Farnworth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about Farnworth in Bolton, Greater Manchester. For Farnworth in Widnes, Halton see Farnworth, Widnes.

Farnworth
Coordinates: 53.5452° N 2.3999° W Farnworth shown within Greater Manchester
Population	25,264
OS grid reference	SD7305
Metropolitan borough	Bolton
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Bolton
Dial code	01204
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester

Farnworth is a small town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies on the River Irwell and the River Croal and has a population of 25,264 people.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Geography and administration 2 History 2.1 Early history 2.2 Recent history 3 Present day 4 Notable residents 5 References

[edit] Geography and administration

Farnworth was originally a chapelry within the parish of Deane. It became a separate civil parish in 1866. Under the Local Government Act 1894 it became the Urban District of Farnworth, which in 1939 was granted a charter elevating it to the status of municipal borough. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Farnworth became an unparished area of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton,Greater Manchester.

[edit] History

[edit] Early history

The town grew up in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries around the coal mining industry. Other industry included iron foundries and cotton mills.

[edit] Recent history

In early 2005 the town was observed on a police chase television series in a broadcast in the US where local UK police engaged and chased down the main street a stolen car being driven at high speed.^{[citation needed]}

Blighty's Nightclub on Chapel Street was the main entertainment venue in the Bolton area for many years, from the 1960s to late 1980s, when it closed. Many of the UK's best known acts appeared there at some stage in their careers, including Slade, Gene Pitney, Showaddywaddy, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Farnworth was also the setting of the famous LIFE nightclub in 1991. Previously the TV show "the Hitman and Her" used to attend "shirt and tie" nights. This was a first on English TV and filmed a nighclub that played dance music and captured the atmoshphere of "illegal raves".^{[citation needed]} Pete Waterman and Michaela Strachan were in attendance. The resulting broadcast was highly edited due to the unsuitability of the footage.^{[citation needed]} The other clubs that the Hitman and Her attended revolved around the consumption of alcohol. Whilst at life, the focus of the music was on the taking of drugs,^{[citation needed]} most notably Ecstasy.

[edit] Present day

Farnworth has a market and a theatre, and is also known for its underground canals, running from the mines to Worsley. A leisure centre is located on the main street. The A666 by-passes the town and there is a very large and popular park close to the town centre. A shopping centre has recently closed down in the south of the town, and may be redeveloped.^{[citation needed]}

Farnworth is home to St. Gregory's Catholic Club, the club used to film television comedy Phoenix Nights.

The Royal Bolton Hospital (formerly Fishpool Institution (Workhouse) and then Townleys Hospital) is found in Farnworth.

Farnworth is among the 10% most deprived areas in the country.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Notable residents

• Alan Ball - footballer
• Hylda Baker - comedienne
• Jim Cartwright - playwright
• Roy Chadwick - designer of the Avro Lancaster bomber - born in Farnworth
• Frank Finlay - actor
• Tommy Lawton - footballer - born in Farnworth
• David Potts - frontman of music group Monaco
• Michael Pollitt - Wigan Athletic goalkeeper, footballer.
• David Unsworth - Football League Official

[edit] References