFC (1899 in Latchford – 1918) World War I flying ace
  

1900 to 1950

• 
  George Formby (1904–1961) entertainer,^[77] lived for many years in Warrington and is buried in Warrington Cemetery, with his father George Formby Sr, also an entertainer.^[78][79]


• 
  George Cardell Briggs (1910 in Warrington–2004) the first Bishop of The Seychelles
  


• Petty Officer Alfred Edward Sephton VC (1911 in Warrington – 1941) recipient of the Victoria Cross
  


• Reginald Waywell (born 1924), Doctor of Fine Art, lives in Warrington^[80]


• 
  Herbert "Burt" Kwouk OBE (1930–2016) actor, The Pink Panther films,^[81] was born in Warrington


• 
  Dave Cook (1941 in Warrington–1993) British communist activist, also known as a rock climber


• 
  Ossie Clark (1942–1996) fashion designer, raised in Warrington, attended William Beamont Secondary Technical School^[82]


• 
  Sue Johnston (born 1943) actress,^[83]Brookside and The Royle Family.^[84]


• 
  Ann Pilling (born 1944 in Warrington) an English author and poet best known for young adult fiction


• 
  Pete Postlethwaite (1946–2011), actor,^[85] was born in Warrington, studio in the Pyramid Arts Centre has been named after him.^[84]


• 
  Peter Brimelow (born 1947 in Warrington) British-born American writer, Paleoconservative
  


• 
  Paul Lewis (born 1948 in Warrington) freelance financial journalist and broadcaster, presenter of Money Box on BBC Radio 4


• 
  David Banks (born 1948 in Warrington) former British newspaper editor.

1950 to date

• 
  Pete McCarthy (1951–2004) actor,^[86] born in Warrington, honoured in a plaque on the wall of the Pyramid Arts Centre


• 
  Steve Parker (born 1952 in Warrington) science writer of children's and adult's books


• 
  Martin Sixsmith (born 1954 in Warrington) author and radio/television presenter, primarily working for the BBC


• 
  Joan Ryan (born 1955 in Warrington) Labour Party politician, MP for Enfield North 1997/2010 and 2015 to date


• 
  Philippa Perry (born 1957 in Warrington) psychotherapist, supporter of the Women's Equality Party and married to artist and cross-dresser Grayson Perry
  


• 
  George Davey Smith (born 1959 in Warrington) epidemiologist
  


• 
  Garry Newlove (1959–2007) victim of high-profile murder in August 2007, was attacked outside his house in Fearnhead .^[87]


• 
  Helen Newlove, Baroness Newlove (born 1961) a Warrington-based community reform campaigner,^[88] appointed Victims' Commissioner in 2012


• 
  Gary Slater (born 1961 in Warrington) sports journalist,^[89] currently working for The Daily Telegraph


• 
  Martin Roberts (born 1963) presenter ^[90] of BBC 1's Homes Under the Hammer
  


• 
  Robin Jarvis (born 1963) brought up in Warrington, Young-Adult fiction and children's novelist, writes dark fantasy, suspense and supernatural thrillers.


• 
  Andy Bird CBE (born c.1964 in Warrington) film producer and executive, chairman of Walt Disney International
  


• 
  Tim Firth (born 1964 in Warrington) dramatist,^[91] screenwriter and songwriter


• 
  Gavin Patterson (born 1967) brought up in Warrington, chief executive of BT Group plc since 2013


• 
  Rebekah Brooks (born 1968) journalist, newspaper editor and former chief executive of News International) attended Appleton Hall County Grammar School in Warrington.^[92]


• 
  Chris Matheson (born 1968 in Warrington) Labour Party politician, MP for the City of Chester since 2015


• 
  Liam Byrne (born 1970 in Warrington) British Labour Party politician,^[93] MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill since 2004.


• 
  Curtis Jobling (born 1972) author, illustrator, animator and production designer of Bob the Builder, lives in Warrington


• 
  Helen Wilson (born 1973 in Warrington) mathematician at University College London,^[94] focuses on theoretical and numerical modelling


• 
  Steven Arnold (born 1974) actor,^[95] known for his role as Ashley Peacock in Coronation Street, was born in Warrington.


• 
  Helen Walsh (born 1977) writer and film director.


• 
  Warren Brown (born 1978) Regular BBC actor,^[96] born and lives in Warrington


• 
  Nathan Head (born 1980 in Warrington) actor,^[97] known for his work in the British horror genre


• 
  Darren Jeffries (born 1982) actor,^[98] best known for his role as OB in Hollyoaks.


• 
  George Sampson (born 1993) dancer and winner of Britain's Got Talent in 2008.^[99]

music

• 
  Edwin 'Ted' Astley (1922–1998) composer, most notably the theme to The Saint, and Danger Man
  


• 
  Edna Savage (1936 in Warrington-2000) was a traditional pop singer


• 
  Tim Curry (born 1946) actor, singer and composer, was born in Warrington and lived in Grappenhall


• 
  Pete Waterman OBE (born 1947) record producer, lives in Warrington, in the village of Winwick.^[100]


• 
  John Maines (born 1948 in Warrington) musician, trombone player and active figure in the British brass band movement as a performer, conductor, tutor, compere and concert presenter.


• 
  Gareth Jones (born 1954 in Warrington) British music producer and engineer notable for working with Depeche Mode
  


• 
  Miles Tredinnick also known as Riff Regan (born Warrington 1955) is a rock musician, songwriter and a stage and screenwriter.


• 
  Phil Kelsall MBE (born 1956 in Warrington) principal organist at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom since 1977


• 
  Stephen Hough (born 1961) international concert pianist ^[101] and classical composer, was raised in Warrington.


• 
  Tim Bowness (born 1963) singer-songwriter, singer in the band No-Man was born and brought up in Stockton Heath, Warrington


• 
  Ian Brown (born 1963) lead singer of The Stone Roses,^[102] born in Warrington, lived in Forster Street, now lives in Lymm.^[84]


• 
  Chris Evans (born 1966) DJ and TV presenter, was born and grew up in Warrington.^[103]


• 
  Anthony Whittaker (born 1968) composer and pianist was born in Warrington


• 
  Jan Linton (born c.1968) singer-songwriter, was born in Warrington, but re-located to Japan.^[104]


• 
  Chris Braide (born 1973) songwriter and record producer, was born and lived in Padgate


• 
  Dave Vitty (Comedy Dave) (born 1974) DJ and Dancing on Ice contestant, came from Hong Kong, brought up in Warrington.


• 
  Kerry Katona (born 1980) singer/actress,^[105] was born and grew up in Warrington.^[84]


• 
  Bill Ryder-Jones (born 1983) former guitarist of The Coral was born in Warrington


• 
  Viola Beach (formed in 2013) band from Warrington.

sport

• 
  Steve Donoghue (1884–1945) jockey, ten times British flat racing Champion Jockey, born in Warrington.^[106]


• 
  George Duckworth (1901–1966) first class cricketer, who played Test cricket for England, was born in Warrington. He played first class cricket for Lancashire between 1923 and 1947.^[107]


• 
  Fred Worrall (1910 in Warrington– 1979) was an English footballer, made 425 pro appearances


• 
  Harold 'Moggy' Palin (1916 in Warrington–1990) an English professional rugby league footballer


• 
  Roger Hunt (born 1938) footballer ^[108] for Liverpool F.C., member of England's 1966 World Cup squad, born in Glazebury, lives in Warrington, made a Freeman of the Borough on 5 December 2016


• 
  Neil McGrath (born 1942), former British racing driver


• 
  Bob Fulton (born 1947) Australian Rugby League player and selector, born in Stockton Heath.^[109]


• 
  Keith Elwell (born 1950 in Warrington) professional rugby league footballer, played 591 games for Widnes


• 
  Wade Dooley (born 1957) former England rugby union international, played lock forward, played for his country 55 times


• 
  Gary Bannister (born 1960 in Warrington) former professional footballer ^[110] who made 539 pro appearances


• 
  Neil Fairbrother (born 1963) first class cricketer, played Test cricket for England, born in Warrington.^[111]


• 
  Tony Bullock (born 1972) former professional footballer ^[112] who played as a goalkeeper, 358 pro appearances


• 
  Stephen Foster (born 1980) defender ^[113] and captain of Barnsley F.C., was born in the town


• 
  David Wright (born 1980 in Warrington) former professional footballer ^[114] with 488 pro appearances


• 
  Ian Sharps (born 1980 in Warrington) former footballer ^[115] with 565 pro appearances, now First-Team Coach at Walsall F.C.
  


• 
  Paul Hanagan (born in 1980) twice British champion flat jockey born in Warrington


• 
  Matt Doughty (born 1981 in Warrington) former professional footballer,^[116] over 400 pro appearances


• 
  Jonathan Akinyemi (born 1988) Olympic Canoe Slalom athlete for team Nigeria was born and lives in Warrington


• 
  James Chester (born 1989) footballer ^[117] currently playing for Hull City A.F.C. was born in Warrington.


• 
  Jesse Lingard, (born 1992) footballer ^[118] for Manchester United F.C. was born in Warrington


• 
  Jack Robinson (born 1993 in Warrington) professional footballer ^[119] who plays Queens Park Rangers F.C.
  

Twin Towns

Warrington is twinned with Hilden, Germany and Nachod, Czech Republic.^[120] The villages of Lymm and Culcheth within the borough are twinned with Meung-sur-Loire, France and Saint-Leu-la-Foret, France respectively.^[121][122]

See also

• List of parks in Warrington


• Warrington Dock

Bibliography

• 
  Kendrick, James (1853). Profiles of Warrington Worthies. , illustrated with silhouette likenesses^[123].


• 
  Beamont, William (1872). Annals of the Lords of Warrington for the first five centuries after the conquest. volume 1. Manchester: The Chetham Society. .


• 
  Beamont, William (1872). Annals of the Lords of Warrington for the first five centuries after the conquest. volume 2. Manchester: The Chetham Society. .

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Warrington.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Warrington.

• Warrington Borough Council