Chorley

Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, England, south of Preston. It is the seat for the borough of Chorley and has been twinned with the former Hungarian capital, Székesfehérvár since 1991. Chorley has a population of 100,449.

History

A settlement has existed at Chorley since at least the bronze age. A farmer at Astley Hall Farm found a pottery burial urn from this period in 1963. This find was followed up with further excavations, with further artifacts being found. Objects from these excavations are on display at the hall's museum.

Related Topics:
Bronze age - Astley Hall - 1963

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A market charter was granted to the town in the 1250s, and there is evidence from 1498 that the market was actually taking place. Nowadays, the town has two markets, the Flat Iron Market and the Covered Market. For one weekend each year, French market traders sell their produce in the town, with Chorley's merchants returning the favour in France. The market has a number of specialist cheesemongers who purvey the local Lancashire cheese in various forms.

Related Topics:
1250s - 1498

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Sirloin steak was officially knighted by James I at , a large stately home on the outskirts of the town, where William Shakespeare once worked. Astley Hall is a more central stately home, set in the middle of the town's largest park, Astley Park. Here, Oliver Cromwell visited on his trek through the region.

Related Topics:
Sirloin - William Shakespeare - Astley Hall - Astley Park - Oliver Cromwell

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In the 1970s, Chorley was designated as part of Central Lancashire new town, together with Preston and Leyland. The original aim of this project was to combine the three settlements into a single city with a population of around half a million. Although this never came to pass, and the project has since been abandoned, Chorley benefited from the urban renewal commonly associated with new towns. Examples include a bypass of the town centre, and the Market Walk shopping centre.

Related Topics:
1970s - Central Lancashire - New town - Preston - Leyland - City - Urban renewal - Bypass - Shopping centre

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As the 21st Century progresses, Chorley will grow significantly in size as the new Balshaw Village gets built on the site of the old munitions factory at Euxton.

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