Makerfield is an area in North West England

North West England

North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...

. It is now split between the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan

Metropolitan Borough of Wigan

The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...

 in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...

, and the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens

Metropolitan Borough of St Helens

The Metropolitan Borough of St Helens is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It is named after its largest town St Helens, and covers an area which includes the settlements of Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, Haydock, Rainhill, Eccleston, Clock Face, Billinge and...

 in Merseyside

Merseyside

Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...

, both within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire

Lancashire

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...

.

Places in the area include Ince-in-Makerfield

Ince-in-Makerfield

Ince-in-Makerfield, usually known just as Ince is a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.Ince is contiguous to Wigan and serves as a residential suburb of Wigan, Being divided locally by a train line into two separate areas - Higher Ince and Lower Ince,...

, Ashton-in-Makerfield

Ashton-in-Makerfield

Ashton-in-Makerfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester. It is situated south of Wigan, north-northwest of Warrington and west of the city of Manchester. In 2001 it had a population of 28,505....

 and Newton-in-Makerfield.

The western part of Wigan borough constitutes the Makerfield parliamentary constituency

Makerfield (UK Parliament constituency)

Makerfield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

.

Naming and History

The name Makerfield, was Macrefeld in 1121 a.d., and later Maserfeld, the Anglo Saxon for Makerfield.

Winwick, in Makerfield, was the location in 642 a.d. of a battle between Penda, assisted by his Welsh ally Cynddylan of the Cornovii, and his brother Eawa. Penda and Eawa were both sons of Pybba. At this battle Penda gained all of Mercia, and Eawa and Oswald (king of Northumbria) both died here according to Nennius and the Annales Cambriae. Nennius gives us both Maserfrith (A.Sax) and Maes Cogwy (OW), which is identified as Makerfield. The death of Oswald is also conflictingly linked with Oswestry, but it is thought that he was buried there rather than died there.