Horwich

Horwich
Horwich Parish Church
Horwich is located in Greater Manchester
Horwich
Horwich
Location within Greater Manchester
Population20,067 (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSD639114
• London177 mi (285 km) SE
Civil parish
  • Horwich
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBOLTON
Postcode districtBL6
Dialling code01204
PoliceGreater Manchester
FireGreater Manchester
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
Websitewww.horwich.gov.uk
List of places
UK
England
Greater Manchester
53°35′31″N 2°32′24″W / 53.592°N 2.540°W / 53.592; -2.540

Horwich (/ˈhɒrɪ/ HORR-itch) is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England,[1][2] within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.[3][4] It is 5.3 miles (8.5 km) southeast of Chorley, 5.8 miles (9.3 km) northwest of Bolton and 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway passing close to the south and west. At the 2011 Census, Horwich had a population of 20,067.[5]

Horwich emerged in the Middle Ages as a hunting chase. Streams flowing from the moors were harnessed to provide power for bleachworks and other industry at the start of the Industrial Revolution. The textile industry became a major employer and after 1884 the construction of the railway works caused the population of the town to increase dramatically. The old industries have closed and urban regeneration has been led by out of town developments, particularly at Middlebrook, which, since 1997 has been the base of Bolton Wanderers football club, who play at the University of Bolton Stadium, having moved from Burnden Park near Bolton town centre.

  1. ^ Greater Manchester Gazetteer, Greater Manchester County Record Office, archived from the original on 18 July 2011, retrieved 12 June 2010
  2. ^ Horwich Township Map, genuki.org, retrieved 6 June 2010
  3. ^ "Local Government Act United Kingdom [1972, effective 1974]". Britannica. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  4. ^ Wyke, Terry. "Bolton". Revealing Histories. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference horwichpop2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).