Widnes is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 61,464.
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21 Facts About Widnes
2.
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.
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3.
However, during the 1890s the chemical business in Widnes went into decline as more efficient methods of making alkali were developed elsewhere.
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4.
From Saxon times Widnes was part of the hundred of West Derby in Lancashire.
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5.
In 1885 Widnes became a parliamentary constituency and elected its first Member of Parliament.
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6.
Drainage of the Widnes area is into the Mersey via Ditton, Steward's and Bower's Brooks.
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7.
Widnes was a small settlement until industrialisation in the 1860s.
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8.
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.
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9.
Widnes is on the southern route of the Liverpool to Manchester railway line.
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10.
A562 road passes through Widnes linking Liverpool to the west with Penketh to the east.
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11.
Widnes is 6 miles from Liverpool John Lennon Airport and 25 miles from Manchester Airport.
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12.
Also in Widnes is the Woodview Child Development Centre in Crow Wood Lane.
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13.
Widnes is home to a mixed martial arts gym, the Wolfslair MMA Academy.
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14.
Since May 2013 there has been an ice hockey club Widnes Wild based at the Planet Ice ice rink which plays in the National Ice Hockey League Laidler Conference.
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15.
Crow Wood Park is in the eastern part of Widnes and Sunnybank is a large area of open ground in the eastern part of the town.
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16.
Widnes lived in The Hollies, Farnworth and there his two sons were born, both of whom became notable.
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17.
Thomas Mottershead, born in Widnes, joined the Royal Flying Corps during World War I; he was awarded the Victoria Cross and the Distinguished Conduct Medal posthumously for his gallantry.
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18.
Widnes commanded a squadron of obsolescent biplane Gladiator fighters during the Battle of Greece in World War II.
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20.
Widnes was then a Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent for many years.
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21.
Widnes became a Companion of Honour in 1975 and was invested as a privy councillor in 1979.
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