The Town of Warrington - Independent & Individual

There’s no doubt about it - Warrington is totally unique; just take a look at the town, its people and their balanced attitude of independence combined with their very real sense of community. You won’t find many other towns in England with such a clear character and identity - or with such an outward-looking and positive attitude towards change and growth!

But then Warrington is on the banks of a river, and at a river crossing - so since time immemorial, the Mersey has caused trade, travellers, new ideas and new attitudes to flow through Warrington, preserving its character as a free-thinking liberal town, and keeping alive a precious tradition of progress, innovation and change. 

1998 was a special year for Warrington. The Borough Council attained Unitary status on the 1st April - Once again standing independently in its capacity to make decisions and decide policy without reference to outside authority. Naturally, since it comprises local people with a strong sense of Warrington’s individuality and community, the Council is absolutely delighted at the grant of this status - so there will be celebrations throughout the year! There’s a list of events at the end of this article - but watch out, in particular, for the Mayor’s official floodlighting ceremony, illuminating Warrington’s very own golden gates outside the Town Hall on 1st April . This event has another celebration connection, because the floodlighting is being sponsored by locally-based Bechtel Water Technology Ltd - part of one of the world’s largest engineering companies, which has celebrated its 100th anniversary! 

A brilliant future, stemming from a bright past

In recent years, Warrington has proved itself to be a town of economic vitality and commercial acumen; it stands perfectly poised between the M6, M62 and M56, those rivers of transport which, along with nationwide railway links, carry the traffic of commerce and prosperity to the very heart of Warrington.

Heavy industry and big business has grown in and around Warrington, but retailing and small businesses have flourished too, and all have been encouraged by locally-based initiatives and council-supported financial assistance. The result? Greater prosperity and a better standard of living for local people, who now benefit from excellent shopping, first class public transport, as well as superb leisure and community facilities.

Of course, Warrington’s ability to succeed is nothing new; look back at the town’s past and you will see how Warrington has always turned geography, events and circumstances to its own advantage. 

A river runs through it

And what was that first geographical fact that the local people exploited? The river, of course! For on the south bank of the Mersey at what is now Wilderspool, the river could be forded - and where there was a ford, a community soon grew up, trading the rich fruits of the river - cockles and salmon - while the fruits of the local landscape bore gooseberries which, for centuries, were regarded as being the very best in all England.

When the Romans came, their aim was conquest, which meant that a ford was of strategic importance at an otherwise impenetrable barrier of moving water. So the Romans erected a camp, which soon became a town. During Saxon times, Warrington expanded onto the opposite bank of the Mersey, near the present parish church, and the town’s strategic importance continued throughout and beyond the Norman period. Warrington also became a market town, causing so much traffic that its first bridge had to be built to allow a free flow of traffic across the river. 

When a crossing became a curse

During the Civil War, Warrington’s importance as a strategic river crossing became its downfall, as it was wrested from the Royalists by the troops of Oliver Cromwell. In so doing, Cromwell’s troops virtually destroyed the town to the ground (search out the east wall of St Elphin’s parish church and see the scars of cannonball-fire) and for perhaps the only time in its history, the resilient and confident character of Warrington was brought to a low ebb for ten years.

However, it wasn’t long before the confident and outward-looking character of Warrington re-emerged. The town embraced the Industrial Revolution to its bosom - and with characteristic good sense, it became the centre of not just one, but a whole myriad of industries, from copper smelting to sail-making and pin manufacture. The navigational properties of the river Mersey were improved, canals were built, and the town grew yet more prosperous and popular. Great buildings of consequence were erected (consider what is now the Town Hall, once the home of the prosperous Patten family) and when the Age of Steam came, Warrington naturally welcomed it , both as a means of transport and as a source of power for its mills.

Flying High

Like so many other towns Warrington experienced the days of depression and two World Wars - but has always found new opportunities that were of benefit to the area. Take RAF Burtonwood which became the largest US airbase in Europe.

It played a key role during World War ll and then again for the Berlin airlift. More recently it contributed to the Desert Storm campaign.  The base had another impact on the town, over 6500 local women became G.I. brides.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the town re-invented itself as it had so many times in the past - this time as a ‘new town’, with all the growth and optimism which had, by now, come to characterise Warrington. 

New Horizons

And what of today? The patterns of the past repeat themselves; Warrington continues to prosper, with new industries, new businesses and new retail outlets investing in the town, while the people of Warrington care for each other and their community with respect for the past and a proper regard for the future. So perhaps you will understand why Warrington has so much to be proud of and so much to celebrate. Come and join us in our festivities - you will be very welcome!

Festivities to Honour a Flourishing Cultural Heritage

Consider the celebrations that took place in 1998, Warrington’s festival year. It had a World Book Day; events to celebrate the Year of Literacy; a Children’s Book Week; an Adult Learner’s Week; the 150th anniversary of Warrington Museum & Library; the 100th birthday of Warrington Male Voice Choir; the publication of a fascinating new book about Celtic Warrington. Is this concentration on cultural and literary events just a coincidence? Not at all! For as well as being a town of great historical and industrial importance, Warrington has an illustrious literary, educational and religious past!

Daniel Defoe once visited Warrington and observed kindly that it was ‘a large, populous and well built town - rich and full of good country tradesmen’. In addition, Warrington was the birthplace of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, more popularly known as Lewis Carroll, author of ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Education has always been important in Warrington; the grammar school was established in the 16th century and the famous non-conformist school, the Warrington Academy, was founded at Bridge Foot in 1757. Its high standards and excellent reputation attracted the very best scholars, including Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen, and Rheinhold Forster, who sailed with Captain Cook. This was a glorious time when Warrington was known as ‘the Athens of the North’!

1998 may have been a special year and milestone for Warrington, but its arts events and cultural activities continue to grow while its open spaces, nature reserves and the closeness of the surrounding Cheshire countryside provide a wealth of opportunities for a growing series of exciting outdoor events. All this adds up to a well rounded, well balanced town equally well proportioned in body and soul and a town very much looking towards a prosperous and cultural future.