Warrington

Warrington is midway between Liverpool and Manchester, pretty much where the M62 crosses the M6. It became important in the industrial revolution, like so many towns in the area, but had a second boom when it was designated as a "new town" in 1968. The first UK IKEA opened in Warrington! It is also home to the transporter bridge I visited last year.

Perhaps the most impressive sight is the Golden Gates. These were built for Queen Victoria, and unveiled at the International Exhibition of 1862. But behind them was a statue of Oliver Cromwell, and the Queen's courtiers consequently steered her away from the gates. A Warrington councilor and ironmaster heard they were going cheap, and so purchased them to stand in front of the town hall.


The town hall was originally a mansion, built in 1750 for for local merchant Thomas Patten.


There are a surprising number of Georgian buildings. These are just to the east of the town hall.


And south of them is Palmyra Square.


On the east side of the square.


In the southwest corner of the square, Parr Hall, built 1895, a venue for music concerts. Right of it is the old technical school, built 1902 by William Lever - the Lever Brothers company (later UniLever) was founded in Warrington.


South of the square is the library and museum. The Museum Act of 1845 allowed councils to establish museums, and the first such was in Warrington in 1848. It moved to its current location in 1858.

The Academy was built in 1756 as a school for Protestantism. The building was lifted from its foundations and moved 19 m on rollers in 1981. And then a few years later it was demolished, and then rebuilt, so what we have today is only about forty years old.


Further south still, and we get to the River Mersey. Warrington's earliest importance was as the lowest bridging point. This is looking up river, at Warrington Bridge, the sixth at that location, built 1905-15.


Looking the other way, this is Arpley Bridge, carrying what I think is a good-only railway across the river.


Also near by is this phone booth, which you will recognise as the K4, ca. 1930, rather than the far more common K6.


Heading back north, along Bridge Street, we find the more commercial areas. Some looking a bit run down, and it is telling the Feathers is up for sale.


On the other side, the Lion.


It starts to get really quite attractive as we continue. I liked this water feature. Not sure the photo does it justice.


At the top of Bridge Street is a circle called Market Gate. Bridge Street can be seen on the right.


On the other side is the Blue Bell.


Just down Sankey Street to the west, I think this was the Co-op, built in 1864, and rebuilt in 1908. It was later TJ Hughes, and now reborn as HiveWA1, a shopping arcade.


To the north is the Old Market Place.


And behind that is the Barley Mow, built in 1561, the oldest building I found by a long way.


The Hop Pole marks the northern limit of the commercial centre.


Continuing north, we pass under the Liverpool to Manchester railway - not the original one, that went north of Warrington. This is Warrington Central station, though I think the station building is no longer part of the station.


The Kings Head is near by.


A little to the west is Bewsey Street, which is a conservation area. Houses developed along here from 1740 onwards, and I think the ones in the photo were the earliest.


Turning right into Tanners Lane, and we find the Three Pigeons pub. This was built in 1831 as the station building of Warrington Dallam Lane station. It was at the end of a short branch connecting to the original Liverpool to Manchester railway at Earlstown. The station closed in 1837, when Warrington Bank Quay opened, though goods facilities survived until the 1960s.


The railway ran to the west of Dallam Lane (left of the road in the photo below), but also served Dallam Brewery which stood where Halliwell Jones Stadium stands today. This is the home ground of Warrington Wolves; it opened in 2004. The name is the sponsoring company, and has been that since opening.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at Warrington. I had always thought of it as a fairly characterless place, and it really was not. There were some run down areas, but the centre seemed vibrant, and a lot of the buildings had great character.





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