Atherton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, historically part of Lancashire. It sits between Wigan and Leigh, a short commute west of Manchester, and grew up on the Lancashire coalfield during the Industrial Revolution, with coal mining and textiles shaping its layout and communities.
That industrial past is still visible in terraced streets, miners’ social clubs and the local football team, Atherton Collieries, while today the town is largely residential with parks, local shops and rail links into Manchester on the Atherton Line. Ongoing regeneration and community projects aim to balance those historic roots with modern housing and job opportunities.
Postcode districts covering Atherton
Most populated places nearby
- Manchester 12 miles
- Liverpool 19.1 miles
- Preston 18.9 miles
- Oldham 16.2 miles
- St. Helens 11.3 miles
- Wigan 6 miles
- Warrington 10.5 miles
- Burnley 20.9 miles
- Blackburn 15.6 miles
- Bolton 5 miles
- Stockport 16.2 miles
- Salford 8.9 miles
Neighbouring places
- Atherton North Ward 0.5 miles
- Atherton South & Lilford Ward 1.1 miles
- Westhoughton Built-up area 1.4 miles
- Higher Folds Built-up area 1.8 miles
- Hulton Ward 1.8 miles
- Westhoughton South Ward 1.9 miles
- Leigh Central & Higher Folds Ward 2.1 miles
- Tyldesley & Mosley Common Ward 2.1 miles
- Tyldesley Built-up area 2.1 miles
- Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill Ward 2.3 miles
- Leigh Built-up area 2.3 miles
- Hindley Green Ward 2.4 miles
Example postcodes in Atherton
BL5 1AU, M46 9GX, M46 9JA, M46 9FS, M46 0LY, M46 9HQ, M46 0BW, M46 0PH, BL5 1HQ … See all
Transport links
- Manchester Airport 15.1 miles
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport 19.9 miles
- Hag Fold Railway Station 0.3 miles
- Atherton Railway Station 0.7 miles
Hotels near Atherton Ad
- Kings Arms Hotel 3.8 miles
- Holiday Inn Express Leigh - Sports Village 3 3.2 miles
- Delta Hotels Worsley Park Country Club 4 4.7 miles
- The Waterside Bar Rooms & Restaurant 6.2 miles
- The Bolton Stadium Hotel, A Member of Radisson Individuals 4 3.8 miles
- Novotel Manchester West 3 4.9 miles
- The Kirkfield Hotel 7.1 miles
- Holiday Inn Express Wigan 3 7.3 miles
- The Bay Horse Hotel 4 6.7 miles
- Hotel Football, Old Trafford, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel 4 9.7 miles
Schools in Atherton
- Atherton High School Secondary
- Atherton St George's C of E Primary School Primary
- Chowbent Primary School Primary
- Hindsford C of E Primary School Primary
- Meadowbank Primary School Primary
- Parklee Primary School Primary
- Rowan Tree Primary School Special
- Sacred Heart RC Primary School Primary
- St Andrew's C of E Primary School, Over Hulton Primary
- St Michael's C of E Primary School, Howe Bridge Primary
- St Philip's C of E Primary School, Atherton Primary
- St Richard's Roman Catholic Primary School Atherton Primary
Local points of interest
- University of Bolton Stadium Stadium 3.9 miles
- Octagon Theatre, Bolton Theatre 4.2 miles
- Haydock Park Racecourse Recreation 6.3 miles
- Salford City Stadium Stadium 6.4 miles
- Wigan Athletic FC Stadium 6.6 miles
- DW Stadium Stadium 6.7 miles
- The Trafford Centre Shopping centre 7.4 miles
- School Stadium 7.8 miles
- Agecroft Hall Archaeological site 8.1 miles
- Gigg Lane Stadium 8.9 miles
- Imperial War Museum North Museum 9.1 miles
- Heaton Park Estate 9.4 miles