Chorley

Chorley

Located in Lancashire, England, Chorley in a market town. It is 8.1 miles north of Wigan, 11 miles North West of Bolton, 12 miles south of Preston, 10.8 miles south-west of Blackburn and 19.5 miles North West of Manchester. Cotton industry of this town contributes to its wealth.

History

In the year 1970s, factory chimneys dominated this town. Most of the chimneys have been demolished that include Morrison’s Chimney and other mill buildings. According to 2011 census, this area had a population of 34,667. Chorley does not exist in Domesday Book even though it is thought to be one of the twelve Berewicks in Leyland hundred. For the first time, Chorley appeared in historical records in mid-thirteenth century as part of the part of Croston Lordship owned by William de Ferrer’s and Earl of Derby around 1250.

Oldest existing building in Chorley is St Laurence’s Church. It first appeared in historical records what it was dedicated in 1362. People believe that the church is named after Saint Laurence who was an Irish Saint. He died in Normandy in the 12th century. His bones were given to the church by local noble Sir Rowland Standish who was an ancestor of Myles Standish. The industrial revolution in the 19th century helped Chorley gain its wealth. Chorley had many mills till late 20th century which made it a major cotton town. Between the 1950s and 2000s, various mills were demolished and remaining were converted for modern business purposes. Now few mills are used for manufacturing. The last mill to stop producing textiles was Lawrence’s Mill in 2009. During Second World War, this town played a major role, and it was home to Royal Ordnance Factory.

Economy

The first industry in Lancashire was mining. Evidence of this can be seen as various quarries were abandoned on outskirts of town. One of these is Anglezarke Quarry that is located between Horwich and Chorley. Remnants of mining include Duxbury Mine on Wigan Lane. Later on, the Mining industry was replaced by Cotton Mills. From the neighbouring town of Leyland, Truck manufacturing was inherited. Large factory on Pilling Lane produced military vehicles and tanks during Second World War. Production decreased after Second World War. The final part of the site was closed in 2008 by BAE systems. Through the 20th century, especially later half, Chorley lost much of its manufacturing capacity with great losses. Loss leads to the complete disappearance of coal, textiles, armaments industries and motor vehicles. Leyland Trucks and BAE systems are largest employers in Central Lancashire area. They have sites in Leyland and Samlesbury area.

Companies that are located in Borough are:

BAE Systems

FedEx

North West Depot

Talent

CSC

In 2011, Chorley Council started an Initiative “Choose Chorley” to encourage small and large businesses to move to Chorley. In 2014, website www.choosechorley.co.uk was launched, and later domain name was acquired from Chorley based web design agency, NRD Media. The initiative offers opportunities to major people in the town, tailored support and financial incentives for business growth.