Widnes

Coordinates: 53°21′47″N 2°43′41″W / 53.363°N 2.728°W / 53.363; -2.728

Widnes is an industrial town in Halton, Cheshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 60,221. 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 and 8 miles (13 km) to the east is the town of Warrington, and downstream to the west is Speke, part of the city of Liverpool.

Before the Industrial Revolution Widnes was made up of small settlements on marsh and moorland. In 1847, the first chemical factory was established and the town 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. The town continues to be a major manufacturer of chemicals .

Widnes and Hough Green railway stations are on the Liverpool to 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 in an area known as Spike Island.

Widnes (UK Parliament constituency)

Widnes was a county constituency in England, based on the town of Widnes, in Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

History

The constituency was formed as a division of the Parliamentary county of Lancashire in 1885, including Allerton, Cronton, Ditton, Garston, Hale, Halewood, Huyton with Roby, Little Woolton, Much Woolton, Speke, Tarbock, Whiston and Widnes.

In 1918 it was redefined to cover the municipal borough of Widnes, along with the urban district of Huyton with Roby and the Whiston Rural District. The two urban districts and part of the rural district became part of a new Huyton constituency in 1950, with Widnes retaining the borough and the remainder of the rural district. In 1971 Widnes featured the last by-election to date to have only a Labour and a Conservative candidate. Its boundaries remained unchanged in 1974. In 1983 Widnes constituency was abolished and replaced by Halton constituency.

Widnes (disambiguation)

Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England.

Widnes may also refer to: