Welcome to Warrington

Warrington is located on the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal, in the county of Cheshire, approximately 195 miles north-west of London and 18 miles east of Liverpool.

The town has a population of around 84,100. Administratively it is within the Borough of Warrington which covers an area of approximately 180 sq kms and which has a population of around 193,000.

Perfectly situated as a transport hub, between the M6, M62 and M56, it is an industrial town with a strong sense of community, which benefits from excellent shopping, public transport, leisure and community facilities. Once renowned as the capital of Britain's brewing industry, it is also renowned as the first town in the country to have a public library supported by the rates (in 1848). There are some notable historic buildings, including the Town Hall built in 1750, and numerous visitor attractions in and around the town. It is a good base from which to explore the Cheshire countryside.

A Roman road crossed the river here, then the medieval bridge brought much trade to Warrington's market. The modern motorway network has given the town an almost unrivalled location for commercial and industrial development. Despite its antiquity, in the late 1960s it was designated a new town, and in the next 30 years was transformed into a major regional centre. Warrington has grown rapidly and is seeking city status; to that end it has developed a cultural quarter centred on Palmyra Square. It also has one of Britains lowest unemployment rates, due to the exponential growth Warrington has incurred since 1997.

Economically, Warrington was once renowned as the capital of Britain's brewing industry, but today incorporates a diverse range of industries. Heavy industry and big business has grown in and around Warrington, but retailing and small businesses have flourished too. Bechtel Water Technology Ltd, part of one of the world's largest engineering companies, is based here.

The name Warrington derives from Old English 'wering' and 'tun', meaning 'farmstead or village by the weir or river dam'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was listed as Walintune, and as Werington in 1246.