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Ashton-in-Makerfield, or in the Willows, as it was variously called, was the
largest and most populous of the townships in the ancient Parish of Winwick, and
would originally have been included in the Diocese of York. About the beginning of the tenth century, the land between the Ribble and the
Mersey was transferred to the Diocese of Lichfield then in 1541 to the new
Diocese of Chester. In 1880 the Diocese of Liverpool was created out of Chester,
and Ashton has been in the Diocese of Liverpool since that date. From Medieval
times Ashton formed part of the Rural Deanery of Warrington, but since1865 has
been in the Rural Deanery of Wigan.
In 1845 The Winwick Rectory Act was passed dividing the old Parish of Winwick
into ten new Parishes-Winwick, Croft,Cultcheth, Newton-in-Makerfield Emmanuel,
Newton St Peter, Newchurch, Golborne, Lowton, Ashton-in-Makerfield, and Ashton
St Thomas. It was enacted that the Parish and Rectory of Ashton-in-Makerfield
should comprise the whole of the township of Ashton-in-Makerfield "except
that part which is called the Town End", and that the Town End, together
with the whole of the township of Haydock should form the Parish and Vicarage of
St Thomas.
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The Town End was defined as "all such parts of the township of Ashton-in-Makerfield
as shall be to the southward of a line to be drawn as follows: beginning at a
place where the boundary between the township of Ashton-in-Makerfield and the
township of Haydock crosses Millfield Lane, and thence along the centre of the
said lane to a certain other lane called Dock Lane, thence Eastwardly along the
centre of such lane to a brook which crosses the same lane about 65 yards beyond
the fourth milestone from St Helens thence crossing the same lane to the north-
easterly abutment of a bridge which crosses the said brook; thence in a straight
direction to a mere stone, standing in Nichol Lane near the place where a public
footway enters the same lane; thence along the centre of Nichol Lane to Long
Lane and thence along the centre of Long Lane to Old Brynn Lane; thence
along centre of such lane to a place where Coffin Lane Brook crosses the same
lane and thence following the line of the brook in an easterly direction until
it reaches the boundary of the township of Ashton-in-Makerfield." The Parish remained as such until in 1869 the Parish of St James Haydock was
formed, taking over from St. Thomas's the whole of the Township of Haydock
except that part which lies eastward of a line drawn down the centre of Kenyon's
Lane, Penny Lane and Vista Road.
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The Parish boundaries were revised again on the 25th of August 1931 when
parts of the Parishes of Ashton-in-Makerfield (Holy Trinity) and parts of St
Thomas's were formed into a "Consolidated Chapelry" and assigned to
the Church of St.Peters Bryn. In 1935 a further boundary adjustment conferred part of St. Thomas's Parish
in the Township of Haydock to the Parish of St James. The last boundary
adjustment in 1980 left the Parish boundaries as follows:- beginning at the
boundary between Ashton and Haydock at Millfield Lane, then along the centre of
Millfield Lane to Liverpool Road, eastwardly along the centre of Liverpool Road
to the M6 Motorway, northwards along the M6 to Lowbank Road, then eastwards
along the centre of Lowbank Road, Cansfield Grove and Alexandra Road to Bryn
Road South, north along the centre of Bryn Road South to Bryn Rd, along the
centre of Bryn Road to Lockett Road and then in a north easterly direction to
Old Brynn Lane, then in a south easterly direction to Coffin Lane, eastwardly
across Bolton Road to Coffin Lane Brook, following the brook eastwardly to the
boundary of Ashton-in-Makerfield; following the boundary south and continuing
south to the East
Lancashire Road, west
along this road to Kilbuck Lane in Haydock, following Kilbuck Lane until it
joins Millfield Lane and then back along the boundary with Ashton. |
