Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale
Town
The Concourse shopping centre, Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale Location in West Lancashire Show map of the Borough of West Lancashire Skelmersdale Location of town centre in Skelmersdale Show map of Skelmersdale Skelmersdale Location within Lancashire Show map of Lancashire
Population	38,813
OS grid reference	SD487062
• London	180 mi (290 km) SE
District	West Lancashire
Shire county	Lancashire
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SKELMERSDALE
Postcode district	WN8
Dialling code	01695
Police	Lancashire
Fire	Lancashire
Ambulance	North West
UK Parliament	West Lancashire
List of places UK England Lancashire 53°33′00″N 2°46′34″W / 53.550°N 2.776°W / 53.550; -2.776

Skelmersdale /ˈskɛlmərzdeɪl/ is a town in the West Lancashire district of England. It sits on the River Tawd, 6 miles (10 km) west of Wigan, 13 miles (21 km) north-east of Liverpool and 15 miles (24 km) south-west of Preston. In 2006, it had a population of 38,813.^[1] The town is known locally as Skem /ˈskɛm/.

While the first record of the town is in the Domesday Book of 1086, much of the town, including the current town centre, was developed as a second wave new town in the 1960s. The town's initial development as a coal town coincided with the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century; the town lies on the Lancashire Coalfield.