Warrington is a large town in Cheshire , England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which runs through the heart of the town dividing it in two.
Historically a part of Lancashire , Warrington was founded by the Romans at an important crossing place on the river, was further established by the Saxons, and by the Middle Ages had emerged as a market town with a local tradition of textile and tool production.
Warrington continued to develop through the Industrial Revolution - especially after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century - and became a centre of steel (particularly wire), textiles, brewing, tanning and chemical industries. Although heavy industry declined in the 1970s and 1980s, expansion of Warrington led to a marked increase in employment in light industry, distribution and technology.
RAF Burtonwood, which closed in 1993, is remembered by many as one of (if not the) largest Royal Air Force bases in England and the largest US Air Force base outside the United States.
Planned for the airbase site is the £1 billion Omega Development Site, one of the foremost strategic development projects in Europe , which will be a vibrant and sustainable business community developed over the next 30 years.
Warrington is one of the north-west's larger shopping draws, boasting two large and several smaller shopping malls, a large indoor market and, at Market Gate, an award-winning redevelopment with a large fountain and "guardians" (known locally as "the skittles"). The town is also home to the UK's first IKEA store and the largest Marks & Spencer store outside London.
Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, a Grade II listed building, is one of the oldest municipal museums in the UK.
The town is also notable in political history for being the first place to field a candidate for the then newly-formed Social Democratic Party in 1981.