Happy TravellerWelcome to Westhoughton, a charming town and civil parish located in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. With a rich history dating back to the Industrial Revolution, Westhoughton was once a center for coal mining, cotton-spinning, and textile manufacture. Today, it is a thriving community that incorporates several former villages and hamlets, each with its own unique character and amenities. Whether you’re interested in exploring the town’s fascinating past, enjoying the great outdoors, or simply relaxing and soaking up the local culture, Westhoughton has something for everyone.
One of the town’s most interesting historical sites is the site of the Banastre Rebellion, which took place in 1315. Led by Sir William Bradshaigh of Haigh Hall, Sir Henry Lea of Charnock Richard, and Sir Adam Banastre, the rebellion was a campaign of violence against Sir Robert de Holland of Upholland, chief retainer of the powerful Earl of Lancaster. The campaign ended with the deaths of most of the main protagonists.
Another important event in Westhoughton’s history was the Battle of Warcock Hill, which took place on Westhoughton Common during the English Civil War. The Parliamentarians under Captains Bradshaw, Venables, and Browne ran into a force of some thousand Royalists from the Wigan garrison under Lord Derby and were forced to surrender. The three captains and 160 men were taken prisoner. It is believed that Prince Rupert of the Rhine gathered his troops in Westhoughton before the attack and ensuing massacre at Bolton in 1644.
Westhoughton played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution, with coal mining and textile manufacturing being major industries in the town. The Hulton Colliery Company sank Chequerbent Colliery in 1892 and Bank Pit Nos 1–4 between 1897 and 1901. The company mined the Trencherbone, Plodder, and Arley seams. Bank Pit No 3, known as the Pretoria Pit, was the site of one of Britain’s worst coal-mining disasters when on 21 December 1910, 344 men and boys died in an explosion of firedamp. The Pretoria Pit Disaster was the third worst in British mining history, after the 1866 Barnsley Oaks Disaster in Yorkshire, and the 1913 Senghenydd Colliery Disaster in Glamorgan. A memorial erected in 1910 is Grade II listed.
Today, Westhoughton is a vibrant community with plenty to see and do. Local Nature Reserves are located at Hall Lee Bank Park, Cunningham Clough, and Eatock Lodge at Daisy Hill. The town also boasts several historic landmarks, including Snydle water tower, which was built by Westhoughton Council in 1914 and has been restored and converted into a private dwelling that is visible from the M61 motorway. The Church of England School built in 1861, opposite St Bartholomew’s church, is a Grade II listed building as are houses at 110 and 112, Market Street. The red brick and terracotta town hall and Carnegie library were built between 1902 and 1904 to the designs of Bradshaw & Gass.
Whether you’re interested in history, nature, or simply soaking up the local culture, Westhoughton is a destination that should not be missed. So why not plan your visit today and discover all that this charming town has to offer?
