Chorley

Chorleyis a town and the administrative centre of the widerBorough of ChorleyinLancashire, England,8 miles (13 km) north ofWigan, 11 miles (18 km) south west ofBlackburn, 11 miles (18 km) north west ofBolton, 12 miles (19 km) south ofPrestonand 20 miles (32 km) north west ofManchester. The town's wealth came principally from thecottonindustry.
In the 1970s, the skyline was dominated by factory chimneys, but most have now been demolished: remnants of the industrial past include Morrisons chimney and other mill buildings, and the streets of terraced houses for mill workers. Chorley is the home of theChorley cake.
The nameChorleycomes from twoAnglo-Saxonwords,ċeorlandlēah, probably meaning "thepeasants' clearing".Ley(alsolēahorleigh) is a common element of place-name, meaning a clearing in a woodland;ċeorlrefers to a person of status similar to afreemanor ayeoman.
There was no known occupation in Chorley until the Middle Ages, though archaeological evidence has shown that the area around the town has been inhabited since at least theBronze Age.There are various remains of prehistoric occupation on the nearbyAnglezarkeMoor, including theRound Loaftumulus which is believed to date from 3500 BC.
A potteryburial urnfrom this period was discovered in 1963 on land next toAstley HallFarm and later excavation in the 1970s revealed another burial urn and four cremation pits dating from theBronze Age.
During theRomanera a Roman road ran near Chorley betweenWiganandWalton-le-Dale.Hoards dating from the Roman period have also been found nearby atWhittle-le-WoodsandHeapey.
Chorley was not listed in theDomesday Bookof 1086, though it is thought to be one of the twelveberewicksin theLeyland Hundred.
Chorley first appears in historical records in the mid thirteenth century as part of the portion of theCrostonLordship acquired by William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, around 1250.The Earl established Chorley as a small borough comprising a two-row settlement arranged along what later became Market Street.It appears that the borough was short lived, as it does not appear in a report of a commission on the Leyland Hundred in 1341.It is most likely that the borough was sacked by the Scots during theGreat Raid of 1322, with Chorley being one of the southernmost points reached inNorthern England. This led to the construction of aPeel tower, which said to have been located somewhere close toDuxbury Hall.
The manorial history of Chorley is complex as the manor had no single lord throughout most of this period, as it had been split intomoietiesand was managed by several different families.This led to Chorley having several manorial halls, which in this period included Chorley Hall, built in the 14th century by the de Chorley family, which has since the 19th or 20th century been demolished. Very little is known of Chorley Hall, although according to what the painterJohn Birdpainted in 1795, its location to where it once stood is said to have been where The Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary School now stands, with phantom steps near to the school within Astley Park being the only physical clue to the hall's existence. There is also Lower Chorley Hall, which was owned by the Gillibrand family from 1583 (later rebuilt in the 19th century as Gillibrand Hall).It is believed the borough of Chorley was not a success in this period because of the lack of manorial leadership and the dispersed nature of the small population.
St Laurence's Churchis the oldest remaining building in Chorley and first appears in historical records when it wasdedicatedin 1362, though it is believed there was already an earlierAnglo-Saxonchapel on the site which was a daughter foundation of Croston Parish Church.It is believed that the church is named afterSaint Laurence, an Irish saint who died inNormandyin the 12th century, whose bones were conveyed to the church by local noble Sir Rowland StandishDuxbury,an ancestor ofMyles Standish(an English military officer hired by thePilgrimsas military adviser for theirPlymouth expeditionto the New World).
As happened in many other instances following theDissolution of the Monasteries, these relics went missing in the turmoil of theEnglish Reformationunder the rule ofHenry VIII.
Chorley was granted a market charter byHenry VIIin 1498 and have since held it every Tuesday. Before the reformation, it would coincide with a fair that was held annually on the feast ofSt Lawrence.
Chorley, like most Lancashire towns, gained its wealth from theIndustrial Revolutionof the 19th century which was also responsible for the town's growth. Chorley was a vital cotton town with many mills littering the skyline up to the late twentieth century. Most mills were demolished between the 1950s and 2000s with those remaining converted for modern business purposes. Today only a minority remain in use for actual manufacturing, and the last mill to stop producing textiles was Lawrence's in 2009.
Also, given its location on the edge ofLancashire Coalfield, Chorley was vital incoalmining. Several pits existed inDuxbury Woods, the Gillibrand area and more numerously inCoppull.Chisnall Hall CollieryatCoppullwas considered the biggest Lancashire pit outside of Wigan and one of many located in the Chorley suburb. The last pit in the area to close was theEllerbeck Collieryin 1987 which was located south of Chorley, betweenCoppullandAdlington.
The town played an important role during theSecond World War, when it was home to theRoyal Ordnance Factory, a large munitions manufacturer in the village ofEuxtonabout 2 miles (3 km) from the town centre. A smaller factory was also built near the railway line of Blackburn–Wigan inHeapey.
TheChurch of England parish churchofSt Laurence, located on Union Street, has been a place of Christian worship for over 800 years.The Church of England parish church of St George, situated on St George's Street, is an important example of the work of architectThomas Rickman, a major figure in theGothic Revival. It was built as aCommissioners' churchin 1822.
St Mary's Roman Catholic Church is based in the town centre at Mount Pleasant. The parish was founded in 1847, in a chapel in Chapel Street. The land for the church was purchased in 1851 and the first building erected in 1853. It was opened in June 1853.The church can sit 750 persons.Pugin & Puginof London andHansomare the architects.
Chorley United Reformed Churchis one of the oldest and largestUnited Reformed Churchesin the north west.Founded in 1792 as an Independent Church it later affiliated to theCongregational churchand in 1972 voted to become part of the new United Reformed Church (URC).The church is home to the oldestScout Troopin the town, established in 1919.In January 2017 it was announced that the church building, which had been at its current site since 1792, would be demolished, and the congregation relocated to other premises.These plans never came to fruition and the church building was instead refurbished in 2020.
The church has a Junior Church together with Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies and Guides. During 2012, the church became the first church to advertise from the air when a very large cross was painted on the church car park.
In the north of the town, there is a park containing a meeting house and a temple ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(LDS Church). The temple, which is regarded as a local landmark,is the largest LDS temple in Europeand named thePreston England Temple.Construction on the temple commenced in 1994 and was completed in 1998. Connected to the temple campus is the England Missionary Training Centre for the LDS Church which houses church representatives preparing to fill proselytizing and service assignments in Great Britain and other parts of Europe.
Chorley's onlymosqueis to be found on the corner of Brooke Street and Charnock Street. The building officially opened in March 2006, having been in planning for over three years. A second mosque opened in 2020.
In 1837, Chorley joined with othertownships(orcivil parishes) in the area to become head of the ChorleyPoor Law Union, which took responsibility for the administration and funding of thePoor Lawin the area.Chorley became incorporated as amunicipal boroughin 1881; it was governed by amayor, a council of eightaldermenand twenty fourcouncillors.
The population of theMunicipal Borough of Chorleyremained roughly static in the 20th century, with the 1911 census showing 30,315 people and the 1971 census showing 31,665. Under theLocal Government Act 1972, Chorley became the core of a larger non-metropolitan district on 1 April 1974. The presentBorough of Chorleyhas forty-two councillors, representing 14 three-memberelectoral wardsin Chorley town council.
The Member of Parliament for the constituency of Chorley, since 1997, isLindsay Hoyle,Speaker of the House of Commons. He was formerly aLabourMP.
The principal river in the town is theYarrow. TheBlack Brookis a tributary of the Yarrow. The name of theRiver Chorwasback-formedfromChorleyand runs not far from the centre of the town, notably through Astley Park. Chorley is located at the foot of theWest Pennine Moorsand is overlooked byHealey Nab, a small hill which is part of theWest Pennine Moors. It is the seat for theBorough of Chorley, which is made up of Chorley and its surrounding villages.
Chorley had a population of 33,424 at the 2001 census, with the wider borough of Chorley having a population of 101,991. Chorley forms a conurbation withPrestonandLeylandand was once proposed as being designated part of theCentral LancashireNew Town under the New Towns Act,a proposal which was eventually scaled back.
The first signs of industry, as with many towns in Lancashire, was mining; evidence of which can be seen by the various abandonedquarrieson the outskirts of the town. One of these is Anglezarke Quarry, between Chorley andHorwich. Remnants of mining include an old railway bridge from the Duxbury Mine off Wigan Lane. Eventually, the mining industry was replaced by cotton mills.
Manufacture oftruckswas inherited from the neighbouring town ofLeyland. A large factory on Pilling Lane produced, including military vehicles andtanksduring theSecond World War.
After theSecond World War, production was reduced and the final part of the site was closed in 2008 by BAE Systems.A large part of the site has been redeveloped for residential and industrial use asBuckshaw Village.
Through the twentieth century, especially the latter half, Chorley suffered the loss of much of its manufacturing capacity with great losses in or the completely disappearance of its coal, textiles, motor vehicles and armaments industries.
Leyland TrucksandBAE Systemsare Central Lancashire's largest employers, with their sites inLeylandandSamlesburyrespectively.
Other companies with a presence in the borough are:
In 2011, Chorley Council launched an initiative,Choose Chorley, to encourage SMEs and large businesses to relocate to Chorley. The initiative offers red carpet introductions to key people in the town, financial incentives and tailored support for business growth.
The town is the home of theChorley cake. Every October, theChorley Cake Street Fairpromotes the cakes, with a competition for local bakers to produce the largest ever Chorley cake; the event restarted in 1995.
Chorley is served by the localNHShospitalChorley and South Ribble Hospitalwhich is located on Euxton Lane, in addition to a private hospital located inEuxton. The town also had another major hospital formerly on Eaves Lane, before this closed in the 1990s. There was also theHeath Charnockisolation hospitalon Hut Lane which dealt with infectious diseases before reverting to use for long term patients, before closing in the 1990s.
Chorley town centre is bisected by theA6Roman road. It is located near to junctions 6 and 8 of theM61 motorwayand junction 27 of theM6;Charnock Richard servicesare sited within the borough.
The town's bus station,Chorley Interchange, opened in February 2003, replacing an older building. Services are provided by several operators:
Chorley railway stationis served byNorthern, which operates routes on theManchester to Preston Line; direct destinations includeBolton,Preston,Barrow,Blackpool,Manchester PiccadillyandManchester Airport.
TransPennine Expressservices, which operate fromManchester AirporttoGlasgoworEdinburgh, pass through the station but do not stop.
The station was also served by theWigan-Blackburn line, until it was closed in 1960; the line also had stops atHeapey,Brinscall,WithnellandWhite Bear(Adlington).
Elsewhere in the borough, there are railway stations atEuxton, on the Preston - Wigan  line; atAdlingtonandBuckshaw Village, on the Manchester–Preston line; and atCroston, on theOrmskirk Branch Line.
TheLeeds and Liverpool Canalruns parallel to Chorley; several marinas and locks are located in the area, including:
Chorley is home to numerous primary schools, both council and church supported. The town has the following six high schools:
Someindependent schoolsare also present just outside the borough. Most Chorley children go on to attend the nearbyRunshaw Collegein Leyland. Runshaw College had also expanded into the former administration site of ROF Chorley and was using, amongst others, the main administration building. It is no longer using the site.
Lancashire College, based in Chorley, is a part ofLancashire County Council's Lancashire Adult Learning, offering a wide range of courses, a speciality being intensive residential language courses. From 1905 to 1981, the town was home to Chorley Training College (from the 1960s known as Chorley 'Day' Training College), designed by the Victorian and Edwardian architect Henry Cheers, and the town centre building now occupying this site is now Chorley Public Library.
Chorley is home to the semi professional football team,Chorley F.C., known as the Magpies due to their black and white strip. Founded as a rugby team in 1875, they switched to playing football eight years later. Since then they have had limited success, with their most memorable moments being two appearances in the second round of theFA Cupand two seasons in theFootball Conferencein the late 1980s. They played in the National League in the 2019/20 season having won promotion from the National League North in the previous season, but were relegated back to the National League North. The team gained fame after qualifying for the 4th round of the2020-21 season of the FA Cup.
The town and surrounding boroughs boast a number of cricket clubs, with two teams taking the town's name.Chorley Cricket Clubcurrently play in theNorthern Leagueand were finalists in theECB National Club Cricket Championshipfor three consecutive seasons from 1994 to 1996, winning the trophy on the first two occasions. Chorley St James Cricket Club are the second side in the town, competing in the Southport & District Amateur Cricket League, having been members of the Chorley League until its demise in 2005.
The town is home to the Chorley BuccaneersAmerican FootballClub. Founded in the year 2000, theBucsnow have eight competitive teams and over 120 players competing in theBAFA National Leaguesstructure. They are based at Parklands Academy in Chorley. The club has three National Championship titles to their name in their 17-year existence, most recently in 2016.
Chorley RUFCwas founded in the early 1970s and initially their matches were on played on fields at Astley Park. Since there was no club house in the early days the team played from the Prince of Wales pub, near the town's covered market. Work started on a new clubhouse on 22 March 1984, on an area of land off Chancery Road, situated on the edge of the freshly constructed Astley Village Estate. The club currently run two senior sides and a mini section, the 1st XV playing in theRFUNorth Lancs 2 division.
Until 2004, Chorley had arugby leagueside,Chorley Lynx, who played in League Two of theRugby League National Leagues. The club was forced to close in 2004, due to small crowds and the withdrawal of funding by backerTrevor Hemmings. Many of the club's players and staff joined nearbyBlackpool Panthers. The only rugby league side currently active who are situated in Chorley is amateur side Chorley panthers
Chorley is home totrack cyclistsincludingOlympic gold medalwinnersJason QueallyandBradley Wiggins, and Paralympic silver medallistRik Waddon, due in part to the proximity of the town to theManchester Velodrome; it is also the home town of Paralympic gold medallistNatalie Jones.
The council owned leisure centre contains a swimming pool, sports hall, squash courts and a small fitness suite. The borough also includes other gym facilities, two other council-owned leisure centres (at Clayton Green andCoppull) and another public swimming pool atBrinscall. The town is also home to a Next Generation fitness centre, other private pools and leisure centres, and aDavid LloydTennis Centre.
Duxbury Park municipalgolfcourse is 1 mile (2 km) south of Chorley town centre.
The town is home to many amateur football, rugby and cricket teams. There are also several grass football pitches, bowling greens and tennis courts. A public outdoor swimming pool in Astley Park was demolished in the 1990s for health and safety reasons.
Chorley Athletic and Triathlon Club regularly compete in road, cross country, fell, athletics and triathlon events. ChorleyCyclingClub was formed in 2011, resurrecting a club which had disbanded around 1953. The club caters to both leisure and racing members and runs regular training and social rides on local roads.Chorley JKSShotokan KarateClub was established in the town in 2012.
Chorley has two local newspapers: The weeklyLancashire Evening Post(formerlyChorley Guardian)and the freeChorley Citizen.
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC North WestandITV Granada. Television signals are received from theWinter HillTV transmitter
Local radio stations areBBC Radio Lancashire,Heart North West,Smooth North West,Greatest Hits Radio Lancashire,Capital Manchester and LancashireandCentral Radio North Westwhich broadcast fromPreston.
A British comedy television show,Phoenix Nights, cited Chorley'sradio station,Chorley FM, whose slogan was "Coming in your ears".The station, based in Chorley, originally broadcast for only a few weeks, but in 2005 received a licence to broadcast from Chorley Community Centre (seeChorley FM).
It is the home of actorJoseph Gilgun, ofBrassic,This is England,MisfitsandPreacher.
As well asPhoenix Nights, comedianDave Spikeybased his comedy seriesDead Man Wedsin, and filmed most of it in, Chorley.Steve Pemberton, the creator ofThe League of Gentlemen, based most of its characters on folk fromAdlington.
Chorley istwinnedwith: