85-561: Sankey Valley Park is a public park in Warrington , Cheshire. It occupies part of the Sankey Valley and the main park itself covers over 1½ miles between Sankey Bridges in the south and Callands in the north. The valley follows the course of Sankey Brook and the now disused Sankey Canal . The park is enjoyed by walkers, cyclists and anglers and the central section of the park is family orientated with children's play features,
170-550: A bridge at Warrington is found in 1285. The origin of the modern town was located in the area around St Elphin's Church , now included in the Church Street Conservation Area , established whilst the main river crossing was via a ford approximately 1 km upriver of Warrington Bridge . Warrington was the first paved town in Lancashire, which took place in 1321. Warrington was a fulcrum in
255-412: A campaign to reconcile communities in conflict. The centre opened on the seventh anniversary of the bombing, 20 March 2000. He and his family still live in the town. In 1981, Warrington was the first place to field a candidate for the new Social Democratic Party : former Home Secretary Roy Jenkins stood for Parliament but lost to Labour Party candidate Doug Hoyle by a small number of votes. There
340-776: A far more extensive white wing patch than the great spotted woodpecker. The Sind woodpecker is very similar to the Syrian species, and can be distinguished from great spotted woodpecker in the same way. Adult great spotted woodpeckers have a complete moult after the breeding season which takes about 120 days. Northern D. m. major starts its moult from mid-June to late July and finishes in October or November, temperate races like D. m. pinetorum are earlier, commencing in early June to mid-July and completing in mid-September to late October, and southern D. m. hispanicus starts late May or June and finishes as early as August. Juveniles have
425-430: A further 36 languages were recorded spoken by more than 0.01% of Warrington's population aged 3 and over in the 2011 census. Those spoken by more than 0.1% were Polish (0.88%), Slovak (0.21%), Urdu (0.14%), Latvian (0.12%) Non Mandarin or Cantonese Chinese (0.12%) and Tagalog / Filipino (0.11%). There are around 100 churches or other Christian communities, two mosques, and a Sikh temple Guru Nanak Gurdwara which
510-409: A maze and lawned areas. Bewsey Old Hall sits on the edge of the central section of the park. The Trans Pennine Trail passes around 500 yards (460 m) from the southern tip of the park. Sankey Valley follows the course of England's first canal, Sankey Canal , and stretches for 15 miles (24 km) from St Helens through Warrington to Widnes . The canal was opened in 1757 to carry coal from
595-401: A partial moult, retaining some of the wing coverts but replacing body, tail and primary feathers. This moult to near-adult plumage starts from late May to early August and finishes from mid-September to late November, timing varying with latitude as with the adults. The call of the great spotted woodpecker is a sharp kik , which may be repeated as a wooden rattling krrarraarr if the bird
680-410: A prop against the trunk. In most birds the bones of the tail diminish in size towards its end, but this does not occur in woodpeckers, and the final vertebra , the pygostyle , is very large to anchor the strong tail muscles. The hammering of woodpeckers when drumming or feeding creates great forces which are potentially damaging to the birds. In the great spotted woodpecker and most of its relatives,
765-454: A substantial rise began in 2008 due to the recession . 2.3% of the population are students in full-time higher education. 31.1% of the total population are economically inactive (due to retirement, ill health, or full-time carer status). According to borough statistics, of the population (in the Borough of Warrington in 2005). 26.9% are unqualified (either due to leaving school early or failing
850-660: A temperate maritime climate with warm summers and cool winters. Rain is spread across the year, with thunderstorms only usually occurring in the summer months. Summer heat waves are rare but can cause temperatures to exceed 30 °C. Summers are usually snow free and rarely experience high winds. Winters are generally cold, with most days around 0 °C . Moreover, during occasional lengthy cold snaps, night-time temperatures have been known to fall to −12 °C with lying snow lasting for weeks. Ground frost regularly occurs from late October until late March. High winds are common in winter, although rarely above gale force 7. Warrington
935-605: A tendency to wander some distance from where they were hatched, often as far as 100–600 km (60–400 mi), sometimes up to 3,000 km (1,900 mi). Vagrants have reached the Faroe Islands , Hong Kong and Iceland, and there are several sightings from North America in at least the Aleutian Islands , Pribilof Islands and Alaska . Due to deforestation, this woodpecker was extirpated in Ireland in
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#17327800390521020-427: A tree trunk. The species feeds at all levels of a tree, usually alone, but sometimes as a pair. It will use an "anvil" on which to hammer hard items, particularly pine, spruce, and larch cones, but also fruit, nuts, and hard-bodied insects. Easily accessible items are picked off the tree surface or from fissures in the bark, but larvae are extracted by chiselling holes up to 10 cm (3.9 in) deep and trapping
1105-410: A variety of foods, being capable of extracting seeds from pine cones, insect larvae from inside trees or eggs and chicks of other birds from their nests. It breeds in holes excavated in living or dead trees, unlined apart from wood chips. The typical clutch is four to six glossy white eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs, feed the chicks, and keep the nest clean. When the young fledge they are fed by
1190-507: Is omnivorous . It digs beetle larvae from trees and also takes many other invertebrates including adult beetles, ants and spiders. The bird also digs for Lepidoptera larvae like Acronicta rumicis . Crustaceans , molluscs and carrion may be eaten, and bird feeders are visited for seeds, suet and domestic scraps. The nests of other cavity-nesting birds, such as tits , may be raided for their eggs and chicks; nest boxes may be similarly attacked, holes being pecked to admit entrance by
1275-434: Is 16 miles (26 km) east of Liverpool and 16 miles (26 km) west of Manchester . The population in 2021 was recorded as 174,970 for the built-up area and 210,900 for the wider borough, the latter being more than double that of 1968 when it became a new town . The population of Warrington stood at 211,200 people as of 22 April 2024. Warrington is the largest town in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. Warrington
1360-417: Is 20–24 cm (7.9–9.4 in) long, weighs 70–98 g (2.5–3.5 oz) and has a 34–39 cm (13–15 in) wingspan. The upperparts are glossy blue-black, with white on the sides of the face and neck. Black lines run from the shoulder to the nape, the base of the bill and about halfway across the breast. There is a large white shoulder patch and the flight feathers are barred with black and white, as
1445-423: Is 25–35 cm (9.8–13.8 in) deep with an entrance hole 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) wide. It is excavated by both sexes, the male doing most of the chiselling. As with other woodpeckers, the hole is unlined, although wood chips from the excavation may cover the base of the cavity. Trees chosen for nest holes have soft heartwood and tough sapwood , the former often due to parasites or diseases that weaken
1530-611: Is a large Unilever factory in Warrington where powder detergents are made. In January 2020, Unilever put the plant under review owing to a fall in demand for washing powder compared with other forms of detergent. Warrington Council and Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are major employers in the borough. ESR Technology 's main operations are located at Warrington. In spite of its proximity to significant retail areas in Manchester , Liverpool, Chester and
1615-470: Is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found across the Palearctic including parts of North Africa. Across most of its range it is resident , but in the north some will migrate if the conifer cone crop fails. Some individuals have a tendency to wander, leading to
1700-636: Is available for day fishing. Mary Ann's, Brownlees and Whitegate ponds are leased to Penketh and Old Hall Angling Club for members' fishing. Canoeing is permitted on the Sankey Canal. An array of wildlife can be found in the park. Diurnal creatures include squirrels , swans , butterflies and woodland birds . Nocturnal inhabitants include foxes, owls , mice, hedgehogs and bats . More rarely seen species such as stoats and weasels , treecreepers , great spotted woodpeckers , kingfishers , water voles and reed bunting have all been spotted in
1785-564: Is disturbed. The courtship call, gwig , is mostly given in the display flight. Drumming on dead trees and branches, and sometimes suitable man-made structures, serves to maintain contact between paired adults and to advertise ownership of territory. Both sexes drum, although the male does so much more often, mostly from mid-January until the young are fledged. The far-carrying drumming is faster than for any other woodpecker in its range at around 10–16 strikes per second, typically in one-second bursts, although repeated frequently. As late as
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#17327800390521870-438: Is four to six glossy white eggs that measure 27 mm × 20 mm (1.06 in × 0.79 in) and weigh about 5.7 g (0.20 oz), of which 7% is shell. They are laid from mid-April to June, the later dates being for birds breeding in the north of the range or at altitude. The eggs are incubated by either adult during the day and by the male at night, for 10–12 days before hatching. Both birds brood and feed
1955-512: Is from Latin maior , "greater". Recognised subspecies vary by author from as few as 14 to nearly 30. This is largely because changes are clinal with many intermediate forms. However, mitochondrial DNA data suggests that the Caspian Sea region's Dendrocopos major poelzami , Japanese D. m. japonicus and Chinese D. m. cabanisi may all merit full species status. Despite its distinctive appearance, D. m. canariensis from Tenerife in
2040-610: Is from the Old English word tun meaning "fenced area" or "enclosure." Warrington has been a major crossing point on the River Mersey since ancient times and there was a Roman settlement at Wilderspool . Local archaeological evidence indicates that there were also Bronze Age settlements. In medieval times Warrington's importance was as a market town and bridging point of the River Mersey. The first reference to
2125-499: Is the only Sikh place of worship in Cheshire. The most multicultural parts of Warrington are in the town centre, as well as the western and north western suburbs, such as Bewsey and Westbrook. In 2011, the town was 92.9% White British , 2.3% other White, 2.4% Asian and 0.3% Black. At the 2011 census, the borough of Warrington had 85,100 households. From 2001 data (80,593 households), 76% were owner occupied, 17.6% were rented from
2210-406: Is the tail. The underparts are white other than a scarlet lower belly and undertail. The bill is slate-black, the legs greenish-grey and the eye is deep red. Males have a crimson patch on the nape, which is absent from the otherwise similar females. Juvenile birds are less glossy than adults and have a brown tinge to their upperparts and dirty white underparts. Their markings are less well-defined than
2295-522: Is within a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties, and is in place to reduce urban sprawl , prevent the towns in the nearby Manchester and Merseyside conurbations from further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, encourage brownfield reuse, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building. The main urban area and larger villages of
2380-694: The Canary Islands appears to be closely related to the nominate subspecies D. m. major . The fossil subspecies D. m. submajor lived during the Middle Pleistocene Riss glaciation (250,000 to 300,000 years ago) when it was found in Europe south of the ice sheet . It is sometimes treated as a distinct species, but did not differ significantly from the extant great spotted woodpecker, whose European subspecies are probably its direct descendants. An adult great spotted woodpecker
2465-627: The Domesday Book in AD 1086 named it as "Wallintun". The root is likely the Old English word waru – meaning "those that care for, watch, guard, protect, or defend." The suffix -ing is a cognate of inge, an ethnonym for the Ingaevones said variously to mean "of Yngvi ," "family, people or followers of" or a genitive plural form of an inhabitant appellation. The suffix "ton"
2550-593: The English Civil War . The armies of Oliver Cromwell and the Earl of Derby both stayed near the old town centre (the parish church area). Popular legend has it that Cromwell lodged near the building which survives on Church Street as the Cottage Restaurant. The Marquis of Granby public house bears a plaque stating that the Earl of Derby 'had his quarters near this site'. Dents in the walls of
2635-575: The GIs . The RAF station continued to be used by the USAAF and subsequently USAF as a staging post for men and material until its closure in 1993. Warrington was designated a new town in 1968 and consequently the population grew in size, with many of the town's new residents moving from Liverpool or Manchester , with the Birchwood area being developed on the former ROF Risley site. New council housing
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2720-461: The Mersey Forest project, and Sow Brook. Based on ONS statistics At the 2011 census, Warrington had a total population of 202,200, of which 49.6% are male and 50.4% are female. The average age of the population is 38.06 years, which is slightly below the regional and national averages. In 2018 it was estimated that the current population of Warrington is 209,500. In addition to English,
2805-534: The Redcliffe-Maud Report suggested merging Warrington with either Merseyside or Greater Manchester metropolitan counties . Lobbying by the borough council averted this. But, since these county boundary changes were to make Warrington non-contiguous with Lancashire, under the local government reforms of 1974, Warrington, incorporating Lymm Urban District and part of Runcorn Rural District from Cheshire, and part of Warrington Rural District ,
2890-451: The altricial naked chicks and keep the nest clean. The young fledge in 20–23 days from hatching. Each parent then takes responsibility for feeding part of the brood for about ten days, during which time they normally remain close to the nest tree. There is only one brood per year. The survival rates for adults and young are unknown, as is the average lifespan, but the maximum known age is just over 11 years. The great spotted woodpecker
2975-460: The northern goshawk hunt the great spotted woodpecker. This woodpecker is a host of the blood-feeding fly Carnus hemapterus , and its internal parasites may include the spiny-headed worm Prosthorhynchus transversus . Protozoans also occur, including the potentially fatal Toxoplasma gondii , which causes toxoplasmosis . The great spotted woodpecker is the favoured host of the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis . The total population for
3060-534: The tree line , up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in Europe, 2,200 m (7,200 ft) in Morocco and 2,500 m (8,200 ft) in Central Asia . The great spotted woodpecker is mainly resident year-round, but sizeable movements can occur when there are shortages of pine and spruce cones in the north of the range. Highland populations often descend to lower altitudes in winter. Juveniles also have
3145-630: The wrynecks , the piculets and the true woodpeckers, Picinae . The largest of the five tribes within the Picinae is Melanerpini, the pied woodpeckers, a group which includes the great spotted woodpecker. Within the genus Dendrocopos the great spotted woodpecker's closest relatives are the Himalayan , Sind , Syrian , white-winged woodpeckers and the Darjeeling woodpecker . The great spotted woodpecker has been recorded as hybridising with
3230-832: The Canary Islands are similar to the Iberian race but have contrasting white flanks. In Morocco, D. m. mauritanus is pale below with red in the centre of its breast, and birds breeding at higher altitudes are larger and darker than those lower in the hills. D. m. numidus in Algeria and Tunisia is very distinctive, with a breast band of red-tipped black feathers. Caspian D. m. poelzami is small, relatively long-billed and has brown underparts. D. m. japonicus of Japan has less white on its shoulders but more in its wings. The two Chinese forms, D. m. cabanisi and D. m. stresemanni , have brownish heads and underparts, and often some red on
3315-590: The Great Sankey area, died five days later in hospital. Around 56 other people were injured, four seriously. Their deaths provoked widespread condemnation of the organisation responsible. The blast followed a bomb attack a few weeks earlier on a gas-storage plant in Warrington. Tim Parry's father, Colin Parry, founded The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace (known as the Peace Centre) as part of
3400-515: The Hall include a farmhouse and kitchen, dating from the 18th century and 19th century with earlier foundations. The original 14th-century moat only partly holds water today. The park is largely linear, following a stretch of Sankey Brook and the old Sankey Canal . In several places the park opens up into open, lawned areas and features such as a hedge maze , a meadow, mature woodland and a wetland nature reserve. One main asphalt footpath stretches
3485-565: The Industrial Revolution, particularly after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. As Britain became industrialised, Warrington embraced the Industrial Revolution becoming a manufacturing town and a centre of steel (particularly wire), textiles, brewing, tanning and chemical industries. The navigational properties of the River Mersey were improved, canals were built, and the town grew yet more prosperous and popular. When
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3570-464: The May 2024 election, and a recent defection the political makeup of the borough council was as follows: 41 Labour councillors, 12 Liberal Democrats, 4 Independents and 1 Conservative. The Borough of Warrington contains 18 parish councils , although the central area is unparished. These are: The Borough of Warrington is bordered by Halton , Cheshire West and Chester , and Cheshire East boroughs in
3655-600: The Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. The West Coast Main Line runs north to south through the town, and the Liverpool to Manchester railway (the Cheshire Lines route) west to east. The Manchester Ship Canal cuts through the south of the borough (west to east). The M6 , M56 and M62 motorways form a partial box around the town and are all accessible through Warrington. The modern Borough of Warrington
3740-503: The Mersey was transferred from Cheshire to Lancashire. The borough boundaries were subsequently enlarged on several occasions, notably in 1890, 1933 and 1954. The town had its own police force from 1847 to 1969. Warrington acquired county borough status upon reaching a population of 50,000 in 1900 and until 1974 was known as the County Borough of Warrington . As part of proposed local government reforms of England, in 1969
3825-542: The Peace Centre as a "City for Peace". At Westminster , Warrington is represented by two MPs : Charlotte Nichols represents Warrington North , and Sarah Hall represents Warrington South . Both are Labour MPs. The current borders of Warrington Borough cover the former County Borough of Warrington, Lymm Urban District, Warrington Rural District and part of Golborne Urban District, part of Runcorn Rural District and part of Whiston Rural District . After
3910-503: The Syrian woodpecker. The great spotted woodpecker was described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Picus major . It was moved to its current genus, Dendrocopos , by the German naturalist Carl Ludwig Koch in 1816. The genus name Dendrocopos is a combination of the Greek words dendron , "tree", and kopos , "striking". The specific major
3995-412: The Warrington township were excluded from the borough, whereas the built-up parts of Latchford on the south bank of the Mersey in Cheshire were included within the borough. From 1847 until 1889 the borough straddled Lancashire and Cheshire. In 1889 boroughs which straddled county boundaries were placed entirely in the county which had the majority of the population, and so the part of the borough south of
4080-693: The adult's and the lower belly is pink rather than red. The crown of the juvenile's head is red, less extensively in young females than males. The various subspecies differ in plumage, the general pattern being that northern forms are larger, heavier-billed and whiter beneath, as predicted by Bergmann's rule , so north Eurasian D. m. major and D. m. kamtschaticus are large and strikingly white, whereas D. m. hispanicus in Iberia and D. m. harterti in Corsica and Sardinia are somewhat smaller and have darker underparts. D. m. canariensis and D. m. thanneri in
4165-592: The adults for about ten days, each parent taking responsibility for feeding part of the brood. The species is closely related to some other members of its genus. It has a number of subspecies , some of which are distinctive enough to be potential new species. It has a huge range and large population, with no widespread threats, so it is classed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Woodpeckers are an ancient bird family consisting of three subfamilies,
4250-562: The age of steam came, Warrington naturally welcomed it, both as a means of transport and as a source of power for its mills. Warrington was the location of the Burtonwood RAF base and Risley Ordnance Factory . During World War II , RAF Burtonwood served as the largest US Army Air Force airfield outside the United States, and was visited by major American celebrities including Humphrey Bogart and Bob Hope who entertained
4335-410: The area. The borough of Warrington is a unitary authority , with Warrington Borough Council providing both district-level and county-level functions. The central part of the modern borough, corresponding to the pre-1974 borough boundaries, is an unparished area ; the rest of the borough is covered by civil parishes , which form a second tier of local government for their areas. Warrington
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#17327800390524420-601: The autumn leaf falls. A variety of water plants, animals and birds can be seen on or around the park's many ponds, Sankey Brook, the Wetland Nature Reserve or the Canal. Warrington Warrington ( / ˈ w ɒr ɪ ŋ t ən / ) is an industrial town in the borough of the same name in Cheshire , England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was historically part of Lancashire . It
4505-426: The borough are exempt from the green belt area, but surrounding smaller villages, hamlets and rural areas such as Rixton, Glazebrook, Higher Walton, Kenyon, Stretton, Hatton, Broomedge are 'washed over' with the designation. The green belt was first drawn up in 1977 under Cheshire County Council , and the size in the borough in 2017 amounted to 11,500 hectares (115 km ; 44 sq mi). A subsidiary aim of
4590-453: The breast. Both races have increasingly dark underparts towards the south of their respective ranges. Some other species in its genus are similar to the great spotted woodpecker. The Syrian woodpecker lacks its relative's black cheek bar and has whiter underparts and paler red underparts, although juvenile great spotted woodpeckers often have an incomplete cheek bar, so can potentially be misidentified as Syrian. The white-winged woodpecker has
4675-1157: The ceremonial county of Cheshire and by the metropolitan boroughs of Trafford , Salford and Wigan in Greater Manchester and St. Helens in Merseyside. The Borough of Warrington has 18 civil parishes . The town centre and the area around it are unparished. Appleton , Birchwood , Burtonwood and Westbrook , Croft , Cuerdley , Culcheth and Glazebury , Grappenhall and Thelwall , Great Sankey , Hatton , Lymm , Penketh , Poulton-with-Fearnhead (includes Padgate ), Rixton-with-Glazebrook , Stockton Heath , Stretton , Walton , Winwick , Woolston (includes Martinscroft and Paddington ) Appleton Thorn , Bewsey , Blackbrook , Bruche , Callands , Chapelford, Cinnamon Brow , Cobbs, Dallam , Fairfield, Gemini, Gorse Covert , Grange, Hermitage Green , Hollins Green , Hood Manor, Howley, Hulme, Kenyon , Latchford , Locking Stumps , Longford , Old Hall, Omega , Orford , Risley , Sankey Bridges , Westbrook , Westy , Whitecross, Wilderspool , Wright's Green Warrington has
4760-491: The council, 4.8% were rented from other sources and 1.6% of houses had residents who lived rent free. Warrington has a population density of 10.7 residents per hectare, and 31.9% of residents describe the borough as a comfortably well-off area. 4.3% of households are deemed overcrowded. Of the total population, 5.8% of residents are on some form of benefits. At 2005, the borough of Warrington had 63.6% employment, with only 2.9% of all economically active people unemployed – although
4845-591: The early twentieth century it was thought that the drumming might be a vocalisation, and it was not until 1943 that it was finally proved to be purely mechanical. The species ranges across Eurasia from Ireland to Japan, and in North Africa from Morocco to Tunisia; it is absent only from those areas too cold or dry to have suitable woodland habitat. It is found in a wide variety of woodlands, broadleaf , coniferous or mixed, and in modified habitats like parks, gardens and olive groves. It occurs from sea level to
4930-443: The end of school examinations). 46.4% have level 1 or 2 qualifications (level 1 being 1+ GCSE (A*-G) or "O" Level or equivalent, level 2 being 5+ GCSEs (grades A-C), 1+'A' levels/ AS levels (A-E) or equivalent). 19.7% have received level 3+ qualifications (meaning 2+ A-levels (A-E), 4+ AS-levels (A-E) or equivalent minimum). This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Halton and Warrington at current basic prices. There
5015-465: The great spotted woodpecker is estimated at 73.7–110.3 million individuals, with 35% of the population in Europe. The breeding range is estimated as 57.8 million square kilometres (22.3 million sq mi), and the population is considered overall to be large and apparently stable or slightly increasing, especially in Britain, where the population has recently overspilled into Ireland. For this reason
5100-610: The great spotted woodpecker is evaluated as a species of least concern by the IUCN . Breeding densities have been recorded as between 0.1 and 6.6 pairs/10 ha (0.04–2.7 pairs/10 acres), with the greatest densities in mature forest growing on alluvium . Numbers have increased in Europe due to the planting of forests, which provides breeding habitat, and more available dead wood, and this species has profited from its flexibility with regard to types of woodland and its ability to thrive in proximity to humans. Harsh winters are
5185-493: The green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests, with rural landscape features and facilities including Walton Hall gardens with zoo and bicycle museum, St Oswald's Church and well, the River Mersey with valley and trail, River Bollin , Manchester Ship Canal , Bridgewater Canal , Appleton Reservoir, numerous playing fields, parks and golf clubs, Cuerdley and Norton marshes, the Trans Pennine Trail ,
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#17327800390525270-402: The hinge where the front of the skull connects with the upper mandible is folded inwards, tensioned by a muscle that braces it against the shock of the impact when the bill is hammering on hard wood. The outer layer of the upper mandible is significantly longer than the more rigid lower mandible and absorbs much of the concussive force. Skeletal adaptations and strengthening also help to absorb
5355-516: The length of the park whilst several narrower paths split from the main path in the wider spaces of the park. The central section of the park is family orientated with children's play features and picnic areas. A ranger service operated by Warrington Borough Council used to patrol the park, but this has since been disbanded. Angling is permitted in certain parts of the park; for Stanners Pool and St Helens Canal fishing rights are reserved for Dallam and District Community Angling Group. The Sankey Canal
5440-562: The local authorities of Warrington , St Helens and Halton along with the Sankey Canal Restoration Society , are developing the Sankey Canal Trail as a 15-mile (24 km) greenway either side of the park, whilst working towards the restoration of a navigation route. On the western side of the park lies Bewsey Old Hall . Before the Hall was built, a monastic grange existed on the site. A hall
5525-460: The male, a behaviour which attracts females. Pairs are monogamous during the breeding period, but often change partners before the next season. Sexual maturity is attained at an age of one year; courtship behaviour commences in the following December. The male has a fluttering flight display with shallow wingbeats and a spread tail. He calls in flight and may land at a prospective nest-site. The female may initiate mating and will occasionally mount
5610-438: The male, this reverse mounting typically preceding normal copulation. The pair excavate a new hole at least 0.3 m (1 ft) above the ground and usually lower than 8 m (26 ft), although sometimes much higher. The chosen site is normally a tree, alive or dead, occasionally a utility pole or nest box . Old holes are rarely re-used, although the same tree may be used for nesting for several years. The nest cavity
5695-527: The mines around the St Helens area to the markets of Liverpool and Cheshire, it pioneered the canal age. The canal was responsible for shaping the valley, its environment and development from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. With the advent of the railways began the long decline of the canals but the stretch of the Sankey canal that now occupies Sankey Valley Park remained open until 1963. Today
5780-557: The out-of-town Trafford Centre , Warrington continues to have one of the larger shopping centres in North West England . Despite the competition, Warrington has seen an increase in its customer trade, due in part to the modernisation of the town centre. It has a shopping centre (Golden Square) first opened in 1974, which has been extended to include a Primark store, and a new bus station. Great spotted woodpecker The great spotted woodpecker ( Dendrocopos major )
5865-463: The parish church are rumoured to have been caused by the cannons from the time of the civil war. On 13 August 1651 Warrington was the scene of the last Royalist victory of the civil war when Scots troops under Charles II and David Leslie, Lord Newark , fought Parliamentarians under John Lambert at the Battle of Warrington Bridge . The expansion and urbanisation of Warrington largely coincided with
5950-434: The parish of Grappenhall in Cheshire. In 1813 improvement commissioners were appointed for the township of Warrington, being the town's first form of urban local government; prior to that the town was governed by its vestry and manorial courts . The town was incorporated as a municipal borough by a royal charter dated 3 April 1847. The borough boundaries differed from the township in some areas: more rural parts of
6035-653: The park. Amphibians populating the park include common frogs , common toads and smooth newts . In late spring, orchids can be found in the meadow, whilst a wealth of butterflies visit during the summer. Most of the mature woodlands within the Valley are owned by the Woodland Trust who safeguard woods within the landscape, protect habitats for the benefit of wildlife and encourage public access and enjoyment. The woods are particularly picturesque around spring, when an assortment of wild flowers can be seen, and during
6120-526: The recolonisation of Ireland in the first decade of the 21st century and to vagrancy to North America. Great spotted woodpeckers chisel into trees to find food or excavate nest holes, and also drum for contact and territorial advertisement; like other woodpeckers, they have anatomical adaptations to manage the physical stresses from the hammering action. This species is similar to the Syrian woodpecker . This woodpecker occurs in all types of woodlands and eats
6205-604: The seventeenth century, but the island has been naturally recolonised, with the first proven nesting in County Down in 2007. Its expansion in range is continuing, with breeding proven or suspected in at least 10 counties by 2013, with the main concentration in Down and County Wicklow . Genetic evidence shows the birds to be of British, rather than Scandinavian, ancestry, with the populations in Ireland and Northern Ireland having separate origins. The great spotted woodpecker
6290-474: The shock, and narrow nostrils protect against flying debris. As well as using holes for breeding, great spotted woodpeckers roost at night, and sometimes during the day, in old nest cavities, excavated by other woodpeckers. They will occasionally make a new roosting hole or use an artificial site such as a nest box. Great spotted woodpeckers are strongly territorial, typically occupying areas of about 5 ha (12 acres) year-round, which are defended mainly by
6375-474: The soft insect with the tongue, which can extend to 40 mm (1.6 in) beyond the bill, and is covered with bristles and sticky saliva to trap the prey. The woodpecker is able to extend its tongue so far because the hyoid bone to which it is attached has long flexible "horns" that wind around the skull and can move forward when required. Woodland birds of prey such as the Eurasian sparrowhawk and
6460-509: The tree's core. It is not certain how suitable trees are selected, although it may be by drumming, since woods with differing elastic modulus and density may transmit sound at different speeds . A Japanese study found nests in trees from many families; these included grey alder , Japanese white birch , Japanese hop-hornbeam , Japanese tree lilac , willows , Japanese larch and Sargent's cherry . The Mongolian oak and prickly castor-oil tree were rarely if ever used. The typical clutch
6545-420: The woodpecker where necessary. House martin colonies can be destroyed in repeated visits. Fat-rich plant products such as nuts and conifer seeds are particularly important as winter food in the north of the woodpecker's range, and can then supply more than 30% of the bird's energy requirements. Other plant items consumed include buds, berries and tree sap, the latter obtained by drilling rings of holes around
6630-623: Was a RAF training camp at Padgate , a Royal Naval air base at Appleton Thorn ( RNAS Stretton ) and an army base at the Peninsula Barracks in O'Leary Street. The Territorial Army was based at the Bath Street drill hall until they moved to Peninsula Barracks. In October 1987, Swedish home products retailer IKEA opened its first British store in the Burtonwood area of the town, bringing more than 200 retail jobs to
6715-452: Was also found to have been nesting in the Isle of Man from 2009, and breeding from 2010. The great spotted woodpecker spends much of its time climbing trees, and has adaptations to this lifestyle, many of which are shared by other woodpecker species. These include the zygodactyl arrangement of the foot, with two toes facing forward and two back, and the stiff tail feathers that are used as
6800-485: Was an ancient parish comprising five townships , being Burtonwood , Poulton-with-Fearnhead , Rixton-with-Glazebrook , Woolston-with-Martinscroft and a Warrington township covering the town itself and adjoining areas. The parish was part of the West Derby Hundred of Lancashire, and the River Mersey formed the county boundary. The land on the south bank of the river was in the township of Latchford , in
6885-656: Was built for families rehousing from slum clearances in Liverpool or Manchester, while Warrington's new private housing estates also became popular with homeowners. Heavy industry declined in the 1970s and 1980s but the growth of the new town led to a great increase in employment in light industry, retail, distribution and technology. On 20 March 1993, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated two bombs in Warrington town centre. The blasts killed two children: three-year-old Johnathan Ball died instantly, and twelve-year-old Tim Parry, from
6970-500: Was first built on the site by William Fitz Almeric le Boteler . The Hall and estate was home to the Lords of Warrington from the 13th century for many generations. The current hall is a three-storey, mostly Jacobean building. It has distinctive chimneys and stone mullion windows which are most likely the work of Sir Thomas Ireland and date back to around 1600. Sir Thomas was knighted at Bewsey by King James I in 1617. Later additions to
7055-838: Was formed in 1974 with the amalgamation of the former County Borough of Warrington , part of the Golborne Urban District , the Lymm Urban District , part of the Runcorn Rural District , the Warrington Rural District and part of the Whiston Rural District . The earliest known appearance of the name is "Weringtun", when before the Norman Conquest it was the head of a hundred . An entry in
7140-617: Was founded by Romans at an important crossing place on the River Mersey. A new settlement was established by the Saxon Wærings. By the Middle Ages , Warrington had emerged as a market town at the lowest bridging point of the river. A local tradition of textile and tool production dates from this time. The expansion and urbanisation of Warrington coincided with the Industrial Revolution , particularly after
7225-547: Was made a borough within Cheshire County Council . On 1 April 1998, Warrington became an independent unitary authority , though it is still served by Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service , and forms part of Cheshire for ceremonial purposes, such as the Lord Lieutenancy . Warrington has applied unsuccessfully for city status , the most recent attempt being after the opening of
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