Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south of Widnes across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn. Upstream and 8 miles to the east of Widnes is the town of Warrington, and downstream 16 miles to the west is the city of Liverpool. Historically part of Lancashire...

The history of Macclesfield goes back to a Saxon settlement once held by Edwin, Earl of Mercia. It became a centre for silk-button making and by the eighteenth century had become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of finished silk. Several imposing mills still remain in the town today. The breadmaker Hovis also built its first mill in Macclesfield by Macclesfield Canal and another landmark building in the town is the furniture store Arighi Bianchi, still trading from its Victorian bu...

Like many cities in the UK, Manchester has changed dramatically over the years and continues to do so. The ‘Second City of Empire’ was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution, especially in textile manufacture, and for a time was the most productive centre of cotton processing in the world. The boom ended as dramatically as it had begun, with the death of the textile industry and waning of the city’s role as a major inland port, and the post-war decades were marked by industrial decline,...

Opened on 17 July 1761, the canal has a special place in history as the first to be built in Britain without following an existing watercourse, and so became a model for those that followed. Affectionately known as the ‘Duke’s Cut’, the Bridgewater Canal revolutionised transport in this country and marked the beginning of the golden canal age, which lasted from 1760 to 1830. However, as the rail network surpassed the canals as a method of transporting goods, the canal fell into disuse and ...

Widnes is a town with a long industrial heritage. In 1847 the first chemical factory was established and the town rapidly became a major centre of the chemical industry. The town grew quickly as housing and social provisions were made for the factory workers. Soon the villages of Farnworth, Appleton, Ditton and Upton were absorbed within the developing town of Widnes. Other industries developed too, including iron and copper works. In the 1920s and 1930s there was further diversification o...

Runcorn History Tour is a unique insight into the fascinating history of this industrial Cheshire town and shows just how much it has changed during the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Readers are invited to follow local authors and historians Jean and John Bradburn as they guide them through its streets and alleyways, pointing out the well-known and lesser-known landmarks along the way.

Despite its size the Cheshire town of Knutsford is full of history, beautiful Italianate architecture and quirky buildings. It is also surrounded by stately homes built by the landed gentry, including Tabley House and Tatton Park. According to legend its name was derived by King Cnut fording the river here; however, this has been disputed by historians as the River Lily is really no more than a brook. Knutsford has an established place in literary history as it provided the inspiration and...

With a proud history of industry and creativity, Manchester is one of the world’s greatest cities. In 2015 it was designated ‘The Northern Powerhouse’ but, of course, being the home of the Industrial Revolution, it always was. Manchester gave the world technological innovation as well as manufacturing strength. By the second half of the nineteenth century Manchester was home to more than 100 mills and well over 1,000 warehouses. It was in Manchester that Whitworth devised a standard for sc...

The medieval town of Manchester grew at the confluence of the River Irk and Irwell. The opening of the Bridgewater Canal signalled the start of the Industrial Revolution and the town was transformed into Cottonopolis. Railway links and the vast increase in the cotton and textile trade were major factors in the development of Cheetham Hill. Crumpsall was a pleasant village in the early nineteenth century, but the workhouse and the industry in Lower Crumpsall changed the area forever. Blackl...

This illustrated history portrays one of England’s finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Manchester’s past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover sub...

Runcorn’s position on the Mersey was identified as early as 915, by the Saxon princess Ethelfleda. The fort was built at Castle Rock in order to defend against the Danish invaders. The site, known as Castle Rock, is just where the railway bridge now spans the river. Prosperity first came to Runcorn with the building of the Bridgewater Canal, which was completed in 1776; the start of Runcorn as an industrial town. Heavy industry, such as soap and alkali works, soon moved in, as did major tr...

Central Manchester History Touris a unique insight into the fascinating history of the former ‘Second City of the British Empire’, showing just how much it has changed during the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Readers are invited to follow local authors and historians Jean and John Bradburn as they guide them through the streets and alleyways of the city centre, pointing out the well-known and lesser-known landmarks along the way.