Discover Chorley, Lancashire

Chorley, Lancashire, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chorley-919.JPG
Author: ProfDEH


Chorley is a market town in south-central Lancashire, England. The main town within the Borough of Chorley, it has a population of 35,000 people (2012 estimate). Chorley was once a major center for the cotton industry which has since seen its demise.

Human habitation in the area around Chorley goes back to the Bronze Age. Ancient artifacts continue to be discovered today, such as a burial urn from 3,500 BC that was discovered in 1963. During the Roman period, the Romans built a road that passed near the settlement. The Romans also established a settlement at Brindle, which is to the north of Chorley.

There is no clear evidence of Chorley being established during the Anglo-Saxon period, but it has certainly existed during the Norman period. It received its market charter in 1250, though today the town has two markets, the Flat Iron Market and the Covered Market.

Chorley had a tradition in weaving and cloth making, but it was the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century that spurred the growth of its textile industry. It was helped, to a large extend, by the coal and iron mining industries. The town was a site of many textile mills, and their chimneys dominated the 19th century skyline of the town.

Chorley Town Hall, Chorley, Lancashire: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chorley_Town_Hall.jpg
Author: Karl1587
The textile industry went into decline since the post World War I years. During the Second World War, Chorley was home to a large munition manufacturer. Today the town has evolved into a dormitory town for workers in nearby Manchester, Preston, Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan.

Visiting Chorley

From Manchester, take the M61 motorway until Exit 8, then continue west to reach Chorley.

Chorley Library: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chorley_Institute-935.JPG
Author: ProfDEH

Places of Interest in and around Chorley

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.