Billinge, Merseyside

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Billinge
Statistics
Population:	7981 (2001 census)
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	SJ528998
Administration
District:	Metropolitan Borough of St Helens
Region:	North West England
Constituent country:	England
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Ceremonial county:	Merseyside
Historic county:	Lancashire
Services
Police force:	Merseyside Police
Fire and rescue:	Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service
Ambulance:	North West
Post office and telephone
Post town:	WIGAN
Postal district:	WN5
Dialling code:	01744
Politics
UK Parliament:	St Helens North
European Parliament:	North West England

Not to be confused with Billinge-and-Winstanley., Greater Manchester

Billinge is a village that forms part of the civil parish of Billinge Chapel End, in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, with a population of 7981 according to the 2001 census.

Billinge is located by road approximately 5.5 miles southwest of Wigan, 3.5 miles northeast of St Helens, 15 miles east of Liverpool and 20 miles west of Manchester. The Billinge Parish of St. Aiden is in the Wigan Deanery, which is part of the Diocese of Liverpool.

[edit] Etymology

Billinge may mean "(place at the) pointed hill", from Old English billa "ridge, bill of sword" and -ing "place at/people of the". The name was recorded as Bylnge in 1252.

[edit] History

It was part of the historic county of Lancashire, and was included in the Administrative County of Merseyside by the local government re organisation of 1974. Before this date, Billinge, Billinge Higher End and Longshaw were considered to be one area. Following the 1974 enactment of the Local Government Act 1972, Billinge Higher End and Longshaw were joined with Winstanley to become Billinge-and-Winstanley in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, whereas Billinge itself became part of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. Higher End and the hamlet of Longshaw is now in the Orrell Ward and Winstanley is a Ward in itself.