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| Widnes | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
.JPG) Widnes Town Centre | |
  Widnes Location within Cheshire | |
| Population | 62,400 (2021)[1] |
| Demonym | Widnesian |
| OS grid reference | SJ 5124 8527 |
| • London | 169 mi (272 km)[2] SE |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIDNES |
| Postcode district | WA8 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Widnes (/ˈwɪdnəs/ WID-nəss) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2021 census had a population of 62,400.[1]
Historically in Lancashire, it is on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn. Upstream 8 miles (13 km) to the east is Warrington, and 4 miles downstream to the west is Speke, a suburb of Liverpool.
Before the Industrial Revolution, Widnes was a small settlement on marsh and moorland. In 1847, the chemist and industrialist John Hutchinson established a chemical factory at Spike Island. The town grew in population and rapidly became a major centre of the chemical industry. The demand for labour was met by large-scale immigration from Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and Wales.[3][4] The town continues to be a major manufacturer of chemicals, although many of the chemical factories have closed and the economy is predominantly based upon service industries.[5]
Widnes and Hough Green railway stations are on the Liverpool–Manchester line. The main roads through the town are the A557 in a north–south direction and the A562 east–west. The disused Sankey Canal terminates at Spike Island. The Silver Jubilee Bridge crosses the River Mersey west of Warrington. In 2017, the Mersey Gateway Bridge opened to relieve congestion at the older bridge. The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre is the United Kingdom's only museum dedicated solely to the Chemical Industry and is inside Hutchinson's former administrative building. The town's sport stadium hosts Widnes Vikings rugby league club.
The motto of Widnes is the Latin phrase Industria Ditat ("Industry Enriches").
- ^ a b "Area profile for Widnes". Office for National Statistics - Census 2021. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". boulter.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ Morris 2005, pp. 27–141.
- ^ Whimperley 1991, pp. 111, 133.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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