Runcorn
Runcorn | |
---|---|
Town | |
Runcorn's Silver Jubilee Bridge | |
Coat of arms | |
Location within Cheshire | |
Population | 62,100 (2021)[1] |
Demonym | Runcornian |
OS grid reference | SJ 5140 8300 |
• London | 167 mi (269 km)[2] SE |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | RUNCORN |
Postcode district | WA7 |
Dialling code | 01928 |
Police | Cheshire |
Fire | Cheshire |
Ambulance | North West |
UK Parliament | |
Runcorn is an industrial town and
Runcorn was founded by
Three bridges span the River Mersey and the
History
Early history
The earliest written reference to the town is in the
Little is known about the early history of the settlement but isolated findings of objects from the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages have been made and there is evidence of a Roman presence in the area.[11]
The first recorded event in its history is the building by
Medieval
Following the
In 1115, Nigel's son, William Fitznigel, founded an
In 1565, Rocksavage, an Elizabethan Hall, was constructed for Sir John Savage in Clifton, now part of Runcorn.[15]
English Civil War
During the
In 1656, Runcorn was described as being "nothing but a fair parish church, a parsonage and a few scattered tenements".[17] And so it remained for over a century, an isolated and poor hamlet. The only through traffic used the ferry which crossed from Runcorn to the north bank of the River Mersey.
Industrialisation
During the 18th century, water transport had been improved in the area by the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, the Bridgewater Canal and the Trent and Mersey Canal. This gave Runcorn waterway connections with most of the interior of England through the canal system and with the sea along the River Mersey, thus forming the basis for the development of the Port of Runcorn.[5]
Later came the Runcorn to Latchford Canal linking with the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, and the Weston Canal which gave better access to the Weaver Navigation system.[18]
Industries began to develop within and around the town, in particular shipbuilding, engineering, chemical manufacturing, tanning, and sandstone quarrying. Towards the end of the 18th century and in the early years of the 19th century, the town was a health resort.[6]
The growth of industry did not diminish Runcorn's late 18th and early 19th century reputation as a health resort and the "Montpelier of England".[19] In 1822 the town's first Saltwater Baths opened followed by new visitor accommodation in Belvedere Terrace in 1831.[20][21]
In the middle of the century, the growing wealth of the town and its industrialists saw the construction of several new landmarks, including Halton Grange, St Paul's Methodist Chapel and All Saints' Church.[22]
For hundreds of years, the only means of crossing the River Mersey at this point had been by the Runcorn ferry. Thomas Telford proposed a 1,000 ft (300 m) single span suspension bridge as early as 1817, but it was not until 1868 that the first bridge, Runcorn Railway Bridge, was opened across the Mersey at Runcorn. This gave the town direct rail links with Liverpool and the rest of the country.[23]
Runcorn was becoming an industrialised and highly polluted town. During the later 19th century the town became increasingly dominated by the chemical and tanning industries. In the 1880s a pipeline was opened between Northwich and Weston Point, supplying brine to the salt works and in 1896 the Castner Kellner chemical works was established.[24]
In 1894 the
In 1905, the
During the first half of the 20th century, the industry of the town continued to be dominated by chemicals and tanning. This growth was largely due to government fixed-priced cost contracts for tanned hides. In 1926, four chemical companies merged to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI).
During the second half of the 20th century, the tanneries closed (the last to close was the Highfield Tannery in the late 1960s) and the chemical industry declined. At the same time, light industry developed together with warehouses and distribution centres.[27]
Second World War
In 1937, ICI began to build a new factory for mustard gas production at their Randle plant on Wigg Island.[28] The ICI chemical plants at Runcorn featured in the Gestapo Black Book as a company of special interest but although the works at Weston Point were discussed at Luftwaffe briefings in 1940, the town was never deliberately targeted and was subject only to very limited bombing.[29]
New Town development
In September 1963, the
Following objections to the draft order, a
The new town masterplan of 1967 more than doubled the population as it encompassed neighbouring settlements and created new housing estates to the south and east.[7] The key features of the new town were its unique housing and estate designs, segregated pedestrian pathways, Busway, extensive landscaped green space, separate industrial areas and new town centre.[32]
The new town centre was designated at the geographical heart of the expanded town with Shopping City, an American style enclosed mall, as its focus.[33] This was a source of conflict between Arthur Ling, the new town Master Planner, and Fred Roche, Chief Architect. Whereas Ling envisaged a centre reminiscent of a citadel or acropolis at the base of Halton Castle, Roche preferred to expand the existing town centre, partly to placate the Urban District Council and existing traders.[34] The new Halton site was favoured and Shopping City opened in 1972.[33]
However, the Urban District Council secured a commitment from the Development Corporation to continue a programme of regeneration which the council had already begun.[35] In 1971, the Development Corporation published Master Plan Amendment No.1 which focused on the urban renewal of the Old Town centre, now designated a smaller 'district centre'. The plan sought to increase public open space, reduce shopping provision, rationalise roads and renew housing stock. It also included plans to widen the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge from two to four lanes and create a new system of junctions between the bridge and the expressway.[36]
The masterplan was amended for the second and final time in 1975. Amendment No.2 extended the expressway further to the east and redesignated land at Sandymoor intended for industrial use to residential.[37] The Runcorn Development Corporation merged with Warrington Development Corporation on 1 April 1981 and was wound up on 30 September 1989.[38]
Much of the architecture of the new town was innovative, especially the Southgate development designed by Sir James Stirling and built between 1970 and 1977. Stirling's housing development was beset with problems and it was demolished in the early 1990s.[39][40] In 2002, the Castlefields Partnership (made up of English Partnerships and Halton Borough Council) was created to comprehensively redevelop the Castlefields estate, including the demolition of over 700 deck access flats.[41]
Governance
Local government
Runcorn is unparished with the exception of Sandymoor, and a large part of the Whitehouse Industrial Estate which falls under Preston Brook Parish Council. The local authority is Halton Borough Council for which the town is divided into nine electoral wards, each electing three councillors.[42]
At the time of the
Under the Runcorn Improvement Act 1852, a board of
Runcorn Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 when it merged with the Municipal Borough of Widnes and parts of Runcorn Rural District and Whiston Rural District to form the Borough of Halton under Halton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council. In 1998, Halton Borough Council became a unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Cheshire.[47] In April 2014, Halton Borough Council joined five other local authorities in Merseyside to form the Liverpool City Region.
Westminster representation
The western area of the town is in the Halton constituency and the eastern part in the Weaver Vale constituency. Since the 1997 general election, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Halton constituency has been Derek Twigg of the Labour Party.[48] Weaver Vale is a marginal seat and has switched parties several times since its creation in 1997.
Before the
Geography
Topography
Runcorn is situated on a spur projecting into the River Mersey, which flows to the north and then to the west of the town. On the north bank of the river is another spur forming the West Bank area of Widnes; together these form Runcorn Gap, a narrowing of the River Mersey. The town is bounded to the southwest by the
Runcorn Gap is crossed by three bridges: Runcorn Railway Bridge (which carries the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line), the Silver Jubilee Bridge and the Mersey Gateway which carries the A533. A system of dual carriageways called 'expressways' form a figure of 8 around the town.[54] The Central Expressway runs through the centre of the town in a north–south direction and is the main through-road. It connects to the M56 motorway which cuts into the south of the town.
To the west of the Central Expressway lies the Old Town of Runcorn, Higher Runcorn,
Geology
The Runcorn area drains into the River Mersey to the north and the River Weaver to the south.
The bedrock geology of the River Mersey and the northern and western fringes of Runcorn is Sherwood Sandstone and pebbly sandstone. To the south there is a transition to siltstone, sandstone and predominantly Mercia Mudstone. The primary sedimentary rock is New Red Sandstone.[53]
The superficial geology is varied with pockets of sand and diamicton along the lower-lying land adjacent to the Mersey and through Runcorn. Sand and gravel becomes common on the southern fringes of the town and elsewhere there are small pockets of clay, silt, sand and gravel.[53]
Ecology
There are two Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the town: Floodbrook Clough and the Mersey Estuary.[53] Floodbrook Clough in Beechwood is an Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland and one of the best examples in Cheshire of clough woodland on keuper marl.[56]
There are five Local Nature Reserves designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949: Runcorn Hill, Dorchester Park, Oxmoor Woods, Wigg Island and Murdishaw Valley.[53]
Demography
Population growth
Early census statistics for the town include only the areas known now as the Old Town and Higher Runcorn. In 1936, Runcorn Urban District grew to incorporate the neighbouring village of Weston.[46] The present statistical boundaries of Runcorn were defined in the Runcorn New Town (Designation) Order 1964 which greatly expanded the town to the east.
The population of Runcorn in 1664 has been estimated as 305.[57]
Year | Population | Change as % |
---|---|---|
1801 | 1,379 | — |
1811 | 2,060 | +49.4% |
1821 | 3,103 | +50.6% |
1831 | 5,035 | +62.3% |
1841 | 6,951 | +38.1% |
1851 | 8,688 | +25.0% |
1861 | 10,063 | +15.8% |
1871 | 12,066 | +19.9% |
1881 | 15,126 | +25.4% |
1891 | 20,020 | +32.4% |
1901 | 16,491 | −17.6% |
1911 | 17,353 | +5.2% |
1921 | 18,476 | +6.5% |
1931 | 18,127 | −1.9% |
1939 | 21,718 | +19.8% |
1951 | 23,931 | +10.2% |
1961 | 26,035 | +8.8% |
1971 | 35,999 | +38.3% |
1981 | 64,196 | +78.3% |
1991 | 64,952 | +1.2% |
2001 | 60,320 | −7.1% |
2011 | 61,789 | +2.4% |
2021 | 62,100 | +0.5% |
Religion
In the 2021 census, 52.5% said they were Christian, down from 70.1% in 2011. 41.5% stated that they had "no religion" and 4.6% made no religious claims. Those stating their religions as Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh or other amounted to 1.3%.[1][59]
The town's
There are two
In 2013, the former Waterloo Hotel was converted into a Buddhist temple by Wat Phra Singh. As of May 2014[update], there are five resident monks.[63]
Ethnicity
In the 2021 census, of Runcorn's 62,100 residents, 96.6% identified as White. Mixed/multiple ethnic groups made up 1.5%; Asian/Asian British/Asian Welsh 1.0%; Black/Black British/Black Welsh/Caribbean/African 0.4%; and Other ethnic group 0.6%. 97.4% had English as a first language.[1]
Economy
In 2020, the GVA for the Runcorn Built-up Area Sub-division was £2.86 billion.[64]
Runcorn has a higher proportion of people working in manufacturing, logistics, and wholesale and retail than the average for England.[59][8] Chemical manufacturing has been the town's dominant sector since the 19th century, but the local economy has increasingly diversified into other advanced manufacturing sectors, such as aerospace and automotive, as well as services and logistics.[65]
The main industrial areas of the town are Astmoor, Manor Park, Whitehouse, the Heath and Weston Point. Sci-Tech Daresbury is to the southeast of the town. The main retail and leisure area is Shopping City in the centre of the town with a smaller district centre at the old town.
Industry | Runcorn (Resident Jobs) | Runcorn (%) | Halton (%) | England (%) | Runcorn – England Difference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C Manufacturing | 3,829 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 8.8 | 4.9 |
H Transport and storage | 2,087 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 5.0 | 2.4 |
G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles | 5,069 | 18.1 | 18.7 | 15.9 | 2.2 |
N Administrative and support service activities | 1,579 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 0.7 |
E Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 334 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
J Information and communication | 1,247 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.3 |
O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 1,721 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 0.2 |
D Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 194 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
Q Human health and social work activities | 3,460 | 12.3 | 12.0 | 12.4 | −0.1 |
B Mining and quarrying | 40 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | −0.1 |
L Real estate activities | 314 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | −0.4 |
I Accommodation and food service activities | 1,388 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 5.6 | −0.6 |
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 44 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | −0.6 |
F Construction | 1,881 | 6.7 | 7.4 | 7.7 | −1.0 |
R, S, T, U Other | 988 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 5.0 | −1.5 |
M Professional, scientific and technical activities | 1,305 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 6.7 | −2.0 |
K Financial and insurance activities | 555 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 4.4 | −2.4 |
P Education | 1,993 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 9.9 | −2.8 |
Manufacturing and chemicals
The town's chemical industry was dominated for many years by
Other large employers include advanced manufacturing firms Sigmatex (manufacturer of carbon fibre), Héroux-Devtek (manufacturer of aircraft landing gear), Whitford (manufacturer of speciality coatings), Teva (manufacturer of pharmaceuticals) and Fresenius Kabi (manufacturer of medical and pharmaceutical products).[71] Drinks manufacturer, Diageo, has maintained a packaging plant at Runcorn since 1970 which packages Guinness, Pimm's, Kilkenny and Smirnoff Ice for distribution in Great Britain.[65]
Sci-Tech Daresbury is a National Science and Innovation Campus to the south east of Runcorn. The campus offers lab space, offices and workshops to rent. It is home to the largest supercomputer in Europe and the Virtual Engineering Centre which works with Bentley motor cars, BAE Systems and Jaguar Land Rover. The site also houses Daresbury Laboratory which employs over 300 staff specialising in accelerator science, bio-medicine, physics, chemistry, materials, engineering and computational science.[72]
Logistics
Runcorn's position between Liverpool and Manchester airports and its links to the rail, motorway and canal networks have made it a centre for logistics.
There are several large logistics depots across Runcorn, including Eddie Stobart Group's road haulage site and driver training school in Manor Park, the Downton haulage depot at the Whitehouse Industrial Estate, and an NHS Supply Chain Depot in Astmoor Industrial Estate.[75][76]
Services
There has been a shift in employment from manufacturing to service industries. In 1991, 34% worked in the manufacturing sector and 61% were in the service sector. By 2004, 17% were in manufacturing jobs and 78% were in service jobs.[77] This trend in the local region is demonstrated in this chart which shows the regional "gross value added" of Halton and Warrington at current basic prices, with figures in millions of pounds.[78]
Year | Regional Gross Value Addedd | Agriculturea | Industryb | Servicesc |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | 3,636 | 14 | 1,361 | 2,261 |
2000 | 4,768 | 10 | 1,433 | 3,324 |
2003 | 5,774 | 18 | 1,399 | 4,356 |
- ^ includes hunting and forestry
- ^ includes energy and construction
- ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
- ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
Runcorn has two shopping centres. The original shopping area was in the older part of the town on High Street, Regent Street and Church Street.
Transport
The Runcorn New Town Masterplan created three distinct types of road: busways, expressways and local roads.
The Runcorn Busway was the world's first bus rapid transit system in 1971.[82] First conceived in the Runcorn New Town Masterplan in 1966, it opened for services in October 1971 and all 22 km (14 mi) were operational by 1980.[83] It is a road network for use by buses only and, unlike guided busways or bus lanes, it is a totally separate road system, not running alongside (or down the middle of) existing roads. It was designed so that most residents would be no more than five minutes walking distance, or 500 yards (460 m), from a bus stop.[7] The central station is at Runcorn Shopping City where buses arrive on dedicated raised busways to two enclosed stations.[33] Professor Arthur Ling, Runcorn Development Corporation's Master Planner, claimed to have invented the concept while sketching on the back of an envelope.[84] Bus services are provided by Arriva North West, Anthony's Travel, MP Travel, Warrington's Own Buses, Ashcroft Travel, Halton Community Transport and Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire.[85] Two coach companies operate from the town; Selwyns Travel,[86] and Anthony's Travel.[87]
The expressways form a ring road around the town in a figure of eight and are intended to keep all through traffic off the local roads.
There are two railway stations.
Runcorn is 8 mi (13 km) from Liverpool John Lennon Airport and 22 mi (35 km) from Manchester Airport.
Landmarks
There are two Grade I
Most Grade II* listed buildings in the town are around the base of Halton Castle, including
The Runcorn home of the Duke of Bridgewater, Bridgewater House, is a prominent landmark and Grade II listed building on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal where a flight of locks from his canal once stood. The home of a later industrialist, Thomas Johnson, became Runcorn Town Hall, a Grade II listed Italianate building with similarities to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.[92]
The landmarks largest in scale are the three bridges which span the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal at Runcorn.
Runcorn Shopping City, at the heart of the New Town, was designed by Fred Roche CBE and at the time of its construction was the largest covered shopping centre in Europe.[7] It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.[96]
Culture
Theatre and cinema
The Brindley is a theatre and arts centre which opened in 2004. It is situated in the old town and named after James Brindley, engineer of the adjacent Bridgewater Canal.[97] It contains a proscenium theatre seating 420 and a multi-purpose theatre seating 108, The Studio, which doubles as a cinema. There is an exhibition space for art installations, a small café and multi-purpose rooms. The centre is owned and administered by Halton Borough Council which runs community events in the building.[98] In 2007, it won the title of 'Best Arts Project in the UK' at the National Lottery Awards.[97] A multiplex cinema was run by Cineworld at Trident Retail Park until its closure on 26th November 2023.[99]
Media
Runcorn is served by two weekly newspapers: the Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News, published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales and hosted online by the Liverpool Echo,[100] and the Runcorn and Widnes World, published by Newsquest.[101] The town is also home to Halton Community Radio, a volunteer-run radio station which broadcasts over the Runcorn and Widnes area on the frequency 92.3FM.[102] It was launched on 8 August 2008 with a five-year licence to broadcast.[103]
The BBC situation comedy Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps was set in Runcorn and included external shots of the former Waterloo Hotel (known in the programme as The Archer), the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Halton Castle.[104] Drop Dead Gorgeous, a drama on BBC Three, was also set in Runcorn.[105] The first two series of the BBC police drama Merseybeat featured sequences of the town[106] and areas of Runcorn old town featured in The Five TV crime drama series on Sky1. Norton Priory has been used as a location in historical dramas, sitcoms and children's programmes, including Little Birds, Bone Detectives (Channel 4), Island at War, Casanova and Young Dracula.[107] The Silver Jubilee Bridge featured in the Netflix series, Stay Close.[108] Runcorn was a setting in the Netflix series, The Last Kingdom, although no scenes were filmed in the town.[109]
Literature
The Runcorn Ferry is a monologue written by Marriott Edgar and popularised by Stanley Holloway celebrating the ancient river crossing which existed from the 12th century until the construction of the Transporter Bridge in 1905. It includes the lines:
Per tuppence per person per trip ... Per trip or per part of per trip.[110]
Community facilities
The main library is at Runcorn Shopping City with a branch library in the old town centre.[111] A Council 'one stop shop' called Halton Direct Link is based next to the main library.[112]
Open areas in Runcorn form part of
- Town Park forms the centre of the eastern part of the New Town. It is accessible from all of the surrounding communities and links them to Shopping City. There is a privately operated dry ski slope in the park in addition to a volunteer-run 7 1/4" gauge miniature railway, first opened in 1979, which runs through the park for almost a mile.[115]
- Phoenix Park adjoins Town Park to the north and includes a cafe, rock climbing wall, skate park and BMX track. There is a pavilion, walking routes along the Bridgewater Canal, woodland walks, a lake, picnic benches and a children's playground.[116] Footpaths lead to Norton Priory.
- Runcorn Hill Park and Local Nature Reserve is in the centre of the western part of the town, partly on a dis-used nineteenth-century quarry. It holds a Green Flag Award and incorporates natural woodland and heathland with more formal landscaping, playing fields, a bandstand, model boating lake, sporting facilities and cafe. A Chirotherium dinosaur footprint discovered in the quarry can be viewed in the cafe.
- Wigg Island is a large park and nature reserve to the north on the banks of the Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal. The community park was opened on 19 April 2002 by the Mayor of Halton and Bill Oddie. The island is named after Charles Wigg. It covers 23 hectares of a former industrial site and includes several bird watching hides. It is reached via The Old Quay Bridge, a Grade II listed swing bridge built in 1894.
There are three privately run swimming pools at Beechwood Community Centre, INARA club and Holiday Inn Runcorn. The local authority runs two leisure centres and swimming pools at Runcorn Swimming Pool and Brookvale Recreation Centre in addition to outdoor sporting facilities in its parks.[117]
Runcorn's hospital is Halton General Hospital, which is administered by the Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It has an Urgent Care Centre but acute medical services are provided by Warrington Hospital.[118] The Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre, a purpose-built hospital for orthopaedic surgery, is on the same site.[119] Halton Haven Hospice is in the Murdishaw area of the town.[120] The body responsible for planning health services in Runcorn, including primary care, is the Halton Clinical Commissioning Group.[121]
Cheshire Constabulary operate a police station adjacent to Runcorn Shopping City in the centre of the New Town and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service maintains a 24-hour fire station.[122][123]
Sports
Football
The town has two senior football teams –
Runcorn Linnets were formed as a trust-based team in 2006 from the now defunct
Runcorn Town was formed in 1970 as Mond Rangers FC with the club changing their name in 2005 in order to "try and bring a more professional look to the club in general, and increase support from both businesses and individuals in the local community."
Rugby
In the late 19th century, before the 1895 schism, rugby union was played at the now defunct Runcorn RFC. When the rugby football schism occurred in 1895, Runcorn became founder members of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League). Runcorn finished bottom of the league in the 1914–15 season and did not recommence playing in the aftermath of the First World War.
Rugby league in the town is now represented by Runcorn RLC.
Other sports
Runcorn Sports Club in Higher Runcorn hosts several clubs, including Runcorn Cricket Club, Hockey Club, Running Club and Subscription Bowling Club.[127]
Runcorn Rowing Club is sited on the River Weaver Navigation near Clifton Village and also houses Runcorn Canoe Club.[128]
Weston Angling Club Runcorn is a private fishing club which owns Sandymoor Pool in the east of the town.[129]
There is an 18-hole golf course at Runcorn Golf Club in Clifton Road.[130] Nearby is Heath Tennis Club which uses facilities at the Heath School.[131]
Runcorn Ski Centre in Town Park consists of three dry ski slopes: an 85-metre main slope, a 45-metre extended nursery slope, and a 25-metre nursery slope. The centre runs both skiing and snowboarding lessons.[132]
Runcorn had a
Notable people
Arts and entertainment
- Elizabeth Jocelin (1595–1622), writer[134]
- Francis William Bourdillon (1852–1921), poet, translator, bibliophile, and scholar[135]
- Sir Hall Caine (1853–1931), novelist, dramatist, short story writer, poet and critic. World War I allied propagandist. Awarded Order of Leopold (Belgium).[136]
- Alistair Taylor (1935–2004) assistant to Brian Epstein and General Manager of Apple Corps[137]
- Anna Keaveney (1949–2004), actress[138]
- Martin Roscoe (born 1952), classical pianist[139]
- John Bishop (born 1966), comedian, presenter, and actor[140]
- Phil Collins (born 1970), artist[141]
- Pete Edmunds (born c. 1972), actor, voice actor, photographer, and artist
- Kym Marsh (born 1976), singer and actress[142]
- Raymond Waring (born 1977), actor[143]
- Susan Nickson (born 1982), television writer and producer[144]
- Nicola Roberts (born 1985), singer and member of girl band Girls Aloud[145]
Public service
- The Barony of Halton (1071–1413) comprised a succession of 15 barons; the seat of the Barons of Halton was Halton Castle
- Richard Brooke (died 1569), bought the manor of Norton from Henry VIII in 1545
- John Savage, 2nd Earl Rivers (c. 1603–1654), politician and royalist
- Sir Henry Brooke, 1st Baronet (1611–1664), soldier and politician
- Sir John Chesshyre (1662–1738), lawyer[146]
- Nathan Alcock (1707–1779), physician[147]
- Thomas Alcock (1709–1798), Vicar of Runcorn, writer, cider maker[148]
- Methodist who paid for the construction of 12 chapels and three schools in the area[149]
- Sir John Rigby (1834–1903), judge, politician, and MP for Wisbech[150]
- William Allen Whitworth (1840–1905), mathematician and priest in the Church of England[151]
- Thomas Alfred Jones (1880–1956), awarded the Victoria Cross and Distinguished Conduct Medal during World War I[152]
- Wilson Baker (1900–2002), organic chemist
- John Riley Holt (1918–2009), Professor of Experimental Physics at Liverpool University, helped develop the atom bomb[153]
Sports
- Harry Speakman (1864–1915), rugby player
- Samuel Houghton (1870–1920), rugby player
- Jack Fish (1880–1940), rugby player
- Dick Padbury (1886–unknown), rugby player
- Ernie Shaw (1894–unknown) rugby player
- Robert Done (1904–1982), footballer
- Bridget Duke-Wooley (1915–1976), alpine skier, competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics
- Ray Dutton (born 1945), rugby player
- Graham Abel (born 1960), footballer[154]
- Robin Reid (born 1971), boxer[155]
- Kieron Durkan (1973–2018), footballer
- Mike Jackson (born 1973), footballer[156]
- Kenny Lunt (born 1979), footballer[157]
- Lorna Webb (born 1983), professional cyclist
- Scott Brown (born 1985), footballer[158]
- Jimmy McNulty (born 1985), footballer[159]
- Shauna Coxsey (born 1993), professional rock climber[160]
- Luke Littler (born 2007), darts player
Business and industry
- Thomas Hazlehurst (1779–1842), founder of soap and alkali manufacturer Hazlehurst & Sons
- Charles Wigg (1824–1899), manufacturer of chemicals at Wigg Works, which later became Wigg Island
- Hamilton Castner (1858–1899), American industrial chemist, formed the Castner-Kellner Alkali Company in Runcorn, which operates the Castner–Kellner process
- Sir William Edward Dudley (1868–1938), president of the Co-operative Wholesale Society[161]
See also
- List of listed buildings in Runcorn
- List of schools in Halton
- Cheshire portal
Notes
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e "Area profile for Runcorn". Office for National Statistics - Census 2021. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". boulter.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ Nickson 1887, pp. 6–13.
- ^ a b Greene 1989, pp. 1–9.
- ^ a b Starkey 1983, pp. 19–24. and Starkey 1990, pp. 125–130.
- ^ a b Starkey 1990, pp. 133–137.
- ^ OCLC 311425. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ a b c Halton Borough Council. "2011 Census Halton key statistics profile" (PDF). Census and Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Runcorn – Coat of arms (crest) of Runcorn". Heraldry of the World. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ Nickson 1887, p. 5. and Starkey 1990, p. 4.
- ^ Starkey 1990, pp. 1–4.
- ^ Nickson 1887, pp. 6–13. The foundations of the fort were discovered during the building of the railway bridge but were covered by an abutment of the bridge.
- ^ Starkey 1990, pp. 7–8.
- ^ Greene 1989, p. 151. and Nickson 1887, p. 39.
- ^ Historic England, "Remains of Rock Savage (1330365)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 April 2015
- ^ Starkey 1990, pp. 57–58.
- ^ King, Daniel, The Vale Royal of England, 1656 (quoted in Starkey 1990, p. 73.).
- ^ Starkey 1990, p. 173.
- ^ Nickson 1887, pp. 176–177.
- ^ Fowler, G. (1834). The Visitor's Guide to Runcorn and its Vicinity. W. Walker. p. 45.
- ^ Nickson 1887, p. 176.
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Sources
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- Nickson, Charles (1887). History of Runcorn; with an account of the ancient village of Weston ... Drawings by H. Fitton. [Reprinted from the "Runcorn Guardian."]. London and Warrington: Mackie & Co. from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
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Further reading
- Cowan, C.A. (1990). Runcorn Ferry and Hale Ford. Crossing the Runcorn Gap. Halton Borough Council.
- Cowan, C.A. (1990). Runcorn Railway Bridge. Crossing the Runcorn Gap. Halton Borough Council.
- Cowan, C.A. (1990). Runcorn Town Hall: A History and Description. Halton Borough Council.
- Cowan, C.A. (1992). Early Bridging Proposals. Crossing the Runcorn Gap. Halton Borough Council.
- Halton Borough Council (1978). The Bridging of Runcorn Gap. Halton Borough Council.
- Howard, Liz. (1993). The Way We Were – Runcorn Remembered: A Social History. Manchester: Aurora. ISBN 1-85926-031-4.
- Howard, Liz. (1995). Runcorn in Old Picture Postcards. Back in Time. Zaltbommel: European Library. ISBN 90-288-6124-6.
- Nicolle, Dorothy (2004). Widnes and Runcorn: Photographic Memories. Salisbury: Frith Book Company. ISBN 1-85937-854-4.
- Starkey, H.F. (1980). Runcorn in Times Past. Chorley: Countryside Publications. ISBN 0-86157-032-4.
- Starkey, H.F. (1994). Runcorn. The Old Photographs Series. Bath: Alan Sutton. ISBN 0-7524-0025-8.
- Starkey, H.F. (1999). Runcorn – The Second Selection. Images of England. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-1826-2.
- Starkey, H.F. (2005). Runcorn: A Century of Change. Images of England. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-3617-1.
- Starkey, H.F. (2008). Runcorn: A Town not so New. Gwespyr, Flintshire: MiddleView. ISBN 978-1-902964-08-9.
- Thompson, Dave (2000a). Over the Hill: An Historical Look at Runcorn Hill and its Locality. Runcorn: Dave Thompson.
- Thompson, Dave (2000b). Bridging the Mersey: A Pictorial History. Back in Time. Zaltbommel: European Library. ISBN 90-288-2640-8.
- Thompson, Dave (2001). Bridging Us Together: The Story of Runcorn–Widnes Bridge. Runcorn: Dave Thompson.
- Thompson, Dave (2004). The Changing Face of Runcorn. Britain in Old Photographs. Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-3507-3.
- Whimperley, Arthur (1981). Halton Castle: An Introduction and Visitors' Handbook. Widnes: Arthur Whimperley.
- Whimperley, Arthur (1986). The Barons of Halton. Widnes: MailBook Publishing.
External links
- Runcorn & District Historical Society.
- Resource for Urban Development International on Runcorn New Town