Penkethis acivil parishand suburb ofWarringtonin theBorough of Warrington,Cheshire,England. It is located about 3 miles (4.8 km) west ofWarringtontown centre. It has a population of 8,699.[1]It is in thehistoric countyofLancashire.The emblem/badge of Penketh is three kingfishers.
| Penketh | |
|---|---|
 The Ferry Tavernpublic house, Penketh | |
  Penketh Location withinCheshire | |
| Population | 8,699(2001) |
| OS grid reference | SJ595891 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Warrington |
| Postcode district | WA5 |
| Dialling code | 01925 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | |
Etymology
editThe namePenkethis first attested in 1243 asPenketand similar forms. The name is derived from twoCommon Brittonicwords: *penno-(head) and *kēto-(trees), corresponding to modern Welshpen coed(the place-namePencoedis found widely in Wales). Thus the name once meant "end of the wood", suggesting that the parish was at one time on the outskirts of a forest.[2][3]: 317
History
editPenketh was originally part ofPrescotparish but became a chapelry and then a separate parish. It grew due to the crossing over theMerseyat Fiddlers Ferry and the building of theSankey Canal.The area was mainly rural and agricultural until well into the 20th century, though atanneryandboatyardwere established in the 19th century.
The last 50 years has seen the area transformed into a large residential suburb.
Governance
editWithin the boundaries of thehistoric countyofLancashire,the parish has a Parish Council and is a ward of Warrington Borough. It is inWarrington Southconstituency of theUnited Kingdom Parliament.Until the major local government reorganisation of 1974, Penketh was part ofWarrington Rural District.
Industry
editThe former tannery and boatyard were the only major industries in Penketh.Fiddlers Ferry Power Stationdominates Penketh, though it is inCuerdleyparish.
Churches
editThere is a parish church (St Paul's,Church of England), and aCatholicchurch (St Joseph's). There is a strong nonconformist tradition as exemplified by theMethodistchapel in Chapel Road. TheQuakerswere well represented at one time; the Meeting House was the present village hall on Meeting Lane.
Schools
editThe secondary schools in the area arePenketh High School[4]and St Gregory's Catholic High School (which isn't actually in Penketh). The primary schools in the area are Penketh Community Primary School (a feeder school for Penketh High School), Penketh South Primary School, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and St Vincent's Catholic Primary School.
Transport
editRailway stations in the area include local services fromSankey for Penkethon theLiverpool to Manchester Line(with express services along this route available fromWarrington Central), as well asWarrington Bank Quayon theWest Coast Main Line.Frequent buses link Penketh with Warrington town centre: it is the terminus forWarrington's Own Buses(routes 30, 30B, 31 and 32A), and the north of Penketh is also served by Warrington's Own Buses routes 14 and 15.Arriva North Westinter-urban services also serve the main road through Penketh, heading towardsWidnesandRuncorn(route 110) and toHuytonandLiverpool(route 7). Penketh is on theA562 roadlinking Warrington with theSilver Jubilee Bridge.The nearest airports areLiverpoolandManchester.
Business Park
editPenketh Business Park (actually located in Great Sankey) is a large 6.5-acre business park in the area located off Liverpool Road. The business park consists of mixed used businesses across 30 warehouses between 400 square feet and 44,500 square feet in size, as well as 21 storage units and a small parcel of land. The business park is most well known for its large indoor Skate Park named Ramp1 which temporarily closed in June 2023,[5]reopening in February 2024,[6]other businesses operating out of this business park include a gym (Ascendancy Fitness Gym),[7]a metal fabrications business M C C Fabrications, and a landscape business (EDR Landscapes).[8]
Demographics
edit- 7,340 residents
- 2,993 households
- 29.4% of all residents have no qualifications (approximately 2,158 residents)
- 2.06% are unemployed (approximately 154 residents)
Race and gender
edit- 48% males to 52% females
- 98.3% are of white race
- 0.6% are of mixed origin
- 0.7% are of Asian origin
- 0.1% are of black race
- 0.4% are of "other" race
Housing demographics
edit- 92.0% Owner occupied
- 3.7% are council accommodation
- 0.4% are rented from ahousing association
- 2.0% are private rentals
- 1.3% are rentals from other sources
- 0.6% are undisclosed
See also
edit
References
edit- ^Office for National Statistics:Census 2001: Parish Headcounts: WarringtonRetrieved 2009-12-06
- ^Watts, Victor, ed. (2004).The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN9780521168557.,s.v.Penketh.
- ^Coates, Richard; Breeze, Andrew (2000).Celtic Voices, English Places: Studies of the Celtic Impact on Place-Names in Britain.Stamford: Tyas.ISBN1900289415..
- ^Penketh High School
- ^"Indoor skatepark in Warrington - one of Europe's largest - announces shock closure".8 June 2023.
- ^"Indoor Warrington skatepark – one of Europe's largest – to reopen after shock closure".February 2024.
- ^https:// insidermedia /news/north-west/warrington-gym-expands-premises[bare URL]
- ^"The Penketh business shaping the town's landscape and greener future".12 February 2023.
External links
edit
Media related toPenkethat Wikimedia Commons