Euxton
Encyclopedia
Euxton is a village and civil parish
of the Borough of Chorley
, in Lancashire
, England
. The village is pronounced ˈɛkstən "Exton") and is situated just to the south of Leyland
, and to the west of Chorley
.
was re-opened after a gap of some 30 years. It is on the Preston - Wigan
West Coast Main Line
. In the near future there will be a second station built, which will serve the new Buckshaw Village
development, and is on the Preston - Manchester
line.
Euxton Hall, which was a significant stately residence, now acts as a private hospital and is half its former glory, with the second storey being removed in the latter half of the twentieth century along with its grand colonnade. Euxton Hall Gate house can be seen at the bottom of the brow, near the parish church. Balshaw Lodge, which has recently been redeveloped, was originally built as guest lodgings for the hall.
There was a large Royal Ordnance Factory
(ROF Chorley
) built here in the build up to World War II
(Nevell et al., 1999). At its peak the factory employed over 40,000 people, and had its own railway station. It was probably the biggest munitions filling factory in the world, and it is said that the bouncing bomb
s used in the Dambusters
Raid were made there. ROF Chorley
later came under the ownership of British Aerospace
, and in subsequent years was closed down with the land being sold. In the early 2000s the former ROF Chorley
site was effectively flattened and sanitised, so that the land could be transformed into the new Buckshaw Village
.
to operate a sand
quarry
near the village were approved in August 2008 by a planning inspector. The quarry, to be located between Runshaw Lane and Dawbers Lane, had been proposed for ten years and is opposed by the village council, and by local residents, some of whom set up an action group, Euxton Residents Against Sand Extraction (ERASE), due to its impact on health, traffic and environment locally. The quarry has permission to operate for 15 years.
sports ground is now used by English
Premiership
football
team Bolton Wanderers F.C.
as its training headquarters.
The village is also home to Euxton Corinthians FC, Euxton Villa FC and Euxton Cricket Club.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of the Borough of Chorley
Chorley (borough)
Chorley is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It is named after its largest settlement, the town of Chorley.-Creation:...
, in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The village is pronounced ˈɛkstən "Exton") and is situated just to the south of Leyland
Leyland, Lancashire
Leyland is a town in the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England, approximately six miles south of the city of Preston.Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming, due to the establishment of Leyland Motors, housing...
, and to the west of Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
.
Early Industry
In 1997, Euxton Balshaw Lane railway stationEuxton Balshaw Lane railway station
Euxton Balshaw Lane is situated in the village of Euxton , Lancashire, England. It is a local station on the West Coast Main Line on the stretch between Wigan and .-History:...
was re-opened after a gap of some 30 years. It is on the Preston - Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. In the near future there will be a second station built, which will serve the new Buckshaw Village
Buckshaw Village
Buckshaw Village is a new residential and industrial area between the towns of Chorley and Leyland in Lancashire, the original area of Buckshaw being part of Euxton...
development, and is on the Preston - Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
line.
Euxton Hall, which was a significant stately residence, now acts as a private hospital and is half its former glory, with the second storey being removed in the latter half of the twentieth century along with its grand colonnade. Euxton Hall Gate house can be seen at the bottom of the brow, near the parish church. Balshaw Lodge, which has recently been redeveloped, was originally built as guest lodgings for the hall.
There was a large Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
(ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
) built here in the build up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(Nevell et al., 1999). At its peak the factory employed over 40,000 people, and had its own railway station. It was probably the biggest munitions filling factory in the world, and it is said that the bouncing bomb
Bouncing bomb
A bouncing bomb is a bomb designed specifically to bounce to a target across water in a calculated manner, in order to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets, and to allow both the bomb's speed on arrival at the target and the timing of its detonation to be pre-determined...
s used in the Dambusters
Operation Chastise
Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams carried out on 16–17 May 1943 by Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron, subsequently known as the "Dambusters", using a specially developed "bouncing bomb" invented and developed by Barnes Wallis...
Raid were made there. ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
later came under the ownership of British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
, and in subsequent years was closed down with the land being sold. In the early 2000s the former ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
site was effectively flattened and sanitised, so that the land could be transformed into the new Buckshaw Village
Buckshaw Village
Buckshaw Village is a new residential and industrial area between the towns of Chorley and Leyland in Lancashire, the original area of Buckshaw being part of Euxton...
.
Modern Industry
Plans by TarmacTarmac (company)
Tarmac is a company that is based in Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom and operates internationally. The company produces aggregates and road-surfacing materials, including tarmacadam, from which the company's name is derived...
to operate a sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
near the village were approved in August 2008 by a planning inspector. The quarry, to be located between Runshaw Lane and Dawbers Lane, had been proposed for ten years and is opposed by the village council, and by local residents, some of whom set up an action group, Euxton Residents Against Sand Extraction (ERASE), due to its impact on health, traffic and environment locally. The quarry has permission to operate for 15 years.
Sport
The former ROF ChorleyROF Chorley
ROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
sports ground is now used by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
as its training headquarters.
The village is also home to Euxton Corinthians FC, Euxton Villa FC and Euxton Cricket Club.
External links
- http://www.chorley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1185 Euxton on chorley.gov.uk
- Quarry battle call to arms Chorley Guardian article
- Google maps overlay of area impacted by the quarry proposal (Area of quarry proposal in Light Red)