Horwich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Horwich | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Population: | 18,289 (2001 Census) | |
| Ordnance Survey | ||
| OS grid reference: | SD633114 | |
| Administration | ||
| Metropolitan Borough: | Metropolitan Borough of Bolton | |
| Metropolitan county: | Greater Manchester | |
| Region: | North West England | |
| Constituent country: | England | |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
| Other | ||
| Ceremonial county: | Greater Manchester | |
| Historic county: | Lancashire | |
| Services | ||
| Police force: | Greater Manchester | |
| Fire and rescue: | {{{Fire}}} | |
| Ambulance: | North West | |
| Post office and telephone | ||
| Post town: | BOLTON | |
| Postal district: | BL6 | |
| Dialling code: | 01204 | |
| Politics | ||
| UK Parliament: | Bolton West | |
| European Parliament: | North West England | |
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Horwich (pronounced "Horrich") is a town and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies at the foot of the West Pennine Moors, half way between Bolton and Chorley, and has a population of 18,289 (2001 Census).
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[edit] Geography
The landscape of the area is dominated by Winter Hill, Rivington Pike and the West Pennine Moors. Geographical Details show Rivington Reservoir to the North.
[edit] Administration
Horwich was once a township in the historic ecclesiastical parish of Deane, in the Salford hundred of Lancashire.
In 1837 Horwich joined with other townships (or civil parishes) in the area 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In 1872 the Horwich Local Board of Health was established for the area of the township, and was superseded by the creation of Horwich Urban District in 1894. On the 1st April 1974 Horwich Urban District lost its independence and became part of Bolton Metropolitan Borough.
On the 9th January 1974 Horwich was given a Town Charter, which officially gave Horwich the status of a town, which included a town mayor and town council. On the 6th December 1974 the town was also given an official Coat of Arms. Horwich had been using an unofficial Coat of Arms.
In March 1990 the towns of Horwich and Crowborough (East Sussex) entered into a unique and historic twinning arrangement when they became the first towns within the United Kingdom to sign a Town Twinning Charter. The Charter was signed by the Town Mayors of Horwich and Crowborough at a ceremony in the Public Hall, Horwich on the 22nd March 1990 and in the Town Hall Crowborough on the 27th March 1990.
[edit] History
Horwich's origins began as a hunting 'chase' (or hunting forest) in mediaeval times for the Barons of Manchester. Horwich continued as such until the 17th century, although the amount of woodland was reduced for house building and for fuel.
During the 16th and 17th centuries other occupations began to take place in Horwich - Farming, Spinning, Weaving and Crofting. In 1770, two brothers, John and Joseph Ridgway moved their bleaching works from Bolton to Horwich.
It's not known when Horwich's first chapel was built, but in 1565 the Commissioners for Removing Superstitious Ornaments took various idolatrous items from Horwich Chapel. This chapel was replaced with a larger one in 1782 to accommodate the increasing population. The second chapel itself was replaced with an even larger church in 1831, which is still standing. Until 1853 Horwich was a chapelry in the historic ecclesiastical parish of Deane, after that date Horwich became an ecclesiastical parish of its own right.
In the 17th and 18th century Horwich had a number of non-conformists in Horwich. In 1719 they built their own "new chapel" and named so to distinguish Horwich's (Anglican) "old chapel". This building is still known today as New Chapel. In the 18th and 19th centuries other non-conformist churches and chapels were built in Horwich.
In the early 1800's the population was still quite small. When the first census took place in 1801 Horwich had the population of 1,565 inhabitants. This slowly increased as the century continued.
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In 1885 the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company built a large locomotive works in Horwich. More many houses and streets were built to accommodate the new workers. By the next census in 1891 the population had jumped to a massive 12,850 inhabitants.
In both the First World War and the Second World War Horwich Railway Works took its part with the manufacture of tanks and munitions.
Horwich Railway Works escaped the Beeching Axe, but after various injections of cash it finally closed on the 23 December 1983 after 97 years.
The Bolton Wanderers moved from Bolton to Horwich following the completion of the Reebok Stadium and the rest of the Middlebrook retail park complex in 1997. This followed the move of Horwich Railway Mechanics Institute Football Club (the current longest name in English football) from Horwich in the summer of 1995 to nearby Leigh and life began the 1995/6 season as Leigh RMI.
[edit] Present day
Horwich is home to a British Aerospace factory at Lostock, this was originally built about 1937 as a shadow factory for the de Havilland Airscrew Company manufacturing aircraft propellers. It once employed thousands of people but today under the MBDA nameplate it employs around 500.
[edit] Transport
The town is situated off junction 6 of the M61 motorway.
In 1967 Horwich Railway Station closed; 32 years later Horwich Parkway Railway Station opened in 1999. Manchester International Airport is 1 hour away by train.
