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==Nature Reserves==
There are three statutory [[Local Nature Reserves]] in the town, Hall Lee Bank Park (off Park Road), Cunningham Clough (off Wearish Lane) and Eatock Lodge (Daisy Hill).


==Demography==
==Demography==

Revision as of 22:04, 7 December 2010

Westhoughton
Westhoughton Town Hall
Population23,056 (2001 Census)
OS grid referenceSD652059
Civil parish
  • Westhoughton
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBOLTON
Postcode districtBL5
Dialling code01942
PoliceGreater Manchester
FireGreater Manchester
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester

Westhoughton (Template:PronEng) is a town and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England.[1] It is 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Bolton, 4 miles (6 km) east of Wigan and 15.5 miles (24.9 km) northwest of Manchester.[2]

Historically a part of Lancashire, Westhoughton was once a centre for mining, cotton-spinning and textile manufacture. However, today it is predominantly a residential town with a total population of 23,056.[3]

As well as the central town area, Westhoughton is made up of several "villages" which have their own distinctive character, sports traditions, amenities including railway stations, these include: Wingates (famous for its Wingates Brass Band), Wimberry Hill - on the A6 Westhoughton to Chorley Road between Wingates and Fourgates Over Hulton, Four Gates (or locally Fourgates), Cooper Turning, Marsh Brook, Hilton House, Chequerbent (which was all but totally destroyed by the building of a motorway), Snydale, Hart Common, Daisy Hill and Dobb Brow.

History

Toponymy

The name Westhoughton is derived from the Old English words "halh" (dialectal "haugh") for a nook or corner of land, and "tun" for a farmstead or settlement - meaning a "westerly settlement in a corner of land". Its name has been spelt various ways, often the "West-" affix was omitted. In 1210 it was spelt as Halcton, 1240 as Westhalcton, 1292 as Westhalghton, 1302 as Westhalton, and in the 16th century as Westhaughton and Westhoughton.[4][5][6] On gravestones at Deane Church in Bolton, Wefthoughton appears around 1650.

The people of Westhoughton are known as "Keawyeds" (cow heads) and the town is known as "Keawyed City". Folklore tells that a farmer found his cow had got its head stuck in a five barred gate and rather than cut the gate he cut the cow's head off, since the cow cost less than the gate.[7]

Civil War

During the English Civil War in 1642, a battle was fought on Westhoughton Common between Lord Derby's Cavalier forces and Parliamentarians. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in 1644.[5] The street named Whitsundale is the site of the Battle of Warcock Hill. Civil War activity is known to have occurred around the site of Hunger Hill. A sword from the time of the Civil War was discovered in the garden of one of the cottages at Pocket Nook in Chew Moor during the 1950s.

Luddites

On the 25 March 1812 a group of Luddites burned Westhoughton Mill, owned by Wray & Duncroff, in one of the first terrorist acts in Britain. Twelve people were arrested on the orders of William Hulton, the High Sheriff of Lancashire.[8][9] Four of them, James Smith, Thomas Kerfoot, John (or Job) Fletcher and Abraham Charlston, were sentenced to death for taking part in the attack. The Charlston family claimed Abraham was only twelve years old but he was not reprieved.[8] They were publicly hanged outside Lancaster Castle on the 13 June 1812.[10] It was reported that Abraham cried for his mother on the scaffold.[9] By this time however, the hanging of those under 18 was rare and for those under 16 in practice abolished.[11] Five others arrested were transported to Australia.[12]

Coal mining

One of the worst coal-mining disasters in the United Kingdom, and the second worst in England happened in Westhoughton. In December 1910, 344 men and boys died at the Pretoria Pit.[13] The Pretoria Pit Disaster was the third worst in British mining history, after the 1866 Barnsley Oaks Disaster in Yorkshire (361 deaths),[14] and the 1913 Senghenydd Colliery Disaster in Glamorgan (439 deaths).[15]

Governance

Until the 19th century, Westhoughton was a chapelry and township in the ecclesiastical parish of Deane, in the Salford hundred of Lancashire. In 1837, Westhoughton joined with other townships (or civil parishes) to form the Bolton Poor Law Union and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law in that area.[16]In 1872, a Local Board of Health was established for the township, and was superseded in 1894 when Westhoughton became an Urban District of the administrative county of Lancashire. In 1898 most of Over Hulton became part of the Urban District.[17] Under the Local Government Act 1972, Westhoughton Urban District was abolished in 1974 and its area became a civil parish of the newly created Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester.[18]

Westhoughton has six councillors who are elected in two borough wards - Westhoughton North & Chew Moor ward and Westhoughton South ward - and they represent the area on the metropolitan borough council of Bolton.[19]

Westhoughton civil parish, with town council status, has eighteen town councillors who are elected in six town council wards - Central, Chequerbent, Daisy Hill, Hoskers & Hart Common, White Horse, and Wingates.[20] Each year, Westhoughton Town Council elects a Town Mayor who as the town's First Citizen represents it at functions and events.

Parliamentary representation

For many years the Westhoughton constituency represented the town until it was abolished in 1983.

Geography

Westhoughton covered an area of 4,341 acres (17.57 km2) and had an average breadth of over 2 miles (3.2 km) from north-east to south-west, and an extreme length of nearly 3½ miles from northwest to south-east. The highest ground at over 480 feet (150 m) is to the north east with the land sloping downwards to the south-west. The lowest point at about 120 feet (37 m) is in the extreme southerly corner. Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from Hindley joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh to Glazebrook.[5]


Nature Reserves

There are three statutory Local Nature Reserves in the town, Hall Lee Bank Park (off Park Road), Cunningham Clough (off Wearish Lane) and Eatock Lodge (Daisy Hill).

Demography

Census population of the chapelry/civil parish of Westhoughton
Year 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891
Population
3,059
3,810
4,211
4,500
4,527
4,547
5,156
6,609
9,197
11,077
Sources: (a) Pauline Tatton: Local population statistics.[21] (b) Westhoughton USD: Total Population.[22]
Cenus population of the urban district of Westhoughton
Year 1901 1911 1921 1931 1939 † 1951 1961 1971
Population
14,377
15,046
15,592
16,018
14,636
15,004
16,260
17,761
Source: Westhoughton UD: Total Population.[23]

† The 1939 population is estimated from the National Registration Act figures.[24] The 1941 census did not take place because of the Second World War.

Education

See also: List of schools in Greater Manchester
School Type/Status Ofsted Website
Eatock Primary School, Daisy Hill Primary 105202 Official site
Sacred Heart R.C. Primary School Primary 105243 Official site
St George's C.E. Primary School Primary 131038 Official site
St James C.E. Primary School, Daisy Hill Primary 105209 Official site
St Thomas' C.E. School, Chequerbent Primary 105234 Official site
The Gates Primary School Primary 133926 Official site
Washacre Primary School Primary 105199
Westhoughton Parochial C.E. Primary School Primary 105237
Westhoughton Primary School Primary 105180 Official site
Westhoughton High School Secondary & Sixth form 105252 Official site

The long established St John's, Wingates CE Primary & Fourgates County Primary schools were closed in 2004 following amalgamation to form The Gates CP School. Westhoughton CP School closed in 2008. An earlier round of reorganisation saw the closure of Hart Common Primary School and opening of St George's on The Hoskers.

Religion

St. Bartholomew's Parish Church.

In 1870, St. Bartholomew's Parish Church was completed. Its east window depicted the Twelve Apostles. On the Wednesday before Advent Sunday, 28 November 1990, the church was gutted by fire, but the tower was saved.[25] A new church designed by architects Dane, Ashworth & Cottam was built by Laing North with Bradshaw Gass & Hope as project managers and structural engineers It cost approximately £1 million.[26]

The new church was consecrated on 28 October 1995. A procession from the top of Wingates into the church grounds preceded the Right Reverend Christopher Mayfield, Bishop of Manchester, entering and blessing the doorway.[27] The new church had a new organ. 'Nicholsons' of Malvern built the new two manual organ with 1,256 pipes, ranging from 1/2 inch to 16 feet (4.9 m). The pipes are constructed of tin, spotted metal and hammered lead.[28]

Transport

Roads

Westhoughton is located south of junction 5 of the M61 motorway. The main roads which cross the town are the A58 (Park Road/Cricketers Way/Wigan Road), and the A6 (Manchester Road/Chorley Road). The secondary roads are the B5236 (Church Street), the B5235 (Bolton Road/Mill Street/Leigh Road), and the B5239 (Dicconson Lane). The A58 was named Cricketers Way after local schoolgirl Michelle Gilmore won a competition to name the new road.

Railways and trams

There are two railway stations in the town. Westhoughton railway station on Church Street, and Daisy Hill railway station on Leigh Road. Both stations are served by Northern Rail and run between Southport and Manchester via Wigan Wallgate- trains from Westhoughton to Manchester Piccadilly run via Bolton, trains from Daisy Hill to Manchester Victoria run via Atherton. In the past there were stations at Chequerbent (closed 1952)[29] and Hilton House (closed 1956), that area now served by Horwich Parkway railway station. Westhoughton was served by electric trams (to Bolton) until 1947.

In the late 1980s a third station at Dobb Brow was planned and the proposed station appeared on railway maps as may open during the course of this timetable, but theplans were shelved.[30] Lostock and Horwich Parkway railway stations, on the fringes of the north of Westhoughton, also serve the town.

The total usage of the town's two stations (Daisy Hill and Westhoughton) at well over a quarter of a million passengers is greater than that of the stations of many towns in the United Kingdom.[31] especially impressive considering the population is 23,000.

The fastest way to reach London is by changing at Wigan (from Wigan North Western to Wigan Wallgate - just 100 yards) from Daisy Hill & Westhoughton or alternatively by changing at Manchester Piccadilly (for Westhoughton). These two routes give a service of at least three per hour to London on weekdays and a journey time of around three hours. By one change of trains, at Wigan or Manchester, Westhoughton is linked to most of the United Kingdom.

Buses

Given the success of the town's railway stations, bus services have suffered over the years (for example, the long running service 37/38 service to Manchester - in passing, the last major Greater Manchester bus service to have conductors - was finally withdrawn).Westhoughton however is still served by several bus services, linking the town with Bolton, Wigan and Leigh. The most frequent service is the 540 between Bolton and Wigan. The service is run by First Manchester and operates every 10 minutes during the day, Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays. There are additional journeys run by Arriva between Bolton and Daisy Hill. Other bus services in Westhoughton are the 38 Daisy Hill - Walkden (peak mornings only), 516 Leigh - Horwich (Evenings only), 521 Blackrod - Little Lever, 559 Bolton - Hindley (much reduced in recent years) , 615 Leigh - Wigan and 715 Bolton - Wigan.

Notable residents

See also: List of people from Bolton

References

  1. ^ "Greater Manchester Gazetteer". Greater Manchester County Record Office. Place Names T to W. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  2. ^ AA Route Planner. URL accessed 29 May 2007.
  3. ^ Neighbourhood Statistics - Westhoughton CP (Parish). URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  4. ^ Gazetteer of Greater Manchester Placenames - Westhoughton. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  5. ^ a b c Farrer, William; Brownbill, J, eds. (1911), "Westhoughton", A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5, British History Online, pp. 20–25, retrieved 2010-08-31
  6. ^ Billington, W.D. (1982). From Affetside to Yarrow : Bolton place names and their history, Ross Anderson Publications (ISBN 0-86360-003-4).
  7. ^ Trouble at' Mill - Keawyed City. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  8. ^ a b Spatacus schoolnet - The Luddites. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  9. ^ a b Cotton Times - Luddites: War against the machines - Page 2. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  10. ^ Capital Punishment U.K. - Public executions 1800–1827. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  11. ^ The execution of children and juveniles. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  12. ^ Westhoughton Calendar of Events. Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  13. ^ The Pretoria Pit Disaster. Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  14. ^ The Barnsley Oaks Colliery. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  15. ^ The Senghenydd Coal Mining Disaster. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  16. ^ Workhouse, workhouses.org.uk, retrieved 2010-11-28
  17. ^ Westhoughton UD: Historical Boundaries. Vision of Britain. URL accessed 26 February 2008.
  18. ^ "Greater Manchester Gazetteer". Greater Manchester County Record Office. Place Names T to W. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
  19. ^ Bolton Metropolitan Borough Councillors. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  20. ^ Town Council Election Results 2007 - Blackrod, Horwich, and Westhoughton. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  21. ^ Pauline Tatton, Local population statistics 1801–1986, Bolton Central Library Archives, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton, BL1 1SE.
  22. ^ Westhoughton USD: Total Population. Vision of Britain. URL accessed 22 May 2007.
  23. ^ Westhoughton UD: Total Population. Vision of Britain.URL accessed 26 February 2008.
  24. ^ National Registration Act, 1939. Rootsweb.com. URL accessed 8 June 2007.
  25. ^ St Bartholomew's Church, Westhoughton (Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerk Project). URL accessed 26 October 2006.
  26. ^ Bradshaw Gass & Hope website. URL accessed 26 October 2007.
  27. ^ Blessing for church that's risen from ashes. The Bolton Evening News, dated 30 October 1995.
  28. ^ Nicholsons of Malvern - portfolio. URL accessed 26 October 2006.
  29. ^ Subterranea Britannica: SB-Sites: Chequerbent Station (2nd site).
  30. ^ Top Priority On The Trains. The Bolton Evening News, published 28 October 2000.
  31. ^ Network Rail. (see Network Rail figures).
  32. ^ Internet Movie Database - Robert Shaw. URL accessed 27 May 2007.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Westhoughton&oldid=401132555"