Warrington

Warrington is referred as unitary authority area in Cheshire with a population of around 208,800 recorded in 2016. It lies on the shore of the Mersey River. The town is referred as the largest town in the county of Cheshire, England. It is located between the towns of Manchester and Liverpool. The population of the town grew strongly since 1968, and it became a new town. The history of the area traced its root back to the Roman period. The Romans discovered the town at an important crossing place on the Mersey River, and the Saxons set up the new settlement of the town. Warrington developed as a market town at the lowest bridging point, a place which is crossed by a bridge at its closest point to the sea during the Medieval Period. The town was engaged in the business of textile and wool production in the middle ages.

The town experienced the urbanisation and expansion after the industrialisation took place in historical counties of England and when Mersey was made traversable in the 18^th century. The vital railway corridors in the United Kingdom, West Coast Main Line, runs north to south and the Cheshire Lines connecting the towns of Liverpool and Manchester, runs west to east. The Manchester Ship Canal, 36 miles long inland waterway connecting Manchester to the Irish Sea cuts through the south of the town from west to east. The partial box is created around the town with M6 and M62 motorways. In 1974, with the combination of former County Borough of Warrington, the Lymm Urban District and the Warrington Rural District, the modern borough of Warrington was developed.

History

The early settlement of the town was established at Wilderspool during the Roman Empire. The evidence of Bronze Age settlements had been suggested by the local archaeologists. The town developed at an important crossing point on the Mersey River since the ancient times. The importance of the town grew and emerged as a market town and crossing point of the Mersey River. The early reference to the bridge was first found in 1285. The area around the St Elphin’s church, now covered under the Church Street Conservation Area represent the origin of the modern town.The town played a crucial role in the English Civil War. The old town centre served as a mainstay for the armies of the Earl of Derby and Oliver Cromwell. During the industrial revolution, the town evolved as a manufacturing town and became a centre of textiles, steel, tanning and chemical industries.

The town flourished and became more popular after the construction of canal and improvement in the navigational properties of the Mersey River. The town accepted the introduction of steam in the town and used as a source of power for its mills. The town served as a base for RAF Station Burtonwood and airfield for the largest US Army Air Force during the Second World War, The new town status granted to Warrington in 1968. With the decline of heavy industries between 1970 and 1980, the economy of the town shifted to the light industry and technology. The town was affected by the Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb attacks in the town centre and later on, a bomb attack on a gas storage plant in Warrington.    

Economy

Warrington is home to the Unilever and ESR Technology. The major employers of the town are Warrington Council and Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In 1974, the first shopping centre was opened and covered new bus station and a Debenhams store. During the modernisation of the town centre, Warrington experienced a boost in its customer trade. There are several other shopping malls and large indoor market in the town. Gulliver’s World theme park is located in the town and covers Lilliput Land and the Safari Kingdom.