Halton, Lancashire

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Halton
Halton shown within Lancashire
OS grid reference	SD502648
District	City of Lancaster
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LANCASTER
Postcode district	LA2
Dialling code	01524
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Morecambe and Lunesdale
List of places: UK • England • Lancashire

Coordinates: 54°04′34″N 2°45′40″W / 54.076, -2.761

Halton with Aughton is a village located three miles east of Lancaster, England on the banks of the River Lune.

The village consists primarily of modern housing, amongst which can be found a number of 17th and 18th century buildings. The 19th century Textile Mills once harnessed the power of the Lune. Earthworks on Castle Hill show evidence of an 11th century Norman motte & bailey castle. In the churchyard of St Wilfreds stands the Halton Cross believed to have been carved by Norsemen over 1,000 years ago.

Viking Cross in Halton churchyard

Aughton was known as 'Actun' in the 1086 Domesday Book. This meant a place where oak trees grow. A tiny riverside hamlet by the River Claughton was made famous every 21 years when the gigantic Aughton Pudding is baked over a celebratory weekend and the pudding was the world’s largest. The village is mainly stone cottages centred around Aughton House.

Halton Castle was situated in the village of Halton. Halton was an important Anglo-Saxon manor held by Earl Tostig, the brother of King Harold before the Norman Conquest. It is likely that a motte and bailey castle was constructed on the site in the late 11th century. However Halton’s prominence was lost in the 12th century when favour shifted to Lancaster, and while Halton castle was abandoned the castle at Lancaster was rebuilt in stone. Only earthworks now remain and it is privately owned with no public right of way.