St Helens

St Helens is a metropolitan district in Merseyside in the north west of England.

It is centred on the town of St Helens, named for the Parish Church of Windle (St Helen's).

St Helen's is entirely a creation of the 19th century. The borough was formed from the parishes of Windle, Parr and Sutton.

Other villages in the Borough are Haydock,Newton-le-Willows and Rainhill.

The main industry in St Helens is glass, an industry established here due to the ready availability of sand and coal.

The coal industry is no longer active, the last colliery at Parkside closing in 1992.

Glass is still a major employer, the large Pilkington works dominating the town. Former industrial land has been reclaimed for use as hotels, shopping areas and housing.

St Helens has a railway station (Central) with frequent services to Liverpool and Wigan. St Helens Junction station on the Liverpool and Manchester line is actually 2 miles south of the town centre.

The major sports team in St Helens is St Helens Rugby League Club.

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