Halton, formerly a separate village, is now part of the town of Runcorn

Runcorn

Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...

, Cheshire

Cheshire

Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...

, England. The name Halton has been assumed by the Borough of Halton, which includes Runcorn, Widnes

Widnes

Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...

 and some outlying parishes.

Geography

The village stands in an elevated position at 240 feet (73 m) compared with the surrounding area which lies at about 100 feet (30 m). At its centre is an outcrop of sandstone

Sandstone

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...

 which rises to a height of 252.6 feet (77 m). On the summit of the outcrop are the ruins of Halton Castle

Halton Castle

Halton Castle is in the former village of Halton which is now part of the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The castle is situated on the top of Halton Hill, a sandstone prominence overlooking the village...

. The major road, Main Street, passes below the castle, to its west and south, and Castle Road leads up to the castle.

History

There is evidence of human occupation in the Stone Age

Stone Age

The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...

 and during the Roman

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

 era. The village is recorded in the Domesday Book

Domesday Book

Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 and towards the end of the 11th century the first castle, which became the seat of the Barons of Halton

Barony of Halton

The Barony of Halton, in Cheshire, England, comprised a succession of 15 barons who held under the overlordship of the County Palatine of Chester ruled by the Earl of Chester. It was not therefore an English feudal barony which was under full royal jurisdiction, which is the usual sense of the...

, was built on the hill. During the medieval period a deer park

Medieval deer park

A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...

 measuring 100 acres (40 ha) lay to the south and the west of the village. At this time Halton had a weekly market and annual fair. The village held a court leet

Court leet

The court leet was a historical court baron of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.-History:...

 and the castle was used as a prison. During the Civil War

English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...

 the castle was held by the Royalists and twice besieged by Parliamentary forces. Following this the castle fell into ruin. The importance of Halton declined with the coming of the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

 and the development of the chemical and other industries in Runcorn.

Today

The village is now entirely residential. It is surrounded to the west and north by the estates of Runcorn New Town. To the south is Halton Lea

Halton Lea

Halton Lea is a medium-sized covered shopping centre located in Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It is the main shopping area in Runcorn. It was the centrepiece of the New Town of Runcorn and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.-History:...

, a shopping mall, and other retail and entertainment outlets. To the east is Town Park. The castle is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled ancient monument, and there are a number of other listed buildings in the village. There are two public houses, the Castle Hotel, which is incorporated into the structure of the castle and which contains the former courthouse, and the Norton Arms. In the village are two active churches, the Anglican Church of St Mary

St Mary's Church, Halton

St Mary's Church, Halton, is located in Halton, which was formerly a separate village, but is now part of the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the archdeaconry of Chester and the deanery of Frodsham...

and Trinity Methodist Church.