Warrington

Near River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal; before 1974 most of area was in Lancashire, afterwards in Cheshire; Roman settlement founded in the 1st century; Saxons moved town from the south to the north of the river; St. Elphin founded church in the 7th century; Medieval market center; Warrington Academy was one of Europe's main centers of learning 1757-1786; economy now based on sawmills, breweries, printers, and clothing; Romans established what may have been Britain's earlist glass furnace.