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Farnworth

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For the town within Halton, see Farnworth, Widnes.
Farnworth
PopulationExpression error: "25,264 (2001 Census)" must be numeric
OS grid referenceSD7305
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBOLTON
Postcode districtBL4
Dialling code01204
PoliceGreater Manchester
FireGreater Manchester
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester

Farnworth is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is located 3.3 miles (5.3 km) southeast of Bolton and 9 miles (14.5 km) northwest of Manchester.[1]

Historically a part of Lancashire, Farnworth lies on the River Irwell and the River Croal, and according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 25,264 people.[2]

History

Early history

Farnworth's earliest recorded name is Ffornword (from a land survey in 1282). The town grew up in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries around the coal mining industry. Other industry included iron foundries and cotton mills.

Recent history

In early 2005 the town was observed on a police chase television series in a broadcast in the US where local UK police engaged and chased down the main street a stolen car being driven at high speed.[citation needed]

Blighty's Nightclub on Chapel Street was the main entertainment venue in the Fsrnworth area for many years, from the 1960s to late 1980s, when it closed. Many well-known acts appeared there at some stage in their careers, including Slade, Gene Pitney, Showaddywaddy, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Farnworth was also the setting of the famous LIFE nightclub in 1991. Previously the TV show "the Hitman and Her" used to attend "shirt and tie" nights. This was a first on English TV and filmed a nighclub that played dance music and captured the atmoshphere of "illegal raves".[citation needed] Pete Waterman and Michaela Strachan were in attendance. The resulting broadcast was highly edited due to the unsuitability of the footage.[citation needed] The other clubs that the Hitman and Her attended revolved around the consumption of alcohol. Whilst at life, the focus of the music was on the taking of drugs, [citation needed] most notably Ecstasy.

Local Government

Farnworth was originally a chapelry within the parish of Deane. It became a separate civil parish in 1866. Under the Local Government Act 1894 it became the Urban District of Farnworth, which in 1939 was granted a charter elevating it to the status of municipal borough.[3][4] In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Farnworth became an unparished area of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester.[5]

Parliamentary representation

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth constituency was established with one Member of Parliament (MP).[6] The constituency was abolished in 1918 with Radcliffe becoming part of the Heywood and Radcliffe constituency,[7] and Farnworth having its own Parliament constituency.[8] The Farnworth constituency continued until it was abolished in 1983 and became part of the Bolton South East constituency.[9]

Demography

Population of the chapelry/civil parish of Farnworth
Year 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891
Population
1,439
1,798
2,044
2,928
4,829
6,389
8,720
13,550
20,708
23,758
Sources: (a) Pauline Tatton: Local population statistics.[10] (b) Vision of Britain: Farnworth Ch/CP Total Population.[11] (c) Vision of Britain: Farnworth USD Total Population.[12]
Population of the urban district/municipal borough of Farnworth
Year 1901 1911 1921 1931 1939* 1951 1961 1971
Population
25,925
28,131
27,894
28,717
27,376
28,616
27,502
26,855
Source: Vision of Britain: Farnworth UD/MB Total population.[13]

* The 1939 population is estimated from the National Registration figures.[14] The 1941 census did not take place because of the Second World War.

Transport

Roads

Farnworth is situated north of junctions 3 and 4 of the M61 motorway. The main roads run through the town are the A666 (Farnworth & Kearsley By-Pass), the A575 (Egerton St/Albert Rd/Worsley Rd), the A5082 (Buckley Rd/Long Causeway), the A6053 (Bolton Rd/Market St/Manchester Rd), and the B6199 (Plodder Lane).

Railways

Farnworth railway station is served by Northern Rail who operate services on the Manchester to Preston Line.

Education

Farnworth has eight primary schools and three secondary schools. Harper Green School is home to the Alan Ball Sports Hall,[15] as well as the Peter Kay Theatre.[16] In 2006, Peter Kay filmed a music video at Harper Green with the Scottish band Texas.[16]

School Type/Status OfSTED Website
All Saints CofE Primary School Primary 105238
Cherry Tree Primary School Primary 105187 http://www.cherry-tree.ik.org
Highfield Primary School Primary 105182 www.highfield.bolton.sch.uk
Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School Primary 105245
Plodder Lane Primary School Primary 105183 www.plodderlane.bolton.sch.uk
Queensbridge Primary School Primary 133925 www.queensbridge.bolton.sch.uk
St Gregory's RC Primary School Primary 105244 www.st-gregorys.bolton.sch.uk
St James CofE Primary School Primary 105208
Harper Green School Secondary 105257 www.harper-green.bolton.sch.uk
Mount St Joseph Business & Enterprise College Secondary 105263 frog.msj.bolton.sch.uk
St James's CofE School and Sports College Secondary 105266 www.st-james.bolton.sch.uk

Sports

Farnworth Football Club is a youth team and is divided into seven sections - U7's Jaguars, U8's Pumas, U9's Lynx, U15's, U16's Lions, U17's Panthers, and U18's. This season (2007/2008) the club is playing its home games at Darley Park Football Pitch, with winter training taking place at Harper Green School.[17]

Community facilities

Farnworth has a market and a theatre (Farnworth Little Theatre) and is also known for its underground canals, running from the mines to Worsley. A leisure centre is located on the main street. The A666 by-passes the town and there is a very large and popular park close to the town centre, called "Moses Gate Country Park". A shopping centre has recently closed down in the south of the town, and is due to be developed into luxury apartments.[citation needed]

There have been many redevelopments in the past few years, including renovation of most major roads, new housing developments and even a new shopping promenade on the town's main pedestrian district in late 2005/early 2006.

Farnworth is home to St. Gregory's Catholic Club, the club used to film television comedy Phoenix Nights.

The Royal Bolton Hospital (formerly Fishpool Institution (Workhouse) and then Townleys Hospital) is found in Farnworth.

Farnworth is among the 5% most deprived areas in the country.[citation needed]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ AA Route Planner. URL accessed 29 May 2007.
  2. ^ Census 2001, Key Statistics for urban areas England and Wales. URL accessed 18 June 2007.
  3. ^ A vision of Farnworth UD/MB. Vision of Britain. URL accessed 26 February 2008.
  4. ^ Farnworth UD/MB: Historical Boundaries. Vision of Britain. URL accessed 26 February 2008.
  5. ^ GMCRO: Farnworth. Greater Manchester County Record Office. URL accessed 24 February 2008.
  6. ^ Radcliffe-cum-Farnworth to Rochdale. Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page - House of Commons. URL accessed 24 February 2008.
  7. ^ Hertford to Honiton, including Heywood and Radcliffe. Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page - House of Commons. URL accessed 24 February 2008.
  8. ^ Fairfield (Liverpool) to Fylde South, including Farnworth. Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page - House of Commons. URL accessed 24 February 2008.
  9. ^ Bodmin to Bradford East, including Bolton South East. Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page - House of Commons. URL accessed 24 February 2008.
  10. ^ Pauline Tatton, Local population statistics 1801-1986, Bolton Central Library Archives, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton, BL1 1SE.
  11. ^ Farnworth Ch/CP: Total Population. URL accessed 23 February 2008.
  12. ^ Farnworth USD: Total Population. URL accessed 23 February 2008.
  13. ^ Vision of Britain - Farnworth UD: Total Population
  14. ^ National Registration Act, 1939. Rootsweb.com. URL accessed 8 June 2007.
  15. ^ Harper Green School. URL accessed 22 February 2008.
  16. ^ a b School in tribute to comedian. Bolton Evening News, first published 30 June 2006.
  17. ^ Farnworth F.C.. URL accessed 24 February 2008.
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