61-582: William Dickson may refer to: William Dickson (Australian politician) (1893–1966), member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales William Dickson (bishop) (1745–1804), Bishop of Down and Connor, 1784–1804 William Dickson (MP) (1748–1815) British Army commander and Member of Parliament William Dickson (congressman) (1770–1816), American congressman from Tennessee William Dickson (Falklands settler) (died 1833), administrator of Fort Louis in
122-527: A Norman church, was built in Farnworth. Its date of origin is uncertain but it is likely to be around 1180. In 1500 the South Chapel was added to the church and in 1507 a grammar school was established in Farnworth; both were endowments from Bishop William Smyth . Until the middle of the 19th century the area consisted of the scattered hamlets of Farnworth , Appleton, Ditton, Upton and Woodend. Nearby were
183-448: A Tesco Extra 24-hour store. The glass fronted 120,000 sq ft store has been built on the old B&Q site next to Ashley Way and was opened in March 2012. The store was built on stilts allowing a car park to be built underneath the store for around 600 cars. The Silver Jubilee Bridge is a Grade II listed structure with Historic England . It was opened in 1961 and crosses to Runcorn . With
244-565: A first language. In 2020, the GVA for the Widnes Built-up Area was £1.18 billion. Widnes is an industrial town and its major industry is still the manufacture of chemicals, although there has been diversification in recent years and the economy predominately relies on service industries. In 2006 a new freight park, known as the 3MG Mersey Multimodal Gateway, was opened in the West Bank area of
305-562: A main arch spanning 330m, for many years it was the only crossing of the River Mersey West of Warrington. In 2017 the new Mersey Gateway bridge was opened to relieve congestion at the older bridge and allow easier road access to the Liverpool City region. Reclamation of chemical factory sites and areas formerly polluted with chemical waste has given opportunities for developments. These include Victoria Promenade at West Bank, alongside
366-684: A mine in Broken Hill . He lost his job after opposing conscription during World War I , and worked as a labourer and then as manager of the Barrier Daily Truth . On 22 October 1922 he married Alice Celia Cogan, with whom he had five children. He then moved to Sydney , and from 1925 to 1934 was a Labor member of the New South Wales Legislative Council . Involved in Bob Heffron 's Industrial Labor Party , he soon returned to
427-593: A more northerly course, and when it was blocked by glacial deposits it had made a new channel through Runcorn Gap. Being close to the west coast and the Irish Sea , the climate is generally temperate with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean average temperature in the years 1971 to 2000 was 9.4 to 9.7 °C , which was slightly above the average for the United Kingdom as was the average amount of annual sunshine at 1391 to 1470 hours. The average annual rainfall
488-406: A regular covered-top double-decker bus service. By 1919 the health of the residents of the town was improving. In the 1920s, and 1930s there was further diversification of the chemical industry and the products it manufactured. Slums were being replaced by more and better homes. After World War II more slums were cleared and there was ongoing growth and variation in the chemical industry. By
549-761: A sporting ground it has facilities for conferences and banqueting. In October 2007 the club was defeated in the National League One Grand Final. Following this, and because of the club's financial situation, its board decided to put it into administration . It was subsequently purchased by Steve O'Connor, a local businessman. The Widnes Vikings are in the Betfred Championship . Widnes Rugby Union Football Club (otherwise known as "the wids"), are an amateur rugby union club based at Heath Rd and administered by volunteers. The players are all club members and pay subscriptions. The club welcomes and encourages
610-852: Is St Luke's Church, Farnworth . The other Anglican churches are St Mary's in West Bank, St Paul's in Victoria Square, St John's in Greenway Road and St Ambrose in Halton View Road. The Anglicans share the building of St Michael's in Ditchfield Road with Hough Green Methodist Church. The Anglicans also share the building of All Saints' in Hough Green Road with the Catholic Church of St Basil's. The Roman Catholic churches in Widnes are part of
671-516: Is Widnes Vikings Rugby League Football Club . Cup kings of the 1970s, and 1980s, they were World Club Champions in 1989, after defeating Australian side Canberra Raiders at Old Trafford . More recently, they were winners of the Northern Rail Cup in 2007 and 2009. Their home ground is DCBL Stadium in Lowerhouse Lane, which is owned and run by Halton Borough Council. In addition to being
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#1732852009306732-877: Is a listed building, but it has been placed on the Buildings at Risk list by the campaign group Save Britain's Heritage and was identified by the Victorian Society on their 2008 annual list as being one of the ten most endangered Victorian buildings in Britain. Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Mayfield Avenue, St Marie's in Lugsdale Road, St Pius X in Sefton Avenue and St Raphael's in Liverpool Road all closed and were deconsecrated by 2013. Trinity Methodist Church
793-477: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages William Dickson (Australian politician) William Edward Dickson (26 April 1893 – 22 May 1966) was an English-born Australian politician. Dickson was born at Widnes in Lancashire to alkali labourer Edward Dickson and Bertha Stancliffe. He migrated to Australia in 1913 and worked as an accountant for
854-945: Is in Peelhouse Lane and there are Methodist churches in Farnworth and Halebank. There is a Baptist church in Deacon Road and an Evangelical Christian church in Ditton. The Foundry in Lugsdale Road is a Pentecostal church and the Jehovah's Witnesses have a Kingdom Hall in Moorfield Road. The Widnes National Spiritualist Church is in Lacey Street. In the 2021 census , of Widnes's 62,400 residents, 96.5% were White. Mixed/multiple ethnic groups made up 1.3%; Asian/Asian British/Asian Welsh 1.2%; Black/Black British/Black Welsh/Caribbean/African 0.4%; and Other ethnic group 0.5%. 97.3% had English as
915-567: Is on the southern route of the Liverpool to Manchester railway line . There are two stations in the town, Hough Green and Widnes from which services are operated by East Midlands Railway and Northern . Northern operate frequent services to Liverpool and Manchester city centre from Hough Green and Widnes. East Midlands Railway link Widnes station at hourly intervals throughout the day to Liverpool, Manchester, Stockport , Sheffield , Nottingham and Norwich . However passengers to and from London,
976-643: The 2021 census had a population of 62,400. 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
1037-629: The Archdiocese of Liverpool . There are four churches in Widnes, namely St Bede's in Appleton, St John Fisher in Moorfield Road, St Michael's in St Michael's Road, and St Basils in Hough Green Road. Owing to a shortage of Catholic Priests and the "Leaving Safe Harbours" project in effect throughout the Archdiocese St Marie's was closed, the last Mass was celebrated on 6 January 2007. The church
1098-607: The Building Schools for the Future programme, Fairfield High School closed down in 2010 and merged with Wade Deacon High School . The school was founded in 1507 as Farnworth Grammar School by Bishop William Smyth and a school has been on the site since the 16th century. In the 1960s two separate-sex secondary schools amalgamated and the school took the title Fairfield High School from 1974 up until its closure. When it closed in August 2010,
1159-608: The House of Commons . The seat has been held by Derek Twigg of the Labour Party since its creation for the 2024 general election . Between 1983 and 2024, Widnes was in the Halton constituency which was held by the Labour Party since its creation. Widnes first became a parliamentary constituency and elected its first Member of Parliament in 1885. Widnes is situated on the north bank of
1220-613: 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"). The most usual explanation for
1281-562: The Silver Jubilee Bridge , carrying the A533 road which then curves in a westerly direction towards Liverpool becoming the A562. The density of housing is generally high but there are some open green areas, including Victoria Park in Appleton and two golf courses which are geographically near the centre of the urban development. Most of the chemical and other factories are close to the north bank of
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#17328520093061342-618: The 1930s found nothing to confirm this. Following the Norman conquest of England , William the Conqueror granted the Earldom of Lancaster to Roger the Poitevin who in turn granted the barony of Widnes to Yorfrid. Yorfrid had no sons and his elder daughter married William fitz Nigel , the second Baron of Halton . On Yorfrid's death the barony of Widnes passed to that of Halton. The current St. Luke's ,
1403-579: The 1950s the town had 45 major chemical factories. In 1961 the Silver Jubilee Bridge opened as free crossing, replacing the outdated Transporter Bridge. In 2017 a further crossing, the Mersey Gateway Bridge , opened to relieve congestion. This crossing was tolled. When the Mersey Gateway Bridge was opened, the Silver Jubilee Bridge was closed for maintenance. Now both bridges are operating, but as tolled crossings. In recent years many of
1464-695: The 9th century Vikings invaded the country and Widnes was at the extreme south of the Danelaw . The River Mersey derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon maeres ea , which means boundary river, the boundary being that between the Danelaw and the Saxon kingdom of Mercia . At the beginning of the 20th century it was believed that some earthworks on Cuerdley Marsh had been constructed by the Vikings but an archaeological investigation in
1525-459: The ALP and was general secretary from 1940 to 1941 and campaign director from 1940 to 1952. He returned to the Legislative Council in 1940, where he would remain until his death. He was an assistant minister from 1941 to 1948, and from 1948 to 1952 was Minister for Building Materials , with his title changed to include additional responsibilities as Minister for Secondary Industries from 1950. In 1949 he
1586-755: The Air Staff, 1953–1956 William Dickson (Upper Canada) (1769–1846), lawyer, businessman and political figure in Upper Canada William Dickson (solicitor) (1799–1875), solicitor, banker and historian associated with Alnwick, Northumberland, England William A. Dickson (1861–1940), U.S. Representative William Kennedy Dickson (1860–1935), Franco-Scottish inventor and film pioneer William Kirk Dickson (1860–1949), Scottish advocate, librarian and writer William Purdie Dickson (1823–1901), Scottish professor of divinity William Steel Dickson (1744–1824), Ulster Presbyterian minister and member of
1647-567: The Falklands in 1833 William Dickson (footballer, born 1866) (1866–1910), Scottish footballer William Dickson (footballer, born 1923) (1923–2002), Northern Irish footballer William Dickson (Northern Ireland politician) (born 1947), Northern Irish councillor and shooting survivor William Dickson (Nova Scotia politician) (1779–1834), politician in Nova Scotia William Dickson (RAF officer) (1898–1987), British Chief of
1708-646: The Midlands and the South are likely to use Runcorn station and make the short journey across the Mersey Gateway Bridge by bus or taxi. Proposals for Merseyrail to be extended to Warrington have been set as Merseyrail are due some new Battery Electric Trains. This would open up new links as the trains would run on the pre-existing route via Widnes railway station . The two main bus operators providing local services are Arriva North West and Warrington's Own Buses. The A562 road passes through Widnes linking Liverpool to
1769-592: The River Mersey, and Spike Island, now cleared of industry, which forms an open recreation area leading to footpaths along the former towpath of the Sankey Canal. Adjacent to Spike Island occupying John Hutchinson's former Tower Building is the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre . There are a number of listed buildings , many of them in the more outlying areas but some are scattered throughout
1830-566: The River Mersey. A second road bridge, the Mersey Gateway , opened in October 2017, carrying a six-lane road connecting Runcorn's Central Expressway with Speke Road and Queensway in Widnes. Drainage of the Widnes area is into the Mersey via Ditton, Steward's and Bower's Brooks. The bedrock of the area is rock from the Sherwood sandstone group. There are a few outcrops of sandstone but elsewhere
1891-594: The River Mersey. The whole town is low-lying with some slightly higher areas in Farnworth and Appleton. To the south of the town a spur projecting into the river forms the West Bank area of Widnes; together with a spur projecting northwards from Runcorn these form Runcorn Gap, a narrowing of the River Mersey. Runcorn Gap is crossed by Runcorn Railway Bridge , carrying the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line, and
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1952-578: The Sankey Canal and the railway making alkali by the Leblanc process . This was an ideal site for the factory because all the raw materials could be transported there by the waterways and railway, and the finished products could similarly be transported anywhere else in the country or overseas. Further chemical factories were soon built nearby by entrepreneurs including John McClellan , William Gossage , Frederic Muspratt , Holbrook Gaskell and Henry Deacon . The town grew rapidly as housing and social provision
2013-922: The Society of the United Irishmen William Dickson (chemist) (1905–1992), Scottish chemist and educator William Angus Dickson (1882–1967), Canadian politician in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario William B. Dickson (1865–1942), business executive in the American steel industry William M. Dickson (1827–1889), lawyer and judge from Cincinnati, Ohio Billy Dickson , American cinematographer and television director Billy Dickson (footballer) (born 1945), Scottish footballer See also [ edit ] William Dixon (disambiguation) William Dixson (1870–1952), Australian businessman and benefactor [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
2074-450: The bedrock is covered by drift . Most of this consists of till except near the bank of the Mersey where it is recent alluvium . When borings were made in the 1870s prior to the building of chemical works a deep gorge measuring around 100 feet (30 m) was found in the bedrock which was filled with glacial deposits . From this it was concluded that before the Ice Age the Mersey had flowed in
2135-560: The chemical companies making alkali by the Leblanc process combined to form the United Alkali Company , later one of the constituent companies of ICI . This involved practically all of the chemical industries in Widnes, which was considered to be the principal centre of the new company. However, during the 1890s the chemical business in Widnes went into decline as more efficient methods of making alkali were developed elsewhere. During
2196-576: The chemical factories have closed and the economy is predominantly based upon service industries. 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,
2257-493: The chemical processes. In 1888 the town was described as "the dirtiest, ugliest and most depressing town in England" and in 1905 as a "poisonous hell-town". Their especial ugliness is, however, never more marked than when the spring is making beautiful every nook and corner of England, for the spring never comes hither. It never comes because, neither at Widnes nor St. Helens, is there any place in which it can manifest itself. The foul gases which, belched forth night and day from
2318-399: The development of rugby within all sections of the local community by promoting links with local schools, local authorities and the Rugby Football Union constituency body. Widnes Cricket Club was founded in 1865 and has its ground in Beaconsfield Road. Moorfield Sports & Social Club in Moorfield Road hosts sports including football, rugby league, cricket and bowls. At Highfield Road there
2379-414: The early decades of the 20th century there was a revival in the local economy, particularly as the United Alkali Company began to manufacture new products. Improvements were being made to the structure of the town, in particular the opening of the Widnes–Runcorn Transporter Bridge in 1905 which gave the first direct link over the Mersey for road traffic. In 1909 the town became the first in Britain to have
2440-471: The flagship store being a Marks & Spencer shop. Other businesses involved in the development are Next , New Look , Boots , River Island and British Home Stores . The Outfit out-of-town chain outlet incorporates fashion brands, including Dorothy Perkins , Miss Selfridge , Topman , Wallis and Burton . Other businesses included in the development are Wilko , Costa Coffee , Halfords , Buzz Bingo and KFC . In Autumn 2011 construction began of
2501-543: The many factories, rot the clothes, the teeth, and, in the end, the bodies or the workers, have killed every tree and every blade of grass for miles around. The demand for workers meant that, in addition to people from other areas of the United Kingdom, including Ireland, large numbers of workers came from other countries. From the late 1880s significant numbers arrived from Poland and Lithuania who were fleeing from persecution and poverty in their home countries. Immigrants also came from other areas, in particular Wales. In 1890
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2562-423: The name have been Vidnes, Wydnes and Wydness. There is little evidence of any early human occupation of the area although a flint arrowhead was discovered at Pex Hill, suggesting there was some human presence in the Stone Age . Pex Hill is a disused quarry , located to the north of the town. Roman roads by-passed the area but some Roman coins were found where the Ditton railway station stands today. In
2623-488: The old heavy chemical factories have closed to be replaced by more modern factories. Much of the land previously polluted by the old dirty chemical processes has been reclaimed, and there have been improvements in the cleanliness and environment of the town. Widnes is unparished with the exception of Halebank . The local authority is Halton Borough Council for which the town is divided into nine electoral wards , each electing three councillors. From Saxon times Widnes
2684-417: The origin of the name Widnes is that it comes from the Danish words vid , meaning wide, and noese , meaning nose and that it refers to the promontory projecting into the River Mersey. However, the Widnes promontory is not particularly wide and another possible explanation is the first part derives from the Danish ved , meaning a wood and possibly referring to a tree-covered promontory. Earlier spellings of
2745-436: The people living in Widnes, 64.3% declared themselves to be Christian, higher than the national average in England of 46.3% but down from 79.9% in 2011. 29.5% stated that they had "no religion" and 4.7% made no religious claims. Those stating their religions as Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Islam, Sikh or other amounted to 1.5%. The Anglican churches are administered by the Diocese of Liverpool . The longest established church
2806-409: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Dickson&oldid=1176448299 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2867-403: The schools pupils were transferred to Wade Deacon High School, though still operating from the same site. This continued until March 2013 when Wade Deacon High School's new build was completed; demolition of the old school began in August 2013 and was completed by the end of that year. The site is currently being developed into a housing estate and a cemetery. The major sporting body in the town
2928-525: The town and three nursery schools. The three secondary schools are Saints Peter and Paul Catholic High School , Ormiston Chadwick Academy and Wade Deacon High School . The former colleges, Halton College and Widnes and Runcorn Sixth Form College, merged in 2006 to form Riverside College . There are three special schools . Also in Widnes is the Woodview Child Development Centre in Crow Wood Lane. Kingsway Learning Centre offers opportunities for Adult Learning, Basic Skills and Skills for Success. As part of
2989-402: The town. The Greenoaks Centre, a mall which was opened in 1995 is adjacent to the long-established Widnes Market which has both a market hall and an open market. Also adjacent is a Morrisons supermarket. In the Simms Cross area a large Asda superstore opened in 2004, replacing its old store in nearby Ditton. A new shopping development, known as Widnes Shopping Park, opened on 18 March 2010,
3050-422: The town. The listed churches are the Anglican churches of St Luke's Church, Farnworth (and its adjacent bridewell ), and St Mary's, West Bank , the Roman Catholic churches of St Michael's , St Marie's and St Bede's, and the two chapels in the cemetery. The railway stations of Widnes and Hough Green are listed, as are the former Widnes Town Hall and the former power house of the transporter bridge. Widnes
3111-418: The town. This provides a link for freight arriving by road, air or sea to be transferred to the rail network. In 2010 the first phase of Stobart Park, a "multimodal logistics service for warehousing and distribution", and part of the Stobart Group , was opened. This consists of a 520,000 square feet (48,000 m ) refrigerated warehouse for Tesco . In 2014 work began on the new Mersey Gateway bridge which
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#17328520093063172-454: The villages of Cronton and Cuerdley . In the 1750s the Sankey Canal was constructed. This linked the area of St. Helens with the River Mersey at Sankey Bridges , near Warrington and was in operation by 1757. It was extended to Fiddler's Ferry in 1762 and then in 1833 a further extension to Woodend was opened. In the same year the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway was opened. The railway connected St Helens with an area in Woodend which
3233-446: The west with Penketh to the east. The A557 road passes through the town linking Runcorn to the south, via the Silver Jubilee Bridge, with the M62 motorway , some 2.5 miles (4 km) to the north. The Mersey Gateway will replace the Silver Jubilee Bridge by mid-October 2017. Widnes is 6 miles (10 km) from Liverpool John Lennon Airport and 25 miles (40 km) from Manchester Airport . There are nineteen primary schools in
3294-413: Was 741 to 870 mm, which was slightly below the average for the UK. The average number of days in the year when snow is on the ground is 0 to 6, which is low for the United Kingdom. The average number of days of air frost is 2 to 39, which is also low. Widnes was a small settlement until industrialisation in the nineteenth century which led to significant population growth. In the 2021 census, of
3355-433: 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 . The town continues to be a major manufacturer of chemicals, although many of
3416-402: Was abolished and its territory amalgamated with Runcorn to form the borough of Halton within the county of Cheshire. In 1998 the borough of Halton became a unitary authority . In 2009, the council entered into an agreement with the five metropolitan district councils of Merseyside to form the Liverpool City Region . Widnes is in the Widnes and Halewood constituency for representation in
3477-408: Was appointed Secretary for Mines in addition to his previous portfolios. He resigned from the ministry in 1952 when he was elected President of the Legislative Council . He retained the presidency until his death at Vaucluse in 1966. Widnes Widnes ( / ˈ w ɪ d n ə s / WID -nəss ) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton , Cheshire , England , which at
3538-476: Was completed and open to the public in October 2017. A new six lane toll bridge over the River Mersey between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes was built to relieve the congested and ageing Silver Jubilee Bridge . The new bridge and access roads are a major strategic transport route linking the Liverpool city-region including Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the Port of Liverpool to North West England. There has been considerable development of shopping areas in
3599-402: Was made for the factory workers. Soon the villages of Farnworth, Appleton, Ditton and Upton were subsumed within the developing town of Widnes. Woodend became known as West Bank. The substances produced included soap, borax, soda ash, salt cake and bleaching powder. Other industries developed including iron and copper works. The town became heavily polluted with smoke and the by-products of
3660-419: Was part of the hundred of West Derby in Lancashire. Modern local government in the town of Widnes began with the creation of the Widnes Local Board in 1865, prior to which the town had been part of the administrative district of Prescot . In 1892, the town received a Charter of Incorporation forming the Municipal Borough of Widnes . In 1974, as part of the Local Government Act 1972 , Widnes Borough Council
3721-488: Was to become known as Spike Island . The termini of the canal and railway were adjacent and here Widnes Dock , the world's first railway dock, was established. Despite these transport links and the emergence of the chemical industry at nearby Runcorn and elsewhere in the Mersey Valley, the Industrial Revolution did not arrive at Widnes until 14 years later, with the arrival at Spike Island of John Hutchinson . John Hutchinson built his first factory in 1847 on land between
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