Westhoughton
Encyclopedia
Westhoughton is a town and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
in Greater Manchester
, England. It is 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Bolton
, 5 miles (8 km) east of Wigan
and 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Manchester
.
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.
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
), Over Hulton
, Four Gates (or locally Fourgates), Chequerbent (which was all but destroyed by the building of a motorway), Snydale, Hart Common
, Daisy Hill and Dobb Brow.
" 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. On gravestones at Deane Church in Bolton, Wefthoughton appears around 1650.
The people of Westhoughton are known as "Howfeners" or "Keawyeds" (cow heads) or a combination of the two "Keawyedners", 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.
of Upholland, chief retainer of the powerful Earl of Lancaster. The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion
and would end with the deaths of most the main parties concerned.
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. 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.
, run by Rowe & Dunscough, in one of the first terrorist acts in Britain. Twelve people were arrested on the orders of William Hulton, the High Sheriff of Lancashire
. 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. They were publicly hanged outside Lancaster Castle
on the 13 June 1812. It was reported that Abraham cried for his mother on the scaffold. By this time however, the hanging of those under 18 was rare and for those under 16 in practice abolished. Nine others arrested were transported
to Australia.
of Hulton Park
had many small collieries from the 16th century. After 1828 the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway
. The Hulton Colliery Company
sank Chequerbent Colliery in 1892 and Bank Pit Nos 1–4 between 1897 and 1901. They mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. Bank Pit No 3, known as the Pretoria Pit, was the site of one of the worst coal-mining disasters in the United Kingdom, when on 21 December 1910, 344 men and boys died in an explosion of firedamp. The Pretoria Pit Disaster
was the third worst in British mining history, after the 1866 Barnsley Oaks Disaster
in Yorkshire, and the 1913 Senghenydd Colliery Disaster
in Glamorgan.
In 1896 the Wigan Coal and Iron Company
's Eatock Pits employed 484 underground and 89 surface workers whilst the Hewlett Pits employed 981 underground and 182 on the surface.
since the early 12th century, Westhoughton was a chapelry
and township
in the ecclesiastical parish of Deane
, in the Salford hundred
. In 1837, Westhoughton joined with other township
s (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. 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. 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
.
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.
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. Each year, Westhoughton Town Council elects a Town Mayor
who as the town's First Citizen represents it at functions and events.
represented the town until it was abolished in 1983.
joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh
to Glazebrook
.
There are three Local Nature Reserve
s at Hall Lee Bank Park, Cunningham Clough, and Eatock Lodge at Daisy Hill.
† The 1939 population is estimated from the National Registration Act
figures. The 1941 census did not take place because of the Second World War
.
The Church of England parish church
of Saint Bartholomew was completed in 1870. 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. 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 about £1 million.
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. Nicholsons of Malvern built a new two manual organ for the church. It has 1,256 pipes, ranging from 1/2 inch to 16 feet (4.9 m). The pipes are made of tin, spotted metal and hammered lead.
John Wesley
, the founder of the Methodist church, preached a sermon at Barnaby's farm at Wingates in 1874. The spot is marked by a plaque.
A memorial to the miners killed in the Pretoria Pit Disaster
is sited in the Ditchfield Gardens in Market Street.
. The main roads that 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.
on Church Street, and Daisy Hill railway station
on Leigh Road. Both are served by Northern Rail
trains between and Manchester
via . Trains from Westhoughton to run via ; trains from Daisy Hill to run via . Formerly there were stations at (closed 1952) Dicconson Lane and (the last two, closed in 1956), that area now served by . Electric trams to Bolton served Westhoughton until 1947.
In the late 1980s a third station at Dobb Brow was planned and was shown on railway maps as may open during the course of this timetable, but the plan was discontinued. and railway stations, on the fringes of the north of Westhoughton, also serve the town.
The total annual usage of the town's two stations (Daisy Hill and Westhoughton) at almost 400,000 passengers (2009/10) is greater than that of the stations of many towns in the United Kingdom. especially impressive considering the population of the town is 23,000.
The fastest way to reach London by rail is by changing at Wigan (from to – just 100 yards) from Daisy Hill or 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 about three hours. By one change of trains, at Wigan or Manchester, Westhoughton is linked to most of the United Kingdom.
, 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.
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
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...
, England. It is 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, 5 miles (8 km) east of Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
and 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part 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...
, Westhoughton was once a centre for mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, cotton-spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
and textile manufacture
Textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution changed the nature of work and society. Opinion varies as to the exact date, but it is estimated that the First Industrial Revolution took place between 1750 and 1850, and the second phase or Second Industrial Revolution between 1860 and 1900. The three key drivers in...
. However, today it is predominantly a residential town with a total population of 23,056.
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
Wingates
Wingates is a small settlement located in the town of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.Historically part of Lancashire, it lies mainly along the A6 road between Blackrod and Walkden. It is the home of Wingates Band, one of best-known brass bands in...
(famous for its Wingates Brass Band
Wingates Band
Wingates Band is a brass band based in Wingates, a settlement near the town of Westhoughton in north-west England. It is considered one of the country's finest contesting bands and competes in the championship section of the British brass band league structure...
), Over Hulton
Over Hulton
Over Hulton is a suburb of Westhoughton within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester,England.It lies south west of Bolton.-History:...
, Four Gates (or locally Fourgates), Chequerbent (which was all but destroyed by the building of a motorway), Snydale, Hart Common
Hart Common
Hart Common is a village located on the outskirts of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.Historically part of Lancashire, it lies mainly along the A58 road. The name is believed to have derived from the area being a common spot for deers many years ago...
, Daisy Hill and Dobb Brow.
Toponymy
The name Westhoughton is derived from the Old English words "halh" (dialectal "haugh") for a nook or corner of land, and "tunTun
- Science and technology :* TUN/TAP, a computer network device driver* TUN , a Danish product standard for building materials* Tun , a part of the Mayan long count calendar system* A unit of time in the Mayan Long Count calendar...
" 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
Affix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
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. On gravestones at Deane Church in Bolton, Wefthoughton appears around 1650.
The people of Westhoughton are known as "Howfeners" or "Keawyeds" (cow heads) or a combination of the two "Keawyedners", 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.
Banastre Rebellion
In 1315 a group of local men, led by Sir William Bradshaigh of Haigh Hall, Sir Henry Lea of Charnock Richard and Sir Adam Banastre met at Wingates to plan a campaign of violence against Sir Robert de HollandRobert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand
Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand was an English nobleman, born in Lancashire.He was a son of Sir Robert de Holland of Upholland, Lancashire and Elizabeth, daughter of William de Samlesbury....
of Upholland, chief retainer of the powerful Earl of Lancaster. The campaign came to be known as the Banastre Rebellion
Banastre Rebellion
The Banastre Rebellion was an uprising in Lancashire, England in 1315 against the Earl of Lancaster and his supporters.The Banastre Rebellion took place in 1315 when a group of disaffected knights in Lancashire decided to revenge themselves on Earl of Lancaster by attacking his chief retainer Sir...
and would end with the deaths of most the main parties concerned.
Civil War
During the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1642, a battle was fought on Westhoughton Common between Lord Derby's
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby KG was a supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.Born at Knowsley, he is sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby and Lady Elizabeth de Vere. During his father's life he was known as Lord Strange...
Cavalier
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
forces and Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton
Bolton Massacre
The Bolton Massacre, sometimes recorded as the Storming of Bolton, was an episode in the English Civil War, on 28 May 1644. The strongly Parliamentarian town was stormed and captured by the Royalist forces under Prince Rupert of the Rhine. It was alleged that up to 1,600 of Bolton's defenders and...
in 1644. 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 MillWesthoughton Mill
Westhoughton Mill , situated in Mill Street in the town of Westhoughton, near Bolton in Lancashire, was in 1812 the site of a Luddite arson attack. It had been built in 1804 by Richard Johnson Lockett, a Macclesfield man who had bought and lived in Westhoughton Hall, and leased out in 1808 to...
, run by Rowe & Dunscough, in one of the first terrorist acts in Britain. Twelve people were arrested on the orders of William Hulton, the High Sheriff of Lancashire
High Sheriff of Lancashire
The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales...
. 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. They were publicly hanged outside Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle located in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Its early history is unclear, but may have been founded in the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort overlooking a crossing of the River Lune. In 1164, the Honour of Lancaster, including the...
on the 13 June 1812. It was reported that Abraham cried for his mother on the scaffold. By this time however, the hanging of those under 18 was rare and for those under 16 in practice abolished. Nine others arrested were transported
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
to Australia.
Coal mining
The family of William HultonWilliam Hulton
William Hulton was an English landowner and magistrate.William Hulton was the son of William Hulton and Jane of Hulton Park, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England. He was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford...
of Hulton Park
Over Hulton
Over Hulton is a suburb of Westhoughton within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester,England.It lies south west of Bolton.-History:...
had many small collieries from the 16th century. After 1828 the pits at Chequerbent were served by the Bolton and Leigh Railway
Bolton and Leigh Railway
The Bolton and Leigh Railway was the first public railway in the historic county of Lancashire, England. It opened in 1828 for goods.-History:...
. The Hulton Colliery Company
Hulton Colliery Company
The Hulton Colliery Company was a coal mining company operating on the Lancashire Coalfield from the mid 19th century in Over Hulton and Westhoughton, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England....
sank Chequerbent Colliery in 1892 and Bank Pit Nos 1–4 between 1897 and 1901. They mined the Trencherbone, Plodder and Arley seams. Bank Pit No 3, known as the Pretoria Pit, was the site of one of the worst coal-mining disasters in the United Kingdom, when on 21 December 1910, 344 men and boys died in an explosion of firedamp. The Pretoria Pit Disaster
Pretoria Pit Disaster
The Pretoria Pit disaster was a mining accident that occurred on 21 December 1910, when there was an underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit, known as the Pretoria Pit, in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, then in the historic county of Lancashire, in North West...
was the third worst in British mining history, after the 1866 Barnsley Oaks Disaster
The Oaks explosion
The Oaks explosion occurred at the Oaks Colliery, near Stairfoot, Barnsley, South Yorkshire on 12 December 1866 killing more than 380 miners and rescuers. The disaster happened after a series of explosions caused by flammable gases ripped through the workings...
in Yorkshire, and the 1913 Senghenydd Colliery Disaster
Senghenydd Colliery Disaster
The Senghenydd Colliery Disaster, also known as the Senghenydd Explosion, occurred in Senghenydd , near Caerphilly, Glamorgan, Wales on 14 October 1913, killing 439 miners...
in Glamorgan.
In 1896 the Wigan Coal and Iron Company
Wigan Coal and Iron Company
The Wigan Coal and Iron Company was formed when collieries on the Wigan Coalfield owned by John Lancaster were acquired by Lord Lindsay, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, owner of the Haigh Colliery in 1865...
's Eatock Pits employed 484 underground and 89 surface workers whilst the Hewlett Pits employed 981 underground and 182 on the surface.
Governance
Lying within the boundaries of LancashireLancashire
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...
since the early 12th century, Westhoughton was a chapelry
Chapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
and township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
in the ecclesiastical parish of Deane
Deane, Greater Manchester
Deane is an area of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is about south west of Bolton and northwest of the city of Manchester.Historically a part of Lancashire, the Parish of Deane was once one of four parishes within the hundred of Salford and covered roughly half of the present...
, in the Salford hundred
Salford (hundred)
The hundred of Salford was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in Northern England. It was sometimes known as Salfordshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of Salford...
. In 1837, Westhoughton joined with other township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
s (or civil parishes) to form the Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
and took joint responsibility for the administration and funding of the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
in that area. In 1872, a Local Board of Health
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
was established for the township, and was superseded in 1894 when Westhoughton became an Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire. In 1898 most of Over Hulton
Over Hulton
Over Hulton is a suburb of Westhoughton within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester,England.It lies south west of Bolton.-History:...
became part of the Urban District. Under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, Westhoughton Urban District was abolished in 1974 and its area became a civil parish of the newly created Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
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...
.
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.
Westhoughton civil parish, with town council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
status, has eighteen town councillors who are elected in six town council wards – Central, Chequerbent, Daisy Hill, Hoskers & Hart Common, White Horse, and Wingates. Each year, Westhoughton Town Council elects a Town Mayor
Mayors in the United Kingdom
In England, the office of mayor or lord mayor had long been ceremonial posts, with few or no duties attached to it. A mayor's term of office denotes the municipal year. The most famous example is that of the Lord Mayor of the City of London....
who as the town's First Citizen represents it at functions and events.
Parliamentary representation
For many years the Westhoughton constituencyWesthoughton (UK Parliament constituency)
Westhoughton was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire, England. Centred on the former mining and cotton town of Westhoughton, it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
represented the town until it was abolished in 1983.
Geography
Westhoughton covers an area of 4341 acres (1,756.7 ha) and has an average breadth of over 2 miles (3.2 km) from north-east to south-west, and an extreme length of nearly 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from northwest to south-east. The highest ground at over 480 feet (146.3 m) is to the north east with the land sloping downwards to the south-west. The lowest point at about 120 feet (36.6 m) is in the extreme southerly corner. Borsdane Brook separates the township from Aspull, another brook divides it from HindleyHindley
Hindley may refer to:Places*Hindley, Greater Manchester, England*Hindley, Northumberland, EnglandPeople*Myra Hindley, convicted "Moors Murderess"*Henry Hindley, 18th century clockmaker*Clement Hindley, British railway engineer...
joining a stream which rises on the northern edge of Westhoughton and flows south through Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
to Glazebrook
Glazebrook
Glazebrook is a village on the very eastern edge of the Warrington conurbation.It has a small housing estate, a post office and Glazebrook railway station which marks the westernmost boundary of the GMPTE....
.
There are three Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
s at Hall Lee Bank Park, Cunningham Clough, and Eatock Lodge at Daisy Hill.
Demography
| Census Census in the United Kingdom Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with... population of the chapelry/civil parish of Westhoughton |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
| Population | ||||||||||
| Sources: (a) Pauline Tatton: Local population statistics. (b) Westhoughton USD: Total Population. | ||||||||||
| Cenus population of the urban district of Westhoughton | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 † | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 |
| Population | ||||||||
| Source: Westhoughton UD: Total Population. | ||||||||
† The 1939 population is estimated from the National Registration Act
National Registration Act 1939
The National Registration Act 1939 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It became law on 5 September 1939 as an emergency measure at the start of World War II...
figures. The 1941 census did not take place because of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Education
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
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Bartholomew was completed in 1870. Its east window depicted the Twelve Apostles. On the Wednesday before Advent Sunday
Advent Sunday
Advent Sunday is the first day of the liturgical year in the Western Christian churches. It also marks the start of the season of Advent. In the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist churches the celebrant wears violet-coloured or blue vestments on this day, and the first violet or blue...
, 28 November 1990, the church was gutted by fire, but the tower was saved. A new church designed by architects Dane, Ashworth & Cottam was built by Laing North with Bradshaw Gass & Hope
Bradshaw Gass & Hope
Bradshaw Gass & Hope is an English firm of architects founded in 1862 by Jonas James Bradshaw . The style "Bradshaw Gass & Hope" was adopted after J. J...
as project managers and structural engineers. It cost about £1 million.
The new church was consecrated on 28 October 1995. A procession from the top of Wingates
Wingates
Wingates is a small settlement located in the town of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.Historically part of Lancashire, it lies mainly along the A6 road between Blackrod and Walkden. It is the home of Wingates Band, one of best-known brass bands in...
into the church grounds preceded the Right Reverend Christopher Mayfield, Bishop of Manchester
Bishop of Manchester
The Bishop of Manchester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.The current bishop is the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, the 11th Lord Bishop of Manchester, who signs Nigel Manchester. The bishop's official residence is Bishopscourt, Bury New Road,...
, entering and blessing the doorway. Nicholsons of Malvern built a new two manual organ for the church. It has 1,256 pipes, ranging from 1/2 inch to 16 feet (4.9 m). The pipes are made of tin, spotted metal and hammered lead.
John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, the founder of the Methodist church, preached a sermon at Barnaby's farm at Wingates in 1874. The spot is marked by a plaque.
Local landmarks
The former Snydle water tower, built by Westhoughton Council in 1914, is now converted to a private dwelling that is visible from the M61.A memorial to the miners killed in the Pretoria Pit Disaster
Pretoria Pit Disaster
The Pretoria Pit disaster was a mining accident that occurred on 21 December 1910, when there was an underground explosion at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit, known as the Pretoria Pit, in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, then in the historic county of Lancashire, in North West...
is sited in the Ditchfield Gardens in Market Street.
Roads
Westhoughton is south of Junction 5 of the M61 motorwayM61 motorway
The M61 motorway is a motorway in North West England. It runs from the M60 motorway northwest of Manchester and heads northwest past Bolton and Chorley to join the M6 just north of the junction between the M6 and M65 motorways to the south of Preston....
. The main roads that cross the town are the A58
A58 road
The A58 is a major road in northern England that runs between Prescot, Merseyside and Wetherby, West Yorkshire.It runs north east from Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool via St Helens, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Westhoughton, Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Littleborough then over the...
(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
The town has two railway stations: Westhoughton railway stationWesthoughton railway station
Westhoughton railway station serves the town of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, north-western England. The station is 15½ miles north west of Manchester Piccadilly.- Overview :...
on Church Street, and Daisy Hill railway station
Daisy Hill railway station
Daisy Hill railway station serves the Daisy Hill area of Westhoughton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.Daisy Hill is one of the principal stations that lie on the Atherton line, between Wigan and Manchester...
on Leigh Road. Both are served by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
trains between and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
via . Trains from Westhoughton to run via ; trains from Daisy Hill to run via . Formerly there were stations at (closed 1952) Dicconson Lane and (the last two, closed in 1956), that area now served by . Electric trams to Bolton served Westhoughton until 1947.
In the late 1980s a third station at Dobb Brow was planned and was shown on railway maps as may open during the course of this timetable, but the plan was discontinued. and railway stations, on the fringes of the north of Westhoughton, also serve the town.
The total annual usage of the town's two stations (Daisy Hill and Westhoughton) at almost 400,000 passengers (2009/10) is greater than that of the stations of many towns in the United Kingdom. especially impressive considering the population of the town is 23,000.
The fastest way to reach London by rail is by changing at Wigan (from to – just 100 yards) from Daisy Hill or 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 about 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 – 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 BoltonBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
and Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
. The most frequent service is the 540 between Bolton and Wigan. The service is run by First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
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.
Media
The weekly Horwich and Westhoughton Journal was published until 1980, it had an editorial and revenue office in Market StreetNotable residents
- Rev. Peter DitchfieldPeter DitchfieldRev. Peter Hempson Ditchfield, FSA was a Church of England priest, an historian and a prolific author. He is notable for having co-edited three Berkshire volumes of the Victoria County History which were published between 1907 and 1924.-Life:...
– historian and author - Bill FarrimondBill FarrimondWilliam Farrimond was an English cricketer who played in four Tests from 1931 to 1935....
– cricketer, played for England. - Francis LeeFrancis LeeFrancis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
– footballer for Bolton Wanderers F.C., Manchester City F.C.Manchester City F.C.Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Derby County F.C.Derby County F.C.Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
(27 caps). - Dick PollardDick PollardRichard "Dick" Pollard was an English cricketer born in Westhoughton, Lancashire, who played in four Tests between 1946 and 1948...
- cricketer, played for England. - Robert ShawRobert Shaw (actor)Robert Archibald Shaw was an English actor and novelist, remembered for his performances in The Sting , From Russia with Love , A Man for All Seasons , the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three , Black Sunday , The Deep and Jaws , where he played the shark hunter Quint.-Early life...
– actor, born at No.51 King Street, Westhoughton on 9th August 1927. He appeared in Steven SpielbergSteven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's JawsJaws (film)Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
and the James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film, From Russia With LoveFrom Russia with Love (film)From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
. A plaque on Westhoughton Town Hall commemorates Shaw and his work. The Westhoughton branch of the J. D. WetherspoonWetherspoonsJ D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford. Founded as a single pub in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company now owns 815 outlets. The chain champions cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The company also operates the Lloyds No...
chain of free houses is named after him. - Houghton WeaversHoughton WeaversThe Houghton Weavers are an English folk music band formed in 1975 in Westhoughton, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. The current band members are David Littler , Steve Millington and Tony Berry .David Littler...
– local folk group who had a BBC TelevisionBBC TelevisionBBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
series in the 1970s called Sit thi' Deawn.