Eccleston, Lancashire

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This article is about the village near Chorley. For another civil parish historically in Lancashire, see Eccleston, St Helens.

Eccleston
Village and Civil Parish
Parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Eccleston, Lancasire - geograph.org.uk - 1528513.jpg
St. Mary's Church, Eccleston (2009)
Eccleston is located in the Borough of Chorley
Eccleston
Eccleston
Shown within Chorley Borough
Population4,263 (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSD521169
Civil parish
  • Eccleston
District
  • Chorley
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCHORLEY
Postcode districtPR7
Dialling code01257
PoliceLancashire
FireLancashire
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Lancashire
53°38′49″N 2°43′34″W / 53.647°N 2.726°W / 53.647; -2.726Coordinates: 53°38′49″N 2°43′34″W / 53.647°N 2.726°W / 53.647; -2.726

Eccleston is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. It is beside the River Yarrow, and was formerly an agricultural and later a weaving settlement.

History[]

Its name came from the Celtic word "eglēs" meaning a church, and the Old English word "tūn" meaning a farmstead or settlement, i.e. a settlement by a Romano-British church. Evidence of the settlement dates back hundreds of years; St. Mary's Church dates back to the 14th century AD.

The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the book ordered by William the Conqueror, to detail all settlements and farms in England for the purpose of tax collection.

Population[]

According to the United Kingdom Census 2011, the parish has a population of 4,263.[1]

Governance[]

Since 2010, Eccleston has been in the constituency of South Ribble for elections for Westminster. Before this, the village was in the constituency of Chorley.

Local government consists of councils at county, district and parish level. At district level, Eccleston is part of the three member Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard ward of Chorley Council,[2] created in 2021 it was previously part of a 3 member ward with Mawdesley From 2002-2021[3][4] and before that was combined with Heskin.

Economy[]

In agrarian times the local speciality was fruit from orchards, few of which now remain. The more recent weaving industry has also passed, as the two local textile mills are now closed. The "Old Mill" building is now being used as an antique, collectable and nostalgia retail space called "Bygone Times".

The "New Mill" was converted into a small village shopping centre which was recently demolished entirely and a new smaller shopping center built with houses being built on the extra space.[5] Consequently, the village has developed a more suburban role than some of its neighbours.

Map showing the boundaries of Eccleston Civil Parish.

Transport[]

The town is served by an hourly bus service to Wigan, Preston, Croston and Chorley (daytimes only) with more infrequent daytime services available to Southport and Ormskirk. The nearest railway stations are at Croston and Euxton Balshaw Lane.

Education[]

The village has two schools, Eccleston St. Mary's Church of England Primary School and Eccleston Primary School.

Religion[]

There are three churches in the village, the 14th Century St Mary the Virgin Church of England Church to the north of the village (until the reformation this was formerly the Catholic Church), constructed from distinctive Liverpool sandstone, similar to Euxton Parish Church, Eccleston Methodist Church and St Agnes Roman Catholic Church to the south.

Social[]

The post box painted gold to celebrate resident Bradley Wiggins' gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics

The village public house scene has consolidated in recent years to two pubs. The Farmer's Arms is predominantly an eatery located at the Northern end of the village and there is another pub at the Southern end: The Brown Cow. The village is also served by the Working Men's Institute Club ("th'insty") and the Eccleston Cricket Club (game days only).

The site of the former Blue Anchor pub has been converted to the Anchorfields housing estate and the site of the former windmill pub has been converted to high end apartments. Pubs just outside the village include the Rose and Crown (Ulnes Walton), Farmers Arms (Heskin), Red Lion (Mawdesley). The village also has a popular children's play area situated adjacent to the football pitches, popularly known as "the rec", an abbreviation of recreation area.

Notable people[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Eccleston Parish (E04005150)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Polling district review - Chorley Council". chorley.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Your Councillors". Chorley Council. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Final recommendations on the future electoral arrangements for Chorley in Lancashire" (PDF). Local Government Commission for England. September 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  5. ^ "eccleston shopping centre | Paddock Johnson Partnership". www.paddockjohnson.com. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Bradley Wiggins Biography" (PDF). MTC Management. Retrieved 30 October 2012.[permanent dead link]

External links[]

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