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Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

A picture of Humberston

Humberston

in the county of Lincolnshire

Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club, Sheerness

Sheerness

in the county of Kent

So calm

Watendlath

in the county of Cumbria

Pictures of Runcorn

in the county of Cheshire

About Runcorn

Runcorn is a lively urban town at the side of the great Mersey River. It began in the 10th-century when Alfred the Greats' daughter, Aethelfleda, built a fort at a site along the Mersey, calling it Runckhorn. The Normans settled here, and Runcorn developed into what was then a large town which was to eventually become self-governing.

The full potential of the town was not to be reached until several centuries later when a barge dock was built in the 18th-century, this was at the time of the completion of the newly opened Manchester-Liverpool canal waterway. At this time quarrying gave the town much of it's importance - Runcorn sandstone was used to build the docks of New York.

At the end of the 19th-century chemical factories contributed to the town's stability, and later in the 20th-century Runcorn was designated as a new town. Today whilst still being heavily involved with production industries Runcorn is also a place of business and commerce, it is an attractively laid out town which attracts many visitors.

Amongst the urban sprawl visitors can see some famous sights, these include fabulous riverscapes of the Mersey, graceful Runcorn Bridge, Norton Priory Museum and Gardens - the largest excavated Monastic site in Europe with its giant St.Christopher statue, the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship canal. The town has a stunning loft War memorial set against an attractive flower decked garden, and is dedicated to the citizens of Runcorn who lost their lives in the 1914-1918 War.

For pleasure there is boating, fishing in Town Park Lake and other places, and Runcorn Hill Nature Reserve offers an abundance of flora and fauna. Also of interest are the 11th-century ruined remains of Halton Castle, these can be found on a hillside overlooking the River Mersey. Whilst the graceful spire of Runcorn's parish church of All Saint's stands stark against a backdrop of industry on the opposite side of the Mersey.

Runcorn has excellent shopping and leisure facilities, good hotels, cafe's, restaurants, and pubs. Its place on the Mersey banks gives visitors the opportunity to explore the Mersey estuary, famous canal waterways and the fine city of Liverpool.

Recommended towns & villages near Runcorn

Heron and angler at Eccleston Mere, St Helens, Merseyside.

St Helens (86 Pictures) in the county of Merseyside

(8.9 miles, 14.3 km, direction N of Runcorn)

Having transcended the Industrial Revolution and shaken off its old image, St.Helens is rapidly developing into a place of culture and style...

Lymm, Cheshire

Lymm (19 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Cheshire

(10.4 miles, 16.7 km, direction E of Runcorn)

The picturesque village of Lymm is situated in the the county of Cheshire, England, and was mentioned in the Doomsday book of 1086. It's name is of Celtic origins and means "Place.....

Beeston Castle in Tarporley, Cheshire.

Tarporley (15 Pictures) in the county of Cheshire

(11.8 miles, 18.9 km, direction S of Runcorn)

Attractive large village which developed as a coaching stop on the main London to Liverpool road during the 17th and 18th-centuries...

Chester City Walls, Chester

Chester (290 Pictures) a Historic City in the county of Cheshire

(11.9 miles, 19.2 km, direction SW of Runcorn)

Chester, the county town of Cheshire, is one of the oldest and most complete walled cities with fantastic architecture and history...

Royal Liver Buildings

Liverpool (619 Pictures) a Historic City in the county of Merseyside

(12.8 miles, 20.5 km, direction NW of Runcorn)

World famous for it's football team and the birthplace of the Beatles , from early humble origins Liverpool, over the centuries has grown and developed to become one of the most.....

All towns & villages in Cheshire
Complete A to Z of towns & villages in England

Nearby attractions..

Remains of Halton Castle

Halton Castle (3 Pictures)

(0.9 miles, 1.5 km)

..

Statue at Norton Priory, Cheshire

Norton Priory Museum & Gardens (6 Pictures)

(1.7 miles, 2.7 km, direction NE)

Runcorn is almost entirely encircled by two canals, the Bridgewater Canal built during the middle of the 18th century and the.....

Walton Hall, Cheshire

Walton Hall & Gardens (8 Pictures)

(5.2 miles, 8.4 km, direction NE)

Walton Hall Gardens was originally part of a much larger country estate purchased in 1812 by the Greenall family, famous for.....

Delamere Forest, Nr Tarporley, Cheshire

Delamere Forest Park (24 Pictures)

(6.2 miles, 10.0 km, direction S)

Green lungs do not come more beautiful than the densely tree populated Delamere Forest Park found in a haven of countryside, near.....

Speke Hall, Liverpool

Speke Hall (13 Pictures)

(6.6 miles, 10.7 km, direction W)

Sandwiched between the urban sprawl of Liverpool, Speke Hall is an astonishing survival from the past - a magnificent, unspoilt.....

Ellesmere Port - Taken By David Thomas DEC 2001

Ellesmere Port Boat Museum (50 Pictures)

(7.9 miles, 12.6 km, direction W)

At The Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port we bring Britain's canal history back to life. Come and explore the exhibitions in the.....

A picture of Friends Meeting House

Friends Meeting House (2 Pictures)

(8.5 miles, 13.7 km, direction N)

George Shaw of Bickerstaffe first established this handsome stone-built house of 1679 as a place of Quaker worship, since then.....


All attractions in Runcorn
All attractions in Cheshire
Complete A to Z of attractions in England