Shevington
Encyclopedia
Shevington is a village and civil parish
within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
, in Greater Manchester
, England
.
Lying within the historic county boundaries
of Lancashire
, Shevington lies approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from Wigan
town centre and at the 2001 census had a population of 9,786.
recorded in documents in 1225 as Shefington. Other recorded spellings include Scheuynton in 1253, Sheuington in 1277, Sewinton 1288 and Sheuynton in 1292.
, an estate system of local government held of the king by a Lord of the Manor
from the 12th to the 18th centuries. The area was included within the ecclesiastical parish of Standish
until 1887 when it was granted separate status with the consecration
of St Anne's Church.
From earliest times the area had a sparse and scattered population eking out a living from the common and wood and farmlands owned by the church including Burscough Priory
, Cockersand Abbey
and the Knights Hospitaller
s until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
from 1536 and that of the local gentry included Sir Adam Banastre, Lord of the Manor in 1288 and the Standish, Catterall, Stanley, Rigby, Hulton, Dicconson and Hesketh families - the last being the last Lord of the Manor in 1798.
In Tudor times only a handful of families existed, possibly as few as 30, the population reached 335 by 1764, and the first official census in 1801 recorded 646. The 1851 census 1,147, 1,753 in 1,901, reaching 3,057 by 1951 and 8,001 in 1971.
By the 18th century most of the common land
had been enclosed forming landed estates and tenant farms where mixed farming was practised. Corn was ground into flour at local water mills - Finch Mill on the Calico Brook and Standish Mill on Mill Brook and skills associated with agriculture developed - smith
ies, wheelwright
s and so on. Handloom weaving and basket making were also undertaken together with primitive coal mining
in the Elnup Woods area.
Demand for coal mining during the Industrial Revolution
led to an intensification of mining with coal from many local pits transported via the River Douglas at Gathurst when the river was made navigable in 1742 but replaced from the 1780s by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
when much of the coal was loaded on to barges at Crooke.
Past industries have included a glue factory and brick and tile works in Appley Bridge
and the Roburite Explosives Works (now Orica) at Gathurst from 1941/42 which employed over 500 workers during World War II
, but was first established south of the River Douglas in 1888.
Shevington's scattered communities became more cohesive with the development of the village school from 1814, residential development from the 1850s the original Plough & Harrow public house
, post office
and shops near or in the long-recognised centre of the village at Broad o' th' Lane.
in Lancashire
, it was a township in the parish of Standish
and in 1837 became part of the Poor Law Union
of Wigan.
In 1894 under the Local Government Act
the village achieved the status of a parish council which included Shevington Vale, part of Appley Bridge, Shevington Moor and Crooke within its ancient boundaries defined by the Calico Brook, Almond Brook, Mill Brook and the River Douglas
.
Since local government reforms
which took place in 1974, Shevington has formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
of Greater Manchester
, having previously been part of the administrative county
of Lancashire
.
The Conservatives won the last three local elections however two councillors defected from the Conservative Party
to form the Wigan Independent Conservatives. Recently, Shevington has elected a Labour councillor once again, a change that has been seen in six other seats in the Wigan too.
The village currently has a parish council, which receives a precept from the Council Tax
.
. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal
runs parallel to the River Douglas.
Shevington is located close to Junction 27 of the M6 motorway
and is bordered by the villages of Appley Bridge
and Standish
, but also has close links to the villages of Wrightington
and Standish Lower Ground.
Today there is little evidence of past industrial activity though there has been a marked increase in residential development between the 1950s and 1980s attracted by Shevington's pleasant rural setting, still surrounded by much open land and ancient woods. Further residential development, on the former Orica site to the south of the village, is currently being discussed. The 2001 census recorded a population of 11,725 in the Shevington with Lower Ground ward.
and Appley Bridge
which first opened in the 1850s.
From these stations there are direct rail links to both Southport and Manchester, as well as connections at Wigan to the West Coast Main Line
.
s, a post office, a small supermarket, two baker
s' shops, a carpet shop, a fish and chip shop, an estate agent
, two hairdressers, a hardware store, three takeaways, a Conservative club and a public house. There is also a clinic, a doctors' surgery and a library.
Shevington also has a public park, containing a war memorial
to those lost during the 20th century's both world wars.
club called Shevington Sharks
who play in the North West Counties League. Home games are played at St. John Rigby College. The Shevington football club plays its matches on the recreation ground behind the Methodist church.
Gathurst Golf Club is also located in the village.
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...
within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, 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...
.
Lying within the historic county boundaries
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of 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...
, Shevington lies approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from 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...
town centre and at the 2001 census had a population of 9,786.
Topynomy
Shevington, a farmstead near a hill called shevin, derives from the Celtic cevn meaning a ridge and the Old English tun, a farmstead. It is a hill slope settlement in the Douglas ValleyRiver Douglas
The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland or Astland, is a river that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England...
recorded in documents in 1225 as Shefington. Other recorded spellings include Scheuynton in 1253, Sheuington in 1277, Sewinton 1288 and Sheuynton in 1292.
History
Shevington became a manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
, an estate system of local government held of the king by a Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
from the 12th to the 18th centuries. The area was included within the ecclesiastical parish of Standish
Standish
-Places:In England:* Standish, Greater Manchester, a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan* Standish-with-Langtree, a former urban district of Lancashire* Standish, GloucestershireIn the United States of America:...
until 1887 when it was granted separate status with the consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
of St Anne's Church.
From earliest times the area had a sparse and scattered population eking out a living from the common and wood and farmlands owned by the church including Burscough Priory
Burscough Priory
Burscough Priory, at Burscough, Lancashire, England, was founded in c. 1190 by Robert Fitz-Henry, Lord of Lathom for Augustinian canons. It was dissolved c.1536 by Henry VIII although some remains still exist...
, Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey is a former abbey near Cockerham in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. It was founded before 1184 as the Hospital of St Mary on the marsh belonging to Leicester Abbey. It was refounded as a Premonstratensian priory and subsequently elevated to an abbey in 1192...
and the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
s until the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
from 1536 and that of the local gentry included Sir Adam Banastre, Lord of the Manor in 1288 and the Standish, Catterall, Stanley, Rigby, Hulton, Dicconson and Hesketh families - the last being the last Lord of the Manor in 1798.
In Tudor times only a handful of families existed, possibly as few as 30, the population reached 335 by 1764, and the first official census in 1801 recorded 646. The 1851 census 1,147, 1,753 in 1,901, reaching 3,057 by 1951 and 8,001 in 1971.
By the 18th century most of the common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
had been enclosed forming landed estates and tenant farms where mixed farming was practised. Corn was ground into flour at local water mills - Finch Mill on the Calico Brook and Standish Mill on Mill Brook and skills associated with agriculture developed - smith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
ies, wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
s and so on. Handloom weaving and basket making were also undertaken together with primitive coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
in the Elnup Woods area.
Demand for coal mining during 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...
led to an intensification of mining with coal from many local pits transported via the River Douglas at Gathurst when the river was made navigable in 1742 but replaced from the 1780s by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
when much of the coal was loaded on to barges at Crooke.
Past industries have included a glue factory and brick and tile works in Appley Bridge
Appley Bridge
Appley Bridge is a village in West Lancashire, England. It is located off Junction 27 of the M6 motorway and is nestled in the Douglas valley alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.-History:...
and the Roburite Explosives Works (now Orica) at Gathurst from 1941/42 which employed over 500 workers during 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...
, but was first established south of the River Douglas in 1888.
Shevington's scattered communities became more cohesive with the development of the village school from 1814, residential development from the 1850s the original Plough & Harrow public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and shops near or in the long-recognised centre of the village at Broad o' th' Lane.
Governance
Anciently Shevington lay in the hundred of LeylandLeyland (hundred)
The Leyland hundred, or Leylandshire, was a hundred of the English county of Lancashire. It covered the parishes of Brindle, Chorley, Croston, Eccleston, Hoole, Leyland, Penwortham, Rufford, Standish and Tarleton....
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...
, it was a township in the parish of Standish
Standish, Greater Manchester
Standish is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the A49 road between the towns of Chorley and Wigan, a short distance from Junction 27 of the M6 motorway....
and in 1837 became part of the Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
of Wigan.
In 1894 under the Local Government Act
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
the village achieved the status of a parish council which included Shevington Vale, part of Appley Bridge, Shevington Moor and Crooke within its ancient boundaries defined by the Calico Brook, Almond Brook, Mill Brook and the River Douglas
River Douglas
The River Douglas, also known as the River Asland or Astland, is a river that flows through Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north-west of England...
.
Since local government reforms
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
which took place in 1974, Shevington has formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, having previously been part of the administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
of 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...
.
The Conservatives won the last three local elections however two councillors defected from the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
to form the Wigan Independent Conservatives. Recently, Shevington has elected a Labour councillor once again, a change that has been seen in six other seats in the Wigan too.
The village currently has a parish council, which receives a precept from the Council Tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
.
Geography
Shevington is built on sloping land between Standish and Wigan to the north-east of the River Douglas. Its area is 1708 acres (6.9 km²). The underlying rocks are coal measuresCoal Measures
The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
runs parallel to the River Douglas.
Shevington is located close to Junction 27 of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
and is bordered by the villages of Appley Bridge
Appley Bridge
Appley Bridge is a village in West Lancashire, England. It is located off Junction 27 of the M6 motorway and is nestled in the Douglas valley alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.-History:...
and Standish
Standish, Greater Manchester
Standish is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the A49 road between the towns of Chorley and Wigan, a short distance from Junction 27 of the M6 motorway....
, but also has close links to the villages of Wrightington
Wrightington
Wrightington is a civil parish in West Lancashire, England, with an area of 3,915½ acres. The surface is hilly, rising to over 400 ft. at Harrock on the border of Parbold, and then falling to the north, north-east and south-east. On the southern border, the boundary at Appley Bridge touches...
and Standish Lower Ground.
Today there is little evidence of past industrial activity though there has been a marked increase in residential development between the 1950s and 1980s attracted by Shevington's pleasant rural setting, still surrounded by much open land and ancient woods. Further residential development, on the former Orica site to the south of the village, is currently being discussed. The 2001 census recorded a population of 11,725 in the Shevington with Lower Ground ward.
Education
Shevington High School is a Specialist Technology College. There are four primary schools located in and around the village; Millbrook Primary School, St. Bernadette's Roman Catholic Primary School, Shevington Vale Primary School and Shevington Community Primary School. Unusually, the primary school associated with St. Anne's Church in Shevington is located in the neighbouring village of Standish Lower Ground.Transport
Shevington has good communications via the M6 motorway which progressed through the parish in 1963 and the Manchester to Southport Line railway, with stations at GathurstGathurst railway station
On the outskirts of the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, the semi-rural Gathurst is a recently refurbished two-platform station on the Southport line 2¾ miles north west of Wigan Wallgate station...
and Appley Bridge
Appley Bridge railway station
Appley Bridge railway station serves the villages of Appley Bridge and Shevington in England.The station is 4½ miles north west of Wigan Wallgate on the Manchester-Southport Line....
which first opened in the 1850s.
From these stations there are direct rail links to both Southport and Manchester, as well as connections at Wigan to the 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...
.
Religion
There are three churches and two vicarages located in Shevington, the oldest being St. Anne's Church. There is also Shevington Methodist Church and St. Bernadette's Roman Catholic Church. All three churches provide worship for Christians and social and community activities for the whole village.Amenities
The Shevington community consists of a mixture of private and council housing, predominantly centred around two rows of shops in the centre of the village. Shevington has two pharmacies, two newsagentNewsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
s, a post office, a small supermarket, two baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
s' shops, a carpet shop, a fish and chip shop, an estate agent
Estate agent
An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of properties, and other buildings, in the United Kingdom and Ireland. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent...
, two hairdressers, a hardware store, three takeaways, a Conservative club and a public house. There is also a clinic, a doctors' surgery and a library.
Shevington also has a public park, containing a war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
to those lost during the 20th century's both world wars.
Sport
Shevington has an amateur rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club called Shevington Sharks
Shevington Sharks
Shevington Sharks are an amateur rugby league team in Wigan who participate in the North West Counties League. They are the third oldest club in Wigan being established in 1979. They play their home games at St John Rigby College along with Orell R.U.F.C....
who play in the North West Counties League. Home games are played at St. John Rigby College. The Shevington football club plays its matches on the recreation ground behind the Methodist church.
Gathurst Golf Club is also located in the village.