Leyland, Lancashire

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Leyland
Town
St Ambrose Church, Leyland - geograph.org.uk - 800569.jpg
Church of St Ambrose
Leyland is located in the Borough of South Ribble
Leyland
Leyland
Shown within South Ribble
Population35,578 [1] (2001 census)
OS grid referenceSD549232
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLEYLAND
Postcode districtPR25, PR26
Dialling code01772
PoliceLancashire
FireLancashire
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Lancashire
53°41′31″N 2°41′49″W / 53.692°N 2.697°W / 53.692; -2.697Coordinates: 53°41′31″N 2°41′49″W / 53.692°N 2.697°W / 53.692; -2.697

Leyland (/ˈleɪlənd/) is a town in the South Ribble borough, in the county of Lancashire, England. It is approximately six miles (10 km) south of the city of Preston. The population of the town was estimated as 35,600 at the 2011 Census.[2]

Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the community has seen a large growth in industry, population and farming.

The name of the town is of old Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning "untilled land".

History[]

St Andrews Parish Church

English Leyland was an area of fields, with Roman roads passing through, from ancient Wigan to Walton-le-Dale.

It was left undisturbed for many centuries until rediscovered shortly after the Battle of Hastings (1066). Leyland is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1085). In 1066, King Edward the Confessor presided over the whole of Leyland. The manor was divided into three large ploughlands, which were controlled by local noblemen. In the 12th century, it came under the barony of Penwortham.

The area of Worden, which is now Worden Park, was one of nine oxgangs of land granted to the Knights Hospitaller, by Roger de Lacy, in Lancashire, but the land was not assigned to any individual and a local man, who was a very close friend of de Lacy, Hugh Bussel, was assigned holder of the land in 1212.

Notable features that remain include the St Andrew's Parish Church, built around 1200 AD, and the large stone Leyland Cross, thought to date back to Saxon times.

Industry[]

The town is famous primarily for the bus and truck manufacturer Leyland Motors, which between the 1950s and 1970s expanded and grew to own several British motor manufacturers, including British Motor Corporation, Standard-Triumph and Rover, culminating in the massive British Leyland company. The truck business still operates today as Leyland Trucks, and is owned by Paccar.

Leyland is also home to one of the leading maintenance and utility companies in the United Kingdom, Enterprise plc on Centurion Way. The Leyprint company is situated on Leyland Lane, a company which produces menus and other printed items.

A large superstore of Tesco was built in July 2002, and it stands near the police station. The old BTR Factory was knocked down to make way for new housing in 2004, and in July 2006, the town was installed with a Morrisons, a Homebase (which closed down in the end of 2014, and was replaced with The Range) and an Argos (closed at the start of March 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, never reopened and currently vacant).[3]

The Leyland Band have also recently moved to the town, after several years in various other rehearsal locations, and now have a permanent home in Farington Business Park.

Leyland is home to C&w berry (berry’s) as it is known locally is a large Building Merchants The main yard features a row of unused houses named after local man Colin whittle ( Colin whittle row)

Transport[]

Leyland railway station is on the West Coast Main Line and is operated by Northern. There is one train an hour between Liverpool Lime Street and Preston. There is also one train an hour between Manchester Victoria/Hazel Grove to Blackpool North.

There is a marker adjacent to the old Leyland Motors Spurrier works declares the halfway point on the railway journey between Glasgow and London, some 198 miles in either direction. John Fishwick & Sons served the town's public transport needs. They also connected the town to Chorley and Preston. The company ceased trading on 24 October 2015, and Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire have taken over their core route 111.[4]

Education[]

High schools[]

High schools in Leyland include Balshaw's CE High School near Leyland Cross, St Mary's Catholic High School, Worden Sports College, a smaller high school situated to the west of the town and Wellfield High School near the town centre.[5]

Colleges[]

To the east of Worden Park is Runshaw College.

Architecture[]

Former Primitive Methodist chapel, Leyland Lane

Since July 2007, the former Primitive Methodist Church on Leyland Lane has been home to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Apostles.[6]

Most of the housing in Leyland falls under the semi-detached, detached and bungalow categories. There are a few modern housing estates, but about 65% of the accommodation in the town was built in the 1970s.

Areas[]

Leyland is made up by six different areas, the town centre itself counts as the main retail side, with the railway station, library and shops nearby. The other areas include Broadfield, Moss Side, Worden Park, Turpin Green and the Wade Hall estate.

Geography[]

People[]

Notable people who have grown up or lived in Leyland include:

Gallery[]

  • Leyland Cross

  • Old Police Station

  • South Ribble Museum

  • Balshaw's Grammar School

  • Eagle and Child pub

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Population of 35,578 is the sum of the following ward populations: Moss Side 3673; Earnshaw Bridge 3722; Golden Hill 3982; Seven Stars 3701; Lowerhouse 4050; Leyland St. Mary's 3562; Leyland Central 3626; Leyland St. Ambrose 3337; Leyland St. John's 5925. All accessed 30 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Leyland Central - UK Census Data 2011".
  3. ^ "Argos to close its Preston Fishergate Centre and Leyland stores permanently". Lancashire Post. 5 November 2020.
  4. ^ "John Fishwick & Sons". Fishwicks.
  5. ^ GCSE success for Leyland students
  6. ^ http://www.holy-apostles.org.uk/[bare URL]
  • BBC Online (2006a) Schools in Lancashire, Education\League Tables, 19 January 2006 [accessed 27 June 2007]
  • BBC Online (2006b) Institutions in Lancashire, Education\League Tables, 19 January 2006 [accessed 4 May 2007]
  • Hunt, D., (1990), The History of Leyland and District, Carnegie Press, ISBN 0-948789-48-4
  • Hunt, D. and Waring, W. (1995), The Archive Photograph Series: Leyland, Chalford Publishing Company, ISBN 0-7524-0348-6
  • Smith, J., (2003), Then and Now: Leyland, Tempus Publishing, ISBN 0-7524-2672-9
  • South Ribble Borough Council – Leyland Town Centre Masterplan [accessed 23 April 2008]

External links[]

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