Everything about Runcorn totally explained
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the
borough of Halton in the
ceremonial county of
Cheshire,
England. In mid-2004 its population was estimated to be 61,252. The town is on the southern bank of the
River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form
Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north across the Mersey is the town of
Widnes. Upstream and to the northeast is the town of
Warrington, and downstream to the west is the city of
Liverpool.
Runcorn railway station is on the
West Coast Main Line. It provides frequent services to
London (Euston),
Liverpool, and
Birmingham. The
A533 road passes through the town from the south, crossing the Runcorn Gap over the
Silver Jubilee Bridge, the lowest bridge crossing of the
River Mersey. The
Manchester Ship Canal runs between the town and the River Mersey, and the
Bridgewater Canal passes through and ends in the town at its junction with the Manchester Ship Canal.
Runcorn was a small, isolated village until the coming of the
Industrial Revolution. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries it was a health resort. Towards the end of the 18th century, a port began to develop on the south bank of the River Mersey. During the 19th century industries developed, in particular the manufacture of soap and alkali, quarrying, shipbuilding, engineering, and tanning. In the early 20th century, the prime industries were chemicals and tanning. The original village has grown to include what were outlying villages. Except for chemicals, all the old industries have disappeared, and there has been diversification, in particular because of the close links to the motorway system, and the development of warehousing and distribution centres. A
new town was built to the east of the existing town in the 1960s and 1970s, and farther to the east, areas of private housing have been established; this has resulted in a doubling of the population from around 30,000 to its present level.
History
The earliest written reference to the town is in the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, where it's spelled Rumcofan, literally “a wide cove or bay”. This word is derived from the
Old English words
rúm (“wide” or “broad”) and
cofa (“cave” or “cove”). Other historical spellings of Runcorn include Rumcoven, Ronchestorn, Runckhorne, and Runcorne.
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's evidence of a
Roman presence in the area. The earliest recorded event in its history is the building by
Ethelfleda of a fortification at Runcorn to protect the northern frontier of her kingdom of
Mercia against the
Vikings in 915. The fort was built on Castle Rock overlooking the River Mersey at Runcorn Gap.
Following the
Norman conquest, Runcorn wasn't mentioned in the 1086
Domesday survey, although surrounding settlements were.
William the Conqueror granted the
earldom of Chester to
Hugh d'Avranches who granted the
barony of Halton to Nigel. It is likely that Nigel erected a
motte and bailey castle on Halton Hill in the 1070s. In 1115, Nigel's son, William Fitznigel, founded an
Augustinian Priory at Runcorn. In 1134 the priory was moved to Norton, about away. In 1391 the priory was raised to the higher status of
abbey. In 1536 the monastery was dissolved, and around nine years later the buildings and some of the monastic lands were sold to Sir
Richard Brooke who converted the habitable part of the abbey into a house.
During the
Civil War Halton Castle was held for the
Royalists by John Savage, 2nd
Earl Rivers, the Steward of Halton. It fell twice to Parliamentarian
Roundheads. The first siege was led by
Sir William Brereton in 1643; the second was during the following year. Following this, a "Council of War" was held in Warrington in 1646 at which it was decided that the castle should be
slighted. In 1656, Runcorn was described as being "nothing but a fair parish church, a parsonage and a few scattered tenements". 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. Towards the end of the 18th century and in the early years of the 19th century the town was a health resort.
| Year |
Total |
| 1801 |
1,397 |
| 1811 |
2,060 |
| 1821 |
3,103 |
| 1831 |
5.035 |
| 1841 |
6.950 |
| 1851 |
8,688 |
| 1861 |
10,141 |
| 1871 |
12,444 |
| 1881 |
15,133 |
| 1891 |
20,050 |
| 1901 |
16,491 |
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. Later came the Runcorn to
Latchford canal, and the Weston canal which gave better access to the
Weaver Navigation system. Industries began to develop within and around the town, in particular quarrying for Runcorn
sandstone, shipbuilding, engineering, the manufacture of soap and chemicals and tanning. 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 1868 the
Runcorn Railway Bridge was opened across the Mersey, giving Runcorn direct rail links with
Liverpool and the rest of the country. In the 1880s a pipeline was opened between Northwich and Weston Point, supplying brine to the salt and chemical works. In 1894 the
Manchester Ship Canal was opened throughout its length. This allowed ocean-going ships to travel inland as far as
Salford, some of them calling at the port of Runcorn. The rise in population between 1881 and 1891 and the drop by 1901 is explained by the number of people involved in constructing the ship canal. In 1905 the
Widnes-Runcorn Transporter Bridge opened, giving a direct link for vehicular traffic for the first time between the two towns.
During the first half of the 20th century the industry of the town continued to be dominated by chemicals and tanning. In 1926 four chemical companies merged to form
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). As the century progressed there was diversification of industry. In 1961 the Transporter Bridge was replaced by Runcorn Road Bridge (since named the Silver Jubilee Bridge) which allowed a more efficient means of road traffic across Runcorn Gap. The designation of Runcorn as a new town in 1964 brought major changes and more than doubled the population. 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. During the second half of the 20th century the tanneries closed and the chemical industry declined. At the same time, light industry developed together with warehouses and distribution centres.
Governance
Civic history
At the time of the
Domesday survey, Runcorn was in the
hundred of Tunendune, but later, and until the early 19th century, Runcorn was part of the Bucklow hundred. Under the Runcorn Improvement Act 1852, a board of
Improvement Commissioners was established to administer the civil government of the town. By the
Local Government Act 1894, the administration of the town and the surrounding areas was divided into Runcorn
Urban District and Runcorn
Rural District. Initially the urban district consisted of only the built-up area of Runcorn itself. By 1937, this area had been extended to include the communities of Weston and Weston Point to the south. By 1971 it had been further extended to the east to incorporate the village of Halton.
In 1964, Runcorn was designated as a new town. In 1974, as part of the
Local Government Act 1972, Runcorn Urban District was abolished and its territory amalgamated with
Widnes to form the borough of Halton. In 1998, this borough became a
unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Cheshire.
Political representation
Before the
Reform Act 1832, Runcorn was in the
parliamentary constituency of Cheshire which was represented by two
Members of Parliament. Following the Reform Act, the town was placed in the
North Cheshire constituency and from 1868 in the
Mid Cheshire constituency. From 1885 to 1950 the town was in the constituency of
Northwich. By an
act of Parliament in 1948, the
constituency of Runcorn was created, and in 1950 Runcorn's first Member of Parliament,
Dennis Vosper, was elected. He continued to represent the constituency until 1964, when he was succeeded by
Mark Carlisle.
Runcorn is part of two parliamentary constituencies. The western part of the town, which includes the old town area and part of the new town, is in the
constituency of Halton and the eastern part, containing the rest of the new town and private housing to the east of this, is in the
Weaver Vale constituency. Since the
1997 general election the Member of Parliament for the Halton constituency has been
Derek Twigg and for the Weaver Vale constituency
Mike Hall. Both are members of the
Labour party.
The local authority is the borough of Halton. The town is divided into ten
electoral wards. There are 56 local councillors: 33 represent the Labour party, 15 the
Liberal Democrat party, and 8 the
Conservative party.
Runcorn is in the
European parliamentary constituency of North West England.
Geography
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. Runcorn Gap is crossed by the
Runcorn Railway Bridge, which carries the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line, and the
Silver Jubilee Bridge, which carries the A533 road. To the south of the town is the
River Weaver and the Weston Canal. Both open into the ship canal. To the southeast of the town run the
M56 motorway, the
Chester–Manchester railway line, and the main branch of the West Coast Main Line. The town has a system of
expressways, roads designed to divert traffic away from the residential areas. The Central Expressway runs through the centre of the town in a north-south direction. To the west of it lie most of the former settlements which formed the older part of the town, namely Runcorn, Higher Runcorn, Weston, Weston Point and Clifton (formerly Rocksavage), and the new town areas of Halton Brook and Halton Lodge. To the east are the village of Halton, the old settlements of Norton and Stockham, and the new town areas of Castlefields, Palacefields, Windmill Hill, Murdishaw, Brookvale, and Hallwood Park.
The density of housing is generally high, but there are open green areas, in particular
heathland on Runcorn Hill and the extensive Town Park created as part of the new town. The older industries, particularly the remaining chemical factories, are concentrated mainly to the southwest of the town bordering the Mersey, while newer industries, including warehousing, are to the northeast and southeast.
Climate
Being close to the west coast and the
Irish Sea, the climate is generally
temperate with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean average temperature in the years 1971 to 2000 was 9.4 to 9.7
°C, which was slightly above the average for the United Kingdom as was the average amount of annual sunshine at 1391 to 1470 hours. The average annual rainfall was 741 to 870 mm, which was slightly below the average for the UK. The average number of days in the year when snow is on the ground is 0 to 6, which is low for the United Kingdom. The average number of days of air frost is 2 to 39, which is also low.
Demography
Since the borough of Halton became a unitary authority in 1998, demographic statistics have been collated for the authority as a whole, rather than separately for the towns of Runcorn and Widnes. While the two towns have different histories and come from different historic counties, their demographic features are similar.
The population of Halton in 2004 was 118,915. It is the most densely populated district in Cheshire at 14.9 persons per hectare. The change in population during the 20th century is shown in the following table.
| Year |
1901 |
1911 |
1921 |
1931 |
1941 |
1951 |
1961 |
1971 |
1981 |
1991 |
2001 |
| Population | 57,755 |
57,062 |
61,039 |
65,309 |
71,835 |
79,026 |
87,168 |
96,150 |
121,861 |
124,915 |
118,215
|
| Source: |
In 2003 Halton had the largest proportion of the population in Cheshire in the age groups under 5, 5 to 15, and 16 to pension age and, at 16.1% the lowest proportion of people at pension age or older. At 1.2% the proportion of non-white ethnic groups in 2001 equalled the lowest in all local authorities in Cheshire. At 11.5 per 1,000 population, the live birth rate in Halton and Warrington is the highest in the county. At 121 the standardised mortality ratio is the highest in Cheshire, as is the percentage of persons with limiting long-term illness (21.5%).
There has been an increase in the number of households from 47,214 in 1991 to 52,501 in 2006. The average household size has fallen from 2.70 in 1991 to 2.44 in 2001. In 1991, 75.8% of houses were centrally heated, compared with 89.8% in 2001. The type of housing has also changed, with an increase from 15.5% to 19.2% in detached houses from 1991 to 2001, an increase over the same years in semi-detached houses from 30.0% to 33.0%, and a corresponding decrease in terraced houses from 44.0% to 37.5%. The percentage of dwellings in council tax bands A–B is, at 69%, the highest in any Cheshire local authority. The percentages in bands E–F (8%) and G–H (1%) are the lowest.
Economy
Of Runcorn's former industries, all but the chemical industry have disappeared. The industry was dominated for many years by
ICI; it has since been taken over by
Ineos. In Runcorn, Ineos manufactures chemicals including
chlorine, chlorine-containing compounds including
vinyl chloride, heavy chemicals including
alkalis, and
fluorine-containing compounds. A separate business within the same company manufactures salt from
brine transported by
pipeline from the saltfields of central Cheshire. The former ICI offices and laboratories now comprise the Heath Business and Technical Park, which provides office, laboratory, conference, and leisure facilities. To the east of the town, diverse industries have been developed including, because of the proximity to the motorway system, warehouses and distribution centres. and The Port of Weston.
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.
| Year |
Regional Gross Value Added |
Agriculture |
Industry |
Services |
| 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. This centre continues to exist, but with the coming of the new town, has declined. There is a small supermarket and some specialist shops, but with a higher-than-average proportion of charity shops and take-away food outlets. A small market has been rebuilt adjacent to the old town bus station. In the centre of the new town area
Halton Lea (formerly Shopping City) is an enclosed
shopping mall with an attached bus station. Adjacent to it's Trident Park containing shopping outlets and a cinema and further away is an
ASDA supermarket.
Landmarks and places of interest
The major landmark in the town is
Halton Castle on the top of Halton Hill near the geographical centre of the town. Only ruins of the castle exist, but there are widespread views from the top of the hill. The interior of the castle grounds is open at advertised times. Incorporated in the castle walls is the Castle Hotel, which used to include a courthouse on the first floor. Another landmark is Norton water tower, built of Runcorn sandstone, high, which holds 672,000 imperial
gallons (3 million
litres) of water and supplies water to Liverpool.
An important historical site and the major visitor centre in the town is
Norton Priory, a museum. The site contains the remains of an ancient priory with adjacent gardens, formerly of a country house. Nearby are a
walled garden, including a national collection of
tree quinces, and an
ice house.
Much of the architecture of the town is undistinguished, but there are
listed buildings of some importance. The listed churches are
All Saints Parish Church and
Holy Trinity Church in the centre of the older part of the town,
St Mary's in Halton village,
St John's in Weston, and Christ Church in Weston Point. All Saints' Church, a Grade II* listed building, dates from 1849 and was built by
Anthony Salvin in red sandstone. The oldest existing houses are the Seneschal's house in Halton village (1598), Weston Old Hall (1607), Brookfield Farmhouse (1691), and Halton Old Hall (1693). Other outstanding houses include Runcorn Town Hall (formerly Halton Grange), Camden House and Cottage in High Street, and Bridgewater House near the Ship Canal.
A war memorial to those who lost their lives in World War I, World War II and in later conflicts is at the bottom of Moughland Lane. There is a memorial in Castle Road, Halton village, commemorating residents of the village who served in the
Boer War.
Culture
Theatre and cinema
The Brindley is a theatre and arts centre which opened in 2004. It is situated in the old town centre and named after
James Brindley, engineer of the adjacent Bridgewater Canal. 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. In 2007 it won the title
Best Arts Project in the UK at the National Lottery Awards. A
multiplex cinema run by
Cineworld is in Trident Park.
Filmography
Runcorn has been used for the shooting of so many films and television programmes that it has been described as
Woollywood, combining the obvious reference to Hollywood with the dialect term
woollyback sometimes used by people from Liverpool to describe those not from that city. Some of the sequences in the first two series of the
BBC police drama
Merseybeat were filmed in and around the town. The BBC situation comedy
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps is set in Runcorn. External shots of the Waterloo Hotel in the area of High Street known as Top Locks (which is known in the show as
The Archer) appear as well. The opening credits show the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Halton Castle.
Drop Dead Gorgeous, a drama on
BBC Three, was set in Runcorn. The interior of the Undercroft at Norton Priory has been used for locations in films. The ferry was celebrated in the
monologue entitled
The Runcorn Ferry, written by
Marriott Edgar and popularised by
Stanley Holloway. It includes the lines:
Community facilities
The main library is at Halton Lea with a branch library in Egerton Street in the old town centre (which includes the archives of the Runcorn & District Historical Society). Runcorn has two locations offering One-Stop-Shop facilities; Halton Lea Direct Link is in Halton Lea and Runcorn Direct Link is in Church Street in the old town area. Runcorn Direct Link also includes a
Tourist Information Centre.
Runcorn Hill Local Nature Reserve has been developed on the site of a quarry and consists of heathland. Adjacent to it's a park which includes a bandstand, a model boating lake, and sports facilities. Wigg Island is a
nature reserve on a former industrial site. The reserve is on an island between the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey and consists of open spaces and woodland with
bird hides and pathways. Murdishaw Valley is an area of
ancient woodland to the east of the town between the Murdishaw housing development and the M56. Rock Park is on the site of a quarry in the old town area and includes sports facilities. Town Park is in the centre of the new town development and has a link to the north with Norton Priory. Open areas in Runcorn form part of Mersey Forest, one of Britain's
community forests.
Runcorn's hospital is Halton Hospital, which is administered by the North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust. This hospital is undergoing change. Originally planned as a
District General Hospital, it was never large enough to provide a full range of services. Acute medical services have been transferred to Warrington Hospital. The plan is to provide non-emergency surgery and rehabilitation at Halton Hospital. Halton Haven Hospice is in the Murdishaw area of the town.
Primary care services are provided by the Halton and St Helens
Primary Care Trust. In Runcorn general practitioner services are provided in five health centres and in one separate medical practice in Heath Road. There are dental practices providing National Health Service and private dental care.
Transport
There are two railway stations.
Runcorn (mainline) station is on the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line. From this station,
Virgin Trains run 15 trains daily on weekdays between Liverpool and London, and
London Midland run services between Liverpool and Birmingham.
Runcorn East station is on the Chester to Manchester line.
Arriva Trains Wales and
Northern Rail run an hourly service to Chester, Warrington, and Manchester.
Busways are also available. These are for use by buses only. and
Arriva. Express coach services calling at Runcorn are provided between Hoylake via Liverpool and London and between Southport and Cambridge by
National Express. Coach services are provided by Selwyns and Anthony's Travel. Both companies have depots in the town.
Runcorn has a system of expressways diverting through traffic from the local roads. The Silver Jubilee Bridge becomes congested at peak travel times. In the event of a breakdown or accident on the bridge, traffic in the area comes to a standstill. To resolve this problem, a second crossing of the Mersey is planned, to be known as the
Mersey Gateway. There is a network of dedicated
cycleways in the town. Runcorn is from
Liverpool John Lennon Airport and from
Manchester Airport.
Education
There are 29
primary schools in the town and one
nursery school at The Grange. The four
secondary schools are
Halton High,
St. Chad's Catholic High,
The Grange, and
The Heath. Two institutions, Halton College and Runcorn Sixth Form College, merged in 2006 to form the Riverside College Halton. There is one
special school in the town, Cavendish School. There are opportunities for
adult education in
information technology at the Acorn Lifelong Learning Centre and at the Grange City Learning Centre. Other courses for adults are held at different venues in the town.
Performance table
The following table shows the percentage of pupils gaining five
GCSE A*–C level grades, including and excluding English and Maths in 2007.
Religion
The 2001
census showed, that of the people living in the borough of Halton, 83.8% declared themselves to be
Christian, 8.7% stated that they'd "no religion," and 7.0% made no religious claims at all. Those stating their religions as
Buddhist,
Hindu,
Jewish,
Islam or
Sikh amounted to 0.5%.
The
Anglican churches are part of the
Diocese of Chester and the deanery of Frodsham.
In Runcorn, the parish church is
All Saints in the old town centre. Ten other Anglican churches are in the town. There are three Methodist chapels and one
Welsh Presbyterian chapel. Wicksten Drive Christian Centre is shared between the Church of England and the Methodists. Hallwood Ecumenical Parish in Beechwood and Palace Fields consists of 3 churches all recognised by the Church of England, the Methodists and the
United Reformed Church. Norton Ecumenical Parish, covering Windmill Hill, Norton and Murdishaw, is served by an Ecumenical Partnership between St Berteline's Church (Anglican) and Murdishaw Ecumenical Church (Methodist run).
There is an
Independent Baptist chapel, three independent Christian churches, and a
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The
Jehovah's Witnesses have two
Kingdom Halls, and there's a
Spiritualist church. It is hoped that that'll be able to play their home games in Runcorn starting in the 2007–08 season. There are a number of smaller football clubs in the town for adults and children.
Runcorn Cricket Club and Runcorn Hockey Club are based at the Runcorn Sports Club in Moughland Lane. Runcorn Rugby Union FC is based at Halton Sports Club in Murdishaw. There is an 18 hole golf course at Runcorn Golf Club in Clifton Road and a golf driving range at Sutton Fields. Runcorn Sports Club is a privately run sports club in Moughland Lane and provides facilities and coaching for cricket and hockey. Halton Sports Club is in Murdishaw Avenue. Privately run swimming pools are at Beechwood local centre and Stockham Lodge Raquet and Health Club. Adjacent to the latter are two
artificial ski slopes administered by Runcorn Ski Centre. The Runcorn Rowing Club rows on the River Weaver Navigation near Clifton Village. The local authority runs several sports centres, including: Runcorn Swimming Pool; Brookvale Recreation Centre, offering indoor sporting facilities; and Phoenix Park, with outdoor sporting facilities. Other sports are also catered for. Runcorn has a professional wrestling academy, the Runcorn Wrestling Academy (RWA).
Notable people
Individuals from Runcorn who have gained entry into the
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography include
Sir John Chesshyre (1662–1738), a prominent lawyer,
Nathan Alcock (1707–79), a noted physician, and his brother
Rev. Thomas Alcock (1709–98), Vicar of Runcorn, and writer and
cider maker.
Thomas Hazlehurst (1779–1842) founded one of the two major soap and alkali manufacturing businesses in the town,
Hazlehurst & Sons. His son
Thomas Hazlehurst (1816–76) was involved with the business. He was a
Methodist who paid for the construction of 12 chapels and three schools in the area.
Edward John Smith (1850–1912), captain of the
Titanic, purchased a retirement home in Higher Runcorn but never lived there because of his death aboard the Titanic.
Thomas Henry Hall Caine (1853–76), a novelist and playwright, was born in Runcorn.
Thomas Alfred Jones (1880–56) was awarded the
Victoria Cross and the
Distinguished Conduct Medal during World War I. In more recent times the classical pianist
Martin Roscoe (1952 – ) was born in Halton Village. The singer and actress
Kym Marsh (1976– ) and her actor husband
Jack Ryder (1981– ) often spend their weekends in Runcorn with Marsh's family. The boxer
Robin Reid (1971– ) attended secondary school in Runcorn, a place he identifies as his home town. The singer
Nicola Roberts (1985– ) from the British girl band, '
Girls Aloud,' also comes from Runcorn.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Runcorn'.
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