Woolston
Encyclopedia
Woolston is a civil parish in the borough of Warrington
, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire
, England. It has a population of 7,868. It was the birthplace of Old Billy, the oldest horse that ever lived (1760–1822).
Woolston lies in the east-central part of Warrington
, on the north banks of the River Mersey
and Manchester Ship Canal
, and is bounded on the east by the M6 motorway
. The localities of Paddington and Martinscroft
are within Woolston's parish boundaries.
, but after local government reforms of 1974, it became part of Cheshire. Up to the last decade of the nineteenth century, Woolston and its immediate area was a township called "Woolston with Martinscroft" in Warrington ancient parish, which was itself part of West Derby Hundred
. Towards the middle to end of the nineteenth century, it was part of Warrington rural sanitary district and Warrrington poor law union
.
In 1894, Woolston with Martinscroft joined the newly formed Warrington Rural District
as a civil parish, where it remained until 1933. There was a boundary change to the civil parish in 1885 when the county boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire was adjusted: it gained part of Thelwall
civil parish from Cheshire. A complex set of boundary changes occurred in 1933, involving the county boundary with Cheshire: the civil parish gained part of Lymm
ancient parish; exchanged areas of land with Grappenhall
ancient parish; and exchanged areas of land with Thelwall civil parish, all in Cheshire. Finally, and again in 1933, the civil parish of Woolston with Martinscroft was abolished and parts used to create the civil parishes of Croft and the modern day civil parish of Woolston, both in Lancashire. This new civil parish of Woolston was formed from parts of the old Woolston with Martinscroft civil parish, as explained above, and also part of Culcheth
civil parish. It remained in Warrington rural district until the local government reforms of 1974 which created the borough of Warrington
which was located in Cheshire. In 1998, when Warrington borough became a unitary authority
, it remained in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, and continued to be served by Cheshire Police
and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
.
Throughout time its name has changed often. At time of the Viking
s it was called Wulfiges Town (probably because of the wolves that occupied the land).
It is a civil parish which grew in the 20th century: the population in 1921 was just 451.
. This area was home to a large Safeway
distribution depot that was taken over by Morrisons
in January 2006, and then taken over by Iceland
in mid-2006. In 2007, this was outsourced to DHL
, while still continuing to serve Iceland. Woolston is home to a number of smaller businesses including Big Storage on the main A57 and Paragon Framing http://www.paragonframing.co.uk. There is also an industrial estate to the south called the "New Cut industrial estate", this features a large pipework fabrication business (WH Capper)http://www.whcapper.co.uk and several small offices and small holdings. The estate gets its name from the canal which borders it and the "new cut" of the River Mersey
.
Nature Reserve—a Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
Woolston is situated in the Mersey Valley and so there is a very slight lowering in height between it and the surrounding areas. The highest point is on the Woolston Eyes, formerly Thelwall Eyes, (four man-made areas formed by large embankments for the dispersement of dredging waste). The lowest point is the marshland formed by the dereliction of the Woolston New Cut Canal and Woolston Old Canal. The Manchester Ship Canal denotes the southerly boundary of the Eyes reserve and can be crossed either via nearby Latchford locks or by the unique penny ferry crossing (11p each way as of Oct 09). Woolston has plenty of waterway
s including the aforementioned canals; the new cut of the River Mersey; and the Manchester Ship Canal
.
of which
Source: Office of National Statistics Neighbourhood profiles for areas Warrington 014A,014B,014B
and Birchwood
. Mainline services are available from Warrington Bank Quay and Warrington Central (2–3 miles away).
The M6 motorway
runs down the eastern edge of the district and the A57
to Manchester
and Liverpool runs directly through the district. There is also a road running from the motorway past the Grange to Birchwood
and Longbarn, two areas built during the new town
initiative.
Warrington Borough Transport
(3, 4, 4A) and Warrington Coachways (104) provide local bus
services to Warrington Town Centre, whilst First Manchester
operate an inter-urban service (100) to Manchester
via Irlam
and the Trafford Centre
.
The Penny Ferry (now 24p) can be used to cross the Manchester Ship Canal
to Thelwall
. This is part time service. If not available a detour can be made over the Latchford Locks.
Manchester Airport is the closest major airport to Woolston.
Education is provided by Woolston Church of England
Primary School, St. Peters' Catholic Primary School and Woolston Community Primary School. Secondary Education is provided for by Woolston Community High School. Although from September 2008 there will be no student intake, and by 2012 the school will close completely.
Warrington's Direct Services are based in Woolston and provide services to the local community.
There are no local fire and police services. The nearest providers are at Risley Police Station and Birchwood Fire Station. Although there is a community police office located on the site of Dam lane shops.
There are three churches in Woolston: the Church of The Ascension and St Martin's Methodist Church (both modern) and a small but old Roman Catholic church, St Peter's, in Martinscroft.
The Woolston neighbourhood hub is where the library is now located along with the leisure centre that has a gym and swimming pool.
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, in the ceremonial county of 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. It has a population of 7,868. It was the birthplace of Old Billy, the oldest horse that ever lived (1760–1822).
Woolston lies in the east-central part of Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, on the north banks of the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
and Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
, and is bounded on the east by 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...
. The localities of Paddington and Martinscroft
Martinscroft
Martinscroft is a part of the civil parish of Woolston in Warrington, Cheshire, England.It is rumoured that Battery Lane in the village got its name from where Oliver Cromwell stored his weapons during his visit in the civil war....
are within Woolston's parish boundaries.
History
Woolston was anciently part of LancashireLancashire
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...
, but after local government reforms of 1974, it became part of Cheshire. Up to the last decade of the nineteenth century, Woolston and its immediate area was a township called "Woolston with Martinscroft" in Warrington ancient parish, which was itself part of West Derby Hundred
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
. Towards the middle to end of the nineteenth century, it was part of Warrington rural sanitary district and Warrrington 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...
.
In 1894, Woolston with Martinscroft joined the newly formed Warrington Rural District
Warrington Rural District
Warrington Rural District was, from 1894 to 1974, a local government district in the administrative county of Lancashire.It was formed a rural district under the Local Government Act 1894 from the Warrington rural sanitary district, and was centred on territory north of the town of Warrington...
as a civil parish, where it remained until 1933. There was a boundary change to the civil parish in 1885 when the county boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire was adjusted: it gained part of Thelwall
Thelwall
Thelwall is a suburban village in Warrington, North Cheshire, England, close to the Lymm junction of the M6.-Geography:Thelwall nowadays borders the villages of Lymm and Grappenhall, and , Latchford. It is also one of the two principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish...
civil parish from Cheshire. A complex set of boundary changes occurred in 1933, involving the county boundary with Cheshire: the civil parish gained part of Lymm
Lymm
Lymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little...
ancient parish; exchanged areas of land with Grappenhall
Grappenhall
Grappenhall is a suburban village in Warrington, Cheshire, England. It is situated along the Bridgewater Canal, and forms one of the principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish...
ancient parish; and exchanged areas of land with Thelwall civil parish, all in Cheshire. Finally, and again in 1933, the civil parish of Woolston with Martinscroft was abolished and parts used to create the civil parishes of Croft and the modern day civil parish of Woolston, both in Lancashire. This new civil parish of Woolston was formed from parts of the old Woolston with Martinscroft civil parish, as explained above, and also part of Culcheth
Culcheth
Culcheth is a large village approximately 6 miles north-east of Warrington, England. It is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury civil parish. The village has many amenities which make it a popular place to live. These include a library, a village hall, sports facilities, two...
civil parish. It remained in Warrington rural district until the local government reforms of 1974 which created the borough of Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
which was located in Cheshire. In 1998, when Warrington borough became a unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
, it remained in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, and continued to be served by Cheshire Police
Cheshire Constabulary
Cheshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the English unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington. The force is responsible for policing an area of with a population of roughly 1 million.The Chief Constable of the...
and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is the statuory fire and rescue service for the English county of Cheshire, consisting of the unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington. It has 24 fire stations...
.
Throughout time its name has changed often. At time of the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s it was called Wulfiges Town (probably because of the wolves that occupied the land).
It is a civil parish which grew in the 20th century: the population in 1921 was just 451.
Economy
A large area of the district is covered by warehousing districts. The largest by far is the "Grange" this is an area of modern warehousing and light manufacturing built next to the M6 motorwayM6 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...
. This area was home to a large Safeway
Safeway (UK)
Safeway was a chain of supermarkets and convenience stores in the United Kingdom. It started as a subsidiary of the American Safeway Inc., before being sold off in 1987....
distribution depot that was taken over by Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
in January 2006, and then taken over by Iceland
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
in mid-2006. In 2007, this was outsourced to DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
, while still continuing to serve Iceland. Woolston is home to a number of smaller businesses including Big Storage on the main A57 and Paragon Framing http://www.paragonframing.co.uk. There is also an industrial estate to the south called the "New Cut industrial estate", this features a large pipework fabrication business (WH Capper)http://www.whcapper.co.uk and several small offices and small holdings. The estate gets its name from the canal which borders it and the "new cut" of the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
.
Geography
The area has two main natural areas: Woolston Linear Park and the Woolston EyesWoolston Eyes
Woolston Eyes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest located in the town of Warrington, England, alongside the Manchester Ship Canal. The eyes themselves are used for the dumping of dredgings from the canal....
Nature Reserve—a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
Woolston is situated in the Mersey Valley and so there is a very slight lowering in height between it and the surrounding areas. The highest point is on the Woolston Eyes, formerly Thelwall Eyes, (four man-made areas formed by large embankments for the dispersement of dredging waste). The lowest point is the marshland formed by the dereliction of the Woolston New Cut Canal and Woolston Old Canal. The Manchester Ship Canal denotes the southerly boundary of the Eyes reserve and can be crossed either via nearby Latchford locks or by the unique penny ferry crossing (11p each way as of Oct 09). Woolston has plenty of waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
s including the aforementioned canals; the new cut of the River Mersey; and the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
.
Demography
At the 2001 Census:- Woolston had an average housing density of 2.66 residents per household.
Housing
Of 1783 households- 1574 (88.3%) were owner occupied
- 203 (11.4%) were rented
- 5 (0.3%) were of unknown status
Race and Gender
- 48.3% of residents are Male
- 51.7% of residents are Female
of which
- 98% are of white (all origins) race
- 0.34% are of mixed race
- 0.92% are of Asian or Asian British origin
- 0.62% are of Chinese origin
- 0.12% are of Black race
Source: Office of National Statistics Neighbourhood profiles for areas Warrington 014A,014B,014B
Transport
The nearest rail stations to Woolston are PadgatePadgate
Padgate was a village on the edge of Warrington, England, and today it is a large residential part of the town. During World War II it had a small RAF Station. RAF Padgate will be well-remembered by thousands of young men who were selected for RAF national service and on this site received their...
and Birchwood
Birchwood
Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"...
. Mainline services are available from Warrington Bank Quay and Warrington Central (2–3 miles away).
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...
runs down the eastern edge of the district and the A57
A57 road
The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln, via Warrington, Cadishead, Irlam, Patricroft, Eccles, Salford and Manchester, then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass , around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop...
to 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...
and Liverpool runs directly through the district. There is also a road running from the motorway past the Grange to Birchwood
Birchwood
Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"...
and Longbarn, two areas built during the new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
initiative.
Warrington Borough Transport
Warrington Borough Transport
Warrington Borough Transport is a bus operator running a network of services within the Borough of Warrington, England and into the surrounding area, including Altrincham, Leigh, Earlestown and Northwich. The network of services is marketed under the Network Warrington name, with both names...
(3, 4, 4A) and Warrington Coachways (104) provide local bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services to Warrington Town Centre, whilst First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
operate an inter-urban service (100) to 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...
via Irlam
Irlam
Irlam is a suburban town and unparished area within the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 18,504. The town lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, and is west-southwest of...
and the Trafford Centre
Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
.
The Penny Ferry (now 24p) can be used to cross the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
to Thelwall
Thelwall
Thelwall is a suburban village in Warrington, North Cheshire, England, close to the Lymm junction of the M6.-Geography:Thelwall nowadays borders the villages of Lymm and Grappenhall, and , Latchford. It is also one of the two principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish...
. This is part time service. If not available a detour can be made over the Latchford Locks.
Manchester Airport is the closest major airport to Woolston.
Public services
The area is served by an ante-natal clinic on Holes Lane and a GP doctors surgery located close by. There is also a new chiropractic clinic at Woolston Neighbourhood Hub.Education is provided by Woolston Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Primary School, St. Peters' Catholic Primary School and Woolston Community Primary School. Secondary Education is provided for by Woolston Community High School. Although from September 2008 there will be no student intake, and by 2012 the school will close completely.
Warrington's Direct Services are based in Woolston and provide services to the local community.
There are no local fire and police services. The nearest providers are at Risley Police Station and Birchwood Fire Station. Although there is a community police office located on the site of Dam lane shops.
There are three churches in Woolston: the Church of The Ascension and St Martin's Methodist Church (both modern) and a small but old Roman Catholic church, St Peter's, in Martinscroft.
The Woolston neighbourhood hub is where the library is now located along with the leisure centre that has a gym and swimming pool.