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Important dates

Important dates from Warrington's past

Year 

Event

100 AD 

Roman industrial settlement built at Wilderspool on the River Mersey 

1086 

Domesday Book describes Warrington as 'Walintune', a village near the ford over the Mersey at Latchford and Howley 

1277 

Market recognised by Royal Charter 

1285 

First mention of a bridge over the Mersey at Warrington 

1364 

Second Warrington bridge completed 

1495 

Henry VII opens three-arched stone bridge over the river 

1617 

James I stays at Bewsey Old Hall 

1648 

Royalists surrender to Cromwell during the Civil War, Cromwell stayed in Warrington 

1697 

Thomas Patten makes the Mersey navigable to Bank Quay 

1720 

Mersey and Irwell Navigation make the river passable between Manchester and Warrington, completing the link to Liverpool 

1750 

Thomas Patten commissions James Gibbs to build Bank Hall as residential Home 

1757 

First commercial canal - the Sankey St Helens is cut 

1757/86 

Warrington Academy established 

1787 

First Boulton & Watt steam engine in Lancashire installed at Latchford cotton mill 

1801 

Old Quay canal connects Howley to Runcorn, ending reliance on Mersey tides 

1814 

Joseph Crosfield establishes soap works at Bank Quay 

1822 

Old Billy, said to be the world's oldest horse, dies aged 62 (according to the Guinness Book of Records!) 

1830 

Liverpool-Manchester railway opened near Warrington 

1837 

Victoria Bridge built 

1847 

Warrington becomes a borough 

1848 

Public Library & Museum opened 

1855 

The largest iron ship ever built to date - the Tayleur - launched at Bank Quay 

1872 

Bank House purchased by council to become Town Hall 

1894 

Manchester Ship Canal built south of Warrington 

1895 

Town hall gates purchased 

1913/15 

Present Warrington bridge - on of the world's first pre-stressed concrete bridges built 

1942/93 

RAF Burtonwood site of USAF base RAF Burtonwood 

1963 

Thelwall viaduct on M6 built 

1974 

Local government changes move Warrington's administration from Lancashire to Cheshire 

1998 

Warrington becomes a unitary authority taking responsibilities from Cheshire County Council 

1998 

Town hall gates illuminated for the first time 


Related pages: Famous figures | Town history
Date modified: 03/11/2010
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