67-704: Widnes ( / ˈ w ɪ d n ə s / WID -nəss ) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton , Cheshire , England , which at the 2021 census had a population of 62,400. Historically in Lancashire , it is on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap . Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn . Upstream 8 miles (13 km) to
134-451: A Tesco Extra 24-hour store. The glass fronted 120,000 sq ft store has been built on the old B&Q site next to Ashley Way and was opened in March 2012. The store was built on stilts allowing a car park to be built underneath the store for around 600 cars. The Silver Jubilee Bridge is a Grade II listed structure with Historic England . It was opened in 1961 and crosses to Runcorn . With
201-412: A "poisonous hell-town". Their especial ugliness is, however, never more marked than when the spring is making beautiful every nook and corner of England, for the spring never comes hither. It never comes because, neither at Widnes nor St. Helens, is there any place in which it can manifest itself. The foul gases which, belched forth night and day from the many factories, rot the clothes, the teeth, and, in
268-462: A city could be created on paper, and then industry found to locate there. In the United States, which had much sparsely populated land, the industry typically preceded the town; the town grew up around a factory, mine, or source of water power. As the industry grew, and it and its employees needed goods and services, the town grew with and often around it, until in some cases the town became
335-568: A city. It is a capitalistic and typically unplanned expansion. Examples are Scranton, Pennsylvania , and the mill towns of New England . Many American industrial cities are located in the Great Lakes region of the country, often referred to as the Rust Belt , referring to the declining industry and overall economy of many cities in the region. "The industrial city" as a nickname, though, most frequently refers to South San Francisco , where
402-580: A first language. In 2020, the GVA for the Widnes Built-up Area was £1.18 billion. Widnes is an industrial town and its major industry is still the manufacture of chemicals, although there has been diversification in recent years and the economy predominately relies on service industries. In 2006 a new freight park, known as the 3MG Mersey Multimodal Gateway, was opened in the West Bank area of
469-556: A further extension to Woodend was opened. In the same year the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway was opened. The railway connected St Helens with an area in Woodend which was to become known as Spike Island . The termini of the canal and railway were adjacent and here Widnes Dock , the world's first railway dock, was established. Despite these transport links and the emergence of the chemical industry at nearby Runcorn and elsewhere in
536-577: A main arch spanning 330m, for many years it was the only crossing of the River Mersey West of Warrington. In 2017 the new Mersey Gateway bridge was opened to relieve congestion at the older bridge and allow easier road access to the Liverpool City region. Reclamation of chemical factory sites and areas formerly polluted with chemical waste has given opportunities for developments. These include Victoria Promenade at West Bank, alongside
603-602: A more northerly course, and when it was blocked by glacial deposits it had made a new channel through Runcorn Gap. Being close to the west coast and the Irish Sea , the climate is generally temperate with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean average temperature in the years 1971 to 2000 was 9.4 to 9.7 °C , which was slightly above the average for the United Kingdom as was the average amount of annual sunshine at 1391 to 1470 hours. The average annual rainfall
670-618: A private golf club. Industrial city An industrial city or industrial town is a town or city in which the municipal economy, at least historically, is centered around industry, with important factories or other production facilities in the town. It has been part of most countries' industrialization process. Air pollution and toxic waste have contributed to the lower life expectancy in some industrial cities. Industrial cities are distinguished from port cities or other transportation hubs , which deal in services. In countries with strong central planning, such as China, India ,
737-402: A regular covered-top double-decker bus service. By 1919 the health of the residents of the town was improving. In the 1920s, and 1930s there was further diversification of the chemical industry and the products it manufactured. Slums were being replaced by more and better homes. After World War II more slums were cleared and there was ongoing growth and variation in the chemical industry. By
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#1732772400767804-710: A result Roger de Poitou lost his English holdings. The King put those in Craven into the governance of Robert de Romille . Roger then went to his wife's holdings in Poitou. Almodis's uncle Odo was ousted as count of La Marche in 1104, and subsequently the sons of Roger and Almodis are styled as count. In 1109, Roger was permitted to briefly return to England to the court of Henry I, although he did not recover his earlier English holdings. After around 1109, Roger appears to have either lost interest in governing in La Marche, or lost
871-532: A vassal of Scottish King Malcolm Canmore . Dolfin was driven out and the Anglo-Scottish border was established north of Carlisle . Roger also acquired the great honour of Eye centered in Suffolk . In 1088, he led a military force with Alan Rufus and Odo of Champagne against William de St-Calais , Bishop of Durham, at the request of William Rufus when the bishop was implicated in a revolt against
938-899: Is St Luke's Church, Farnworth . The other Anglican churches are St Mary's in West Bank, St Paul's in Victoria Square, St John's in Greenway Road and St Ambrose in Halton View Road. The Anglicans share the building of St Michael's in Ditchfield Road with Hough Green Methodist Church. The Anglicans also share the building of All Saints' in Hough Green Road with the Catholic Church of St Basil's. The Roman Catholic churches in Widnes are part of
1005-613: Is Widnes Vikings Rugby League Football Club . Cup kings of the 1970s, and 1980s, they were World Club Champions in 1989, after defeating Australian side Canberra Raiders at Old Trafford . More recently, they were winners of the Northern Rail Cup in 2007 and 2009. Their home ground is DCBL Stadium in Lowerhouse Lane, which is owned and run by Halton Borough Council. In addition to being a sporting ground it has facilities for conferences and banqueting. In October 2007
1072-920: Is a listed building, but it has been placed on the Buildings at Risk list by the campaign group Save Britain's Heritage and was identified by the Victorian Society on their 2008 annual list as being one of the ten most endangered Victorian buildings in Britain. Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Mayfield Avenue, St Marie's in Lugsdale Road, St Pius X in Sefton Avenue and St Raphael's in Liverpool Road all closed and were deconsecrated by 2013. Trinity Methodist Church
1139-1033: Is in Peelhouse Lane and there are Methodist churches in Farnworth and Halebank. There is a Baptist church in Deacon Road and an Evangelical Christian church in Ditton. The Foundry in Lugsdale Road is a Pentecostal church and the Jehovah's Witnesses have a Kingdom Hall in Moorfield Road. The Widnes National Spiritualist Church is in Lacey Street. In the 2021 census , of Widnes's 62,400 residents, 96.5% were White. Mixed/multiple ethnic groups made up 1.3%; Asian/Asian British/Asian Welsh 1.2%; Black/Black British/Black Welsh/Caribbean/African 0.4%; and Other ethnic group 0.5%. 97.3% had English as
1206-572: Is on the southern route of the Liverpool to Manchester railway line . There are two stations in the town, Hough Green and Widnes from which services are operated by East Midlands Railway and Northern . Northern operate frequent services to Liverpool and Manchester city centre from Hough Green and Widnes. East Midlands Railway link Widnes station at hourly intervals throughout the day to Liverpool, Manchester, Stockport , Sheffield , Nottingham and Norwich . However passengers to and from London,
1273-572: Is the Latin phrase Industria Ditat ("Industry Enriches"). The most usual explanation for the origin of the name Widnes is that it comes from the Danish words vid , meaning wide, and noese , meaning nose and that it refers to the promontory projecting into the River Mersey. However, the Widnes promontory is not particularly wide and another possible explanation is the first part derives from
1340-694: The A562 east–west. The disused Sankey Canal terminates at Spike Island. The Silver Jubilee Bridge crosses the River Mersey west of Warrington. In 2017, the Mersey Gateway Bridge opened to relieve congestion at the older bridge. The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre is the United Kingdom's only museum dedicated solely to the Chemical Industry and is inside Hutchinson's former administrative building. The town's sport stadium hosts Widnes Vikings rugby league club. The motto of Widnes
1407-651: The Archdiocese of Liverpool . There are four churches in Widnes, namely St Bede's in Appleton, St John Fisher in Moorfield Road, St Michael's in St Michael's Road, and St Basils in Hough Green Road. Owing to a shortage of Catholic Priests and the "Leaving Safe Harbours" project in effect throughout the Archdiocese St Marie's was closed, the last Mass was celebrated on 6 January 2007. The church
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#17327724007671474-623: The Building Schools for the Future programme, Fairfield High School closed down in 2010 and merged with Wade Deacon High School . The school was founded in 1507 as Farnworth Grammar School by Bishop William Smyth and a school has been on the site since the 16th century. In the 1960s two separate-sex secondary schools amalgamated and the school took the title Fairfield High School from 1974 up until its closure. When it closed in August 2010,
1541-626: The House of Commons . The seat has been held by Derek Twigg of the Labour Party since its creation for the 2024 general election . Between 1983 and 2024, Widnes was in the Halton constituency which was held by the Labour Party since its creation. Widnes first became a parliamentary constituency and elected its first Member of Parliament in 1885. Widnes is situated on the north bank of
1608-579: The Silver Jubilee Bridge , carrying the A533 road which then curves in a westerly direction towards Liverpool becoming the A562. The density of housing is generally high but there are some open green areas, including Victoria Park in Appleton and two golf courses which are geographically near the centre of the urban development. Most of the chemical and other factories are close to the north bank of
1675-596: The 1950s the town had 45 major chemical factories. In 1961 the Silver Jubilee Bridge opened as free crossing, replacing the outdated Transporter Bridge. In 2017 a further crossing, the Mersey Gateway Bridge , opened to relieve congestion. This crossing was tolled. When the Mersey Gateway Bridge was opened, the Silver Jubilee Bridge was closed for maintenance. Now both bridges are operating, but as tolled crossings. In recent years many of
1742-464: The 19th century the area consisted of the scattered hamlets of Farnworth , Appleton, Ditton, Upton and Woodend. Nearby were the villages of Cronton and Cuerdley . In the 1750s the Sankey Canal was constructed. This linked the area of St. Helens with the River Mersey at Sankey Bridges , near Warrington and was in operation by 1757. It was extended to Fiddler's Ferry in 1762 and then in 1833
1809-541: The Danish ved , meaning a wood and possibly referring to a tree-covered promontory. Earlier spellings of the name have been Vidnes, Wydnes and Wydness. There is little evidence of any early human occupation of the area although a flint arrowhead was discovered at Pex Hill, suggesting there was some human presence in the Stone Age . Pex Hill is a disused quarry , located to the north of the town. Roman roads by-passed
1876-668: The Mersey Valley, the Industrial Revolution did not arrive at Widnes until 14 years later, with the arrival at Spike Island of John Hutchinson . John Hutchinson built his first factory in 1847 on land between the Sankey Canal and the railway making alkali by the Leblanc process . This was an ideal site for the factory because all the raw materials could be transported there by the waterways and railway, and
1943-652: The Midlands and the South are likely to use Runcorn station and make the short journey across the Mersey Gateway Bridge by bus or taxi. Proposals for Merseyrail to be extended to Warrington have been set as Merseyrail are due some new Battery Electric Trains. This would open up new links as the trains would run on the pre-existing route via Widnes railway station . The two main bus operators providing local services are Arriva North West and Warrington's Own Buses. The A562 road passes through Widnes linking Liverpool to
2010-493: The River Mersey, and Spike Island, now cleared of industry, which forms an open recreation area leading to footpaths along the former towpath of the Sankey Canal. Adjacent to Spike Island occupying John Hutchinson's former Tower Building is the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre . There are a number of listed buildings , many of them in the more outlying areas but some are scattered throughout
2077-582: The River Mersey. A second road bridge, the Mersey Gateway , opened in October 2017, carrying a six-lane road connecting Runcorn's Central Expressway with Speke Road and Queensway in Widnes. Drainage of the Widnes area is into the Mersey via Ditton, Steward's and Bower's Brooks. The bedrock of the area is rock from the Sherwood sandstone group. There are a few outcrops of sandstone but elsewhere
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2144-613: The River Mersey. The whole town is low-lying with some slightly higher areas in Farnworth and Appleton. To the south of the town a spur projecting into the river forms the West Bank area of Widnes; together with a spur projecting northwards from Runcorn these form Runcorn Gap, a narrowing of the River Mersey. Runcorn Gap is crossed by Runcorn Railway Bridge , carrying the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line, and
2211-683: The area but some Roman coins were found where the Ditton railway station stands today. In the 9th century Vikings invaded the country and Widnes was at the extreme south of the Danelaw . The River Mersey derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon maeres ea , which means boundary river, the boundary being that between the Danelaw and the Saxon kingdom of Mercia . At the beginning of the 20th century it
2278-455: The bedrock is covered by drift . Most of this consists of till except near the bank of the Mersey where it is recent alluvium . When borings were made in the 1870s prior to the building of chemical works a deep gorge measuring around 100 feet (30 m) was found in the bedrock which was filled with glacial deposits . From this it was concluded that before the Ice Age the Mersey had flowed in
2345-572: The chemical companies making alkali by the Leblanc process combined to form the United Alkali Company , later one of the constituent companies of ICI . This involved practically all of the chemical industries in Widnes, which was considered to be the principal centre of the new company. However, during the 1890s the chemical business in Widnes went into decline as more efficient methods of making alkali were developed elsewhere. During
2412-696: The club was defeated in the National League One Grand Final. Following this, and because of the club's financial situation, its board decided to put it into administration . It was subsequently purchased by Steve O'Connor, a local businessman. The Widnes Vikings are in the Betfred Championship . Widnes Rugby Union Football Club (otherwise known as "the wids"), are an amateur rugby union club based at Heath Rd and administered by volunteers. The players are all club members and pay subscriptions. The club welcomes and encourages
2479-476: The developing town of Widnes. Woodend became known as West Bank. The substances produced included soap, borax, soda ash, salt cake and bleaching powder. Other industries developed including iron and copper works. The town became heavily polluted with smoke and the by-products of the chemical processes. In 1888 the town was described as "the dirtiest, ugliest and most depressing town in England" and in 1905 as
2546-541: The development of rugby within all sections of the local community by promoting links with local schools, local authorities and the Rugby Football Union constituency body. Widnes Cricket Club was founded in 1865 and has its ground in Beaconsfield Road. Moorfield Sports & Social Club in Moorfield Road hosts sports including football, rugby league, cricket and bowls. At Highfield Road there is
2613-521: The early 12th century. He was the third son of Roger of Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and Mabel de Bellême . The appellation "the Poitevin" was for his marriage to an heiress from Poitou . Roger acquired a great lordship in England, with lands in Salfordshire , Essex , Suffolk , Nottinghamshire , Derbyshire , Lincolnshire , Hampshire , and North Yorkshire . The principal part of
2680-412: The early decades of the 20th century there was a revival in the local economy, particularly as the United Alkali Company began to manufacture new products. Improvements were being made to the structure of the town, in particular the opening of the Widnes–Runcorn Transporter Bridge in 1905 which gave the first direct link over the Mersey for road traffic. In 1909 the town became the first in Britain to have
2747-411: The east is Warrington , and 4 miles downstream to the west is Speke , a suburb of Liverpool . Before the Industrial Revolution , Widnes was a small settlement on marsh and moorland . In 1847, the chemist and industrialist John Hutchinson established a chemical factory at Spike Island . The town grew in population and rapidly became a major centre of the chemical industry . The demand for labour
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2814-484: The end, the bodies or the workers, have killed every tree and every blade of grass for miles around. The demand for workers meant that, in addition to people from other areas of the United Kingdom, including Ireland, large numbers of workers came from other countries. From the late 1880s significant numbers arrived from Poland and Lithuania who were fleeing from persecution and poverty in their home countries. Immigrants also came from other areas, in particular Wales. In 1890
2881-437: The finished products could similarly be transported anywhere else in the country or overseas. Further chemical factories were soon built nearby by entrepreneurs including John McClellan , William Gossage , Frederic Muspratt , Holbrook Gaskell and Henry Deacon . The town grew rapidly as housing and social provision was made for the factory workers. Soon the villages of Farnworth, Appleton, Ditton and Upton were subsumed within
2948-470: The flagship store being a Marks & Spencer shop. Other businesses involved in the development are Next , New Look , Boots , River Island and British Home Stores . The Outfit out-of-town chain outlet incorporates fashion brands, including Dorothy Perkins , Miss Selfridge , Topman , Wallis and Burton . Other businesses included in the development are Wilko , Costa Coffee , Halfords , Buzz Bingo and KFC . In Autumn 2011 construction began of
3015-400: The industrial revolution, these subsidiaries remain important similarly. With this by the end of the nineteenth century the shape and functions of most cities, along with social relations and groving industries, naturally rebuilted Manchester , England, is considered to be the archetype of the industrial city on the basis of Friedrich Engels ' observations. In the Chinese-speaking world ,
3082-401: The king; Roger also negotiated with the bishop on the king's behalf before the bishop went to trial. Roger's father Roger de Montgomery died in 1094. That same year, Rufus sent Roger to hold the castle at Argentan in Normandy, but Roger surrendered it to Philip I of France on the first day of the siege; Roger and his men were held for ransom and purchased their freedom. Although Philip I
3149-412: The lordship was in what was then called inter Mersam et Ripam , that is, "between the Mersey and the Ribble " and is now divided between Lancashire , Merseyside , and Greater Manchester . After 1090, he also assumed the title 1st Lord of Bowland . Before 1086, he had married Almodis, daughter of Count Aldebert II of La Marche in Poitou, and sister and presumptive heiress of Count Boso III who
3216-486: The old heavy chemical factories have closed to be replaced by more modern factories. Much of the land previously polluted by the old dirty chemical processes has been reclaimed, and there have been improvements in the cleanliness and environment of the town. Widnes is unparished with the exception of Halebank . The local authority is Halton Borough Council for which the town is divided into nine electoral wards , each electing three councillors. From Saxon times Widnes
3283-432: The people living in Widnes, 64.3% declared themselves to be Christian, higher than the national average in England of 46.3% but down from 79.9% in 2011. 29.5% stated that they had "no religion" and 4.7% made no religious claims. Those stating their religions as Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Islam, Sikh or other amounted to 1.5%. The Anglican churches are administered by the Diocese of Liverpool . The longest established church
3350-402: The schools pupils were transferred to Wade Deacon High School, though still operating from the same site. This continued until March 2013 when Wade Deacon High School's new build was completed; demolition of the old school began in August 2013 and was completed by the end of that year. The site is currently being developed into a housing estate and a cemetery. The major sporting body in the town
3417-412: The second Baron of Halton . On Yorfrid's death the barony of Widnes passed to that of Halton. The current St. Luke's , a Norman church, was built in Farnworth. Its date of origin is uncertain but it is likely to be around 1180. In 1500 the South Chapel was added to the church and in 1507 a grammar school was established in Farnworth; both were endowments from Bishop William Smyth . Until the middle of
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#17327724007673484-468: The secure Norman lands in England and the strongly contested Scottish frontier lands in Cumberland . Due to long established lines of communication across Morecambe Bay , Roger also assumed authority over the regions of Furness and Cartmel ; these remained a part of Lancashire until as recently as 1974. The expansion of Roger's lands followed his support of King William II Rufus 's invasion of Cumbria in 1092, where Dolfin of Carlisle ruled, possibly as
3551-430: The term "industrial city" refers to cities in which the municipal economy is led by heavy industries or the heavy industry is a significant impression of the city to people other than its local residents. Roger the Poitevin Roger the Poitevin or Roger de Poitou (mid-1060s – before 1140) was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat possessing large holdings both in England and through his marriage in France during
3618-510: The term is inscribed on a hillside sign . In Europe, where industries more frequently arose within existing cities, industrialization affected the internal structure of many of them. Potential needs such as raw materials, transportation and labor required for the establishment of industrial zones require consultation of the local and general public. Therefore, special policies are needed. This situation causes industrial zones and industrialists to take on an additional role in terms of policy. Since
3685-523: The town and three nursery schools. The three secondary schools are Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School , Ormiston Chadwick Academy and Wade Deacon High School . The former colleges, Halton College and Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College, merged in 2006 to form Riverside College . There are three special schools . Also in Widnes is the Woodview Child Development Centre in Crow Wood Lane. Kingsway Learning Centre offers opportunities for Adult Learning, Basic Skills and Skills for Success. As part of
3752-400: The town. The Greenoaks Centre, a mall which was opened in 1995 is adjacent to the long-established Widnes Market which has both a market hall and an open market. Also adjacent is a Morrisons supermarket. In the Simms Cross area a large Asda superstore opened in 2004, replacing its old store in nearby Ditton. A new shopping development, known as Widnes Shopping Park, opened on 18 March 2010,
3819-421: The town. The listed churches are the Anglican churches of St Luke's Church, Farnworth (and its adjacent bridewell ), and St Mary's, West Bank , the Roman Catholic churches of St Michael's , St Marie's and St Bede's, and the two chapels in the cemetery. The railway stations of Widnes and Hough Green are listed, as are the former Widnes Town Hall and the former power house of the transporter bridge. Widnes
3886-416: The town. This provides a link for freight arriving by road, air or sea to be transferred to the rail network. In 2010 the first phase of Stobart Park, a "multimodal logistics service for warehousing and distribution", and part of the Stobart Group , was opened. This consists of a 520,000 square feet (48,000 m) refrigerated warehouse for Tesco . In 2014 work began on the new Mersey Gateway bridge which
3953-445: The west with Penketh to the east. The A557 road passes through the town linking Runcorn to the south, via the Silver Jubilee Bridge, with the M62 motorway , some 2.5 miles (4 km) to the north. The Mersey Gateway will replace the Silver Jubilee Bridge by mid-October 2017. Widnes is 6 miles (10 km) from Liverpool John Lennon Airport and 25 miles (40 km) from Manchester Airport . There are nineteen primary schools in
4020-409: Was 741 to 870 mm, which was slightly below the average for the UK. The average number of days in the year when snow is on the ground is 0 to 6, which is low for the United Kingdom. The average number of days of air frost is 2 to 39, which is also low. Widnes was a small settlement until industrialisation in the nineteenth century which led to significant population growth. In the 2021 census, of
4087-400: Was abolished and its territory amalgamated with Runcorn to form the borough of Halton within the county of Cheshire. In 1998 the borough of Halton became a unitary authority . In 2009, the council entered into an agreement with the five metropolitan district councils of Merseyside to form the Liverpool City Region . Widnes is in the Widnes and Halewood constituency for representation in
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#17327724007674154-463: Was an ally of Robert Curthose , it is thought that this action was less a betrayal of Rufus and more a result of Roger's dual vassalage between the King of England and the King of France. Roger did not lose his English lands as a result of this action but held no position in Rufus's government from this point. Roger continued to be loyal to Rufus but in 1102 joined his brothers' failed rebellion against Henry I of England in favor of Robert Curthose. As
4221-420: Was believed that some earthworks on Cuerdley Marsh had been constructed by the Vikings but an archaeological investigation in the 1930s found nothing to confirm this. Following the Norman conquest of England , William the Conqueror granted the Earldom of Lancaster to Roger the Poitevin who in turn granted the barony of Widnes to Yorfrid. Yorfrid had no sons and his elder daughter married William fitz Nigel ,
4288-419: Was childless and unmarried. Around 1091, Roger's brother-in-law Boso died, but Roger was apparently preoccupied with Norman and English affairs, and his wife's uncle Odo became count of La Marche. In 1092, Roger acquired a large part of what is now northern Lancashire. These grants gave Roger effective control of all the lands north of the River Ribble to the River Lune , which formed a natural border between
4355-476: Was completed and open to the public in October 2017. A new six lane toll bridge over the River Mersey between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes was built to relieve the congested and ageing Silver Jubilee Bridge . The new bridge and access roads are a major strategic transport route linking the Liverpool city-region including Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the Port of Liverpool to North West England. There has been considerable development of shopping areas in
4422-424: Was met by large-scale immigration from Ireland , Poland , Lithuania and Wales . The town continues to be a major manufacturer of chemicals, although many of the chemical factories have closed and the economy is predominantly based upon service industries. Widnes and Hough Green railway stations are on the Liverpool–Manchester line . The main roads through the town are the A557 in a north–south direction and
4489-417: Was part of the hundred of West Derby in Lancashire. Modern local government in the town of Widnes began with the creation of the Widnes Local Board in 1865, prior to which the town had been part of the administrative district of Prescot . In 1892, the town received a Charter of Incorporation forming the Municipal Borough of Widnes . In 1974, as part of the Local Government Act 1972 , Widnes Borough Council
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