Euxton

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Euxton
Euxton shown within Lancashire
Population	8,318 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SD555186
Parish	Euxton
District	Chorley
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CHORLEY
Postcode district	PR6,PR7
Dialling code	01257
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Chorley
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Coordinates: 53°39′45″N 2°40′29″W / 53.662521, -2.674674

Euxton is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. The village is pronounced "Exton" (IPA: /ɛcstən/) and is situated just to the south of Leyland, and to the west of Chorley.

In 1997, Euxton Balshaw Lane railway station was re-opened after a gap of some 30 years. It is on the Preston - Wigan West Coast Main Line. In the near future there will be a second station built, which will serve the new Buckshaw Village development, and is on the Preston - Manchester line.

Euxton Hall, which was a significant stately residence now acts as a private hospital, and is half it's former glory, with the second storey being removed in the latter half of the twentieth century along with its grand colonnade. Euxton Hall Gate house can be seen at the bottom of the brow, near the parish church. Balshaw Lodge, which has recently been redeveloped was originally built as guest lodgings for the hall.

There was a large Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF Chorley) built here in the build up to World War II (Nevell et al., 1999). At its peak the factory employed over 40,000 people, and had its own railway station. It was probably the biggest munitions filling factory in the world, and it is said that the bouncing bombs used in the Dambusters Raid were made there. ROF Chorley later came under the ownership of British Aerospace, and in subsequent years was closed down with the land being sold. In the early 2000s the former ROF Chorley site was effectively flattened and sanitised, so that the land could be transformed into the new Buckshaw Village.

The former ROF Chorley sports ground is now used by English Premiership football team Bolton Wanderers F.C. as its training headquarters.

The village is also home to Euxton Villa FC and to Euxton Cricket Club. Euxton includes the prestigious Xton Business Park.

ERASE The Village Council and residents of Euxton are currently fighting a planning application appeal by Tarmac to build a sand extraction quarry in close to the village (between Runshaw Lane and Dawbers Lane) which it is felt would have a significant impact on health, traffic and environment locally.

Google maps overlay of area impacted by the quarry proposal (Area of quarry proposal in Light Red)