Metropolitan district in England
| Coordinates: | 53.45, -2.7 |
|---|---|
| OS grid ref: | SJ 53 95 |
St Helens is a metropolitan borough in Merseyside, in the North West of England, roughly midway between Liverpool and Manchester. It grew up around coal, glassmaking and related industries in the 19th and 20th centuries, with firms such as Pilkington putting the area on the map; nearby Rainhill is famous for the 1829 Rainhill Trials that helped launch the railway age.
The borough has a varied landscape of former industrial sites, wooded valleys and parks, including the Sankey Canal and Sankey Valley, Sherdley Park and Taylor Park, plus attractions such as the World of Glass and Haydock Park racecourse. Sport and culture are important locally - the town’s rugby league club has a national profile and there’s a strong sense of heritage around glassmaking and working-class community life.
Economically it has shifted from heavy industry to a mix of manufacturing, distribution and retail, helped by good road links to the motorways and port facilities. The borough comprises a number of distinct towns and suburbs such as Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows, Haydock, Sutton and Billinge, and continues to balance regeneration of the town centre with pride in its industrial and social history.