The historic town of Warrington stands on the banks of the River Mersey, conveniently located between the major cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Warrington was founded by the Romans as an important river crossing place, by the Middle Ages it had established itself as a market town with traditions of textile and tool production. The expansion of the town occurred around the time of the Industrial Revolution when Warrington became prosperous from manufacturing industries, especially steel wire making. The population has nearly doubled since being designated a new town in 1968 and currently stands at around 200,000. These days Warrington is a vibrant cosmopolitan town with plenty to offer those on a day trip or short break. Pent Shed Warrington Here are some of the top attractions:
Warrington Museum & Art Gallery
Located on Bold Street in the Cultural Quarter of Warrington and built between 1855 and 1857. It has the distinction of being one of the oldest municipal museums in the whole of the UK. The permanent galleries have a host of material on the natural world including Warrington's very own dinosaur! The gallery has a number of paintings from internationally renowned artists and regularly hosts shows of contemporary art. Admission is free.
Walton Hall Gardens
Three miles from the town centre, Walton Hall is a country house set in 30 acres of beautiful parkland. This popular public park offers a number of family attractions including crazy golf, bowls, pitch and putt, play area and a children's zoo. The house itself was built in 1836 and is Grade II listed.
Gulliver's World Resort
A theme park set in a forest located about 2 miles to the west of the town centre. Ideal for younger children and families Gulliver's World is split into 9 differently themed sections that surround a large man-made lake. There are over 90 rides, attractions and shows to see including rollercoasters and log flumes.
Warrington Town Hall
Completed in 1750, it originally stood in open countryside as a private home for wealthy local businessman Thomas Patten. In 1873 Patten's great grandson sold the building to the borough council and it was converted into Warrington's new town hall. The surrounding land became known as Bank Park, Warrington's first public park. The spectacular gates are believed to have been a gift that Queen Victoria declined, her loss is Warrington's gain!
Warrington Wolves Rugby League Club
The Warrington Wolves are a well known professional rugby league team who play in the Super League at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. One of the founding rugby league teams, they are the only team to have played every season in the top flight since 1895. Three Championships and Seven Challenge Cup wins makes them one of the most successful teams to have played the league code. Home matches are well attended with cheaper tickets available to children and students, the season runs each year from February to September.