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Ashton-in-Makerfield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ashton-in-Makerfield | |
  Ashton-in-Makerfield shown within Greater Manchester |
|
| Population | 28,505 (2001 census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | Wigan |
| Metropolitan county | Greater Manchester |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIGAN |
| Postcode district | WN4 |
| Dialling code | 01942 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | Makerfield |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester | |
Ashton-in-Makerfield is a town in the north west of England and is split between the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, and the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside. In 2001 it had a population of 28,505.
Historically part of Lancashire, it is situated in a former coal mining area. The town was originally known as Ashton-in-the-Willows. The wider district of Ashton-in-Makerfield consists of Town Green, Stubshaw Cross, Bryn, Tithe Barn Hillock, Downall Green, Land Gate, Bryn Gates, and Garswood.[1]
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Before 1894 Ashton-in-Makerfield was a township in the parish of Winwick, part of the West Derby Hundred of Lancashire. By an Act in 1845 and the division of the Parish of Winwick, Holy Trinity Church, Downall Green, was made the 'principal' Parish church and St. Thomas' made a Parish Church in the same Act, both being part of the Diocese of Liverpool. By the Local Government Act 1894 Ashton-in-Makerfield was made an urban district.
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the district was split, administratively, with the South ward, containing Garswood and Downall Green, going to the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside, and the rest going to the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester. However, Ashton in Makerfield is a town in its own right and is regarded as a 'standalone urban area' in the Government National Statistics. It is not 'part of', or 'in' Wigan, St.Helens or Greater Manchester urban areas.
Today, the town of Ashton-in-Makerfield is partnered with Bryn in the 'Bryn & Ashton Township' (consisting of the six 'neighbourhoods' of Bryn, Ashton, Ashton Heath, Landgate, Stubshaw Cross and Town Green), one of the ten areas into which Wigan Metropolitan Borough has been divided for consultation purposes. Each Township has a 'Forum' with some influence over the provision of municipal services.
The hand of St. Edmund Arrowsmith, whose real name was Bryan [1] and who came from neighbouring Haydock, (1585 - 1628) is preserved as a relic in Saint Oswald's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield. In more superstitious times, particularly before the Reformation, the Catholic laity would venerate such relics. Also, in less tolerant times, particularly at times of great social upheaval such as the English Civil War, radical Protestants would physically destroy these relics whenever possible (see Iconoclasm). Indeed, even in this century, such relics would have been an anathema to the large number of Protestant non-conformists in the district.
The Park Lane Chapel (see Unitarianism), Wigan Road, Bryn (part of Ashton-in-Makerfield until recent times), dates back to 1697, though 1662 is the year in which its congregation was founded. It is the oldest Non-conformist Chapel and congregation in the whole district. By the 19th century Park Lane was only one of nine non-conformist chapels in the area. There was a Baptist, Congregational church (Hilton St), Evangelical (Heath Road), Independent, Independent Methodist (Downall Green Road), Primitive Methodist (see Primitive Methodism), Welsh Wesleyan Methodist, and English Wesleyan Methodist chapel.
St Thomas' Church of England parish church on Warrington Road has ancient origins although the present building is barely over 100 years. The graveyard is the final resting place of many of the 189 victims of the Wood Pit explosion (at Haydock on Friday 7th June 1878), the worst coal-mining disaster in the whole of Lancashire at the time.
Ashton-in-Makerfield was part of the St. Helens Area of the South Lancashire Coalfield. The St Helens Area lay to the South West of the Wigan area and occupied around 60 square miles, skirting Wigan, Warrington, St. Helens, Widnes and to within eight miles of Liverpool.
In 1867 there were 13 collieries in the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield. Others followed (including the Mains and Park Lane Collieries), whilst some of those open in 1867 remained productive until the 1950s (Garswood Hall) and (Park Colliery).[2]
A number of Ashton’s coal miners made a significant impact on modern British history, including Stephen Walsh M.P., William Keneally – V.C. and Lance-Corporal in the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, and Joe Gormley - President of the National Union of Mineworkers in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the late nineteenth century, the district was described by one observer as having "extensive collieries, cotton-mills, and potteries", and famed for the manufacture of "hinges, locks, files, and nails”.[3] Mills such as the Record Mill (Spinning), situated in York Road, and the Makerfield Mill (the 'Weaving Shed'), in Windsor Road, took over from home-working. Similarly, Thomas Crompton & Sons in Gerard Street, which would eventually employ around 1,200 workers, superseded the subcontracting system that sustained substantial numbers of locally-based blacksmiths and other craftsmen.
As recently as the 1970s the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield had one of the highest proportions of derelict land, mainly in the form of 'slag heaps' left over from coal mining.[4] Major land reclamation schemes have since completely transformed the area.
'People who were either born or brought up in Ashton in Makerfield or, or have had some significant connection with the town during their life, include:........
- Joe Gormley OBE., president of the National Union of Mineworkers, 1971 - 1982.
- June Croft, Ashton-in-Makerfield born swimmer. Won silver and bronze medals in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics respectively.
- Kym Marsh (Ryder), singer, actress, TV presenter.
- Ian Gregson Paralympic athlete, Author
A market is held on the market square off Garswood Street on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Ashton’s local semi-pro football club is Ashton Town A.F.C..
Cromptons, the hinge and fasteners making factory in Ashton in Makerfield, has closed and is now demolished. A shopping centre called 'The Gerard Centre' now stands there.
The Hingemakers Arms pub is situated on Heath Road. It is the only known pub in the world with that name. It was run by the Corless family for decades before the retirement of Walter Corless in 2006. The Hingemakers Arms was leased by a Southport-based business and run by Patrick Wood. After closing it's doors for 3 Months The Hingemakers Arms has now re-opened.