Euxton

infobox UK place|
latitude= 53.662521
longitude= -2.674674
official_name= Euxton
map_type= Lancashire
population= 8,318 (2001 Census)
os_grid_reference= SD555186
civil_parish= Euxton
shire_district= Chorley
shire_county= Lancashire
region= North West England
country= England
post_town= CHORLEY
postcode_area= PR
postcode_district= PR6,PR7
dial_code= 01257
constituency_westminster= Chorley Euxton is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, in Lancashire, England. The village is pronounced "Exton" (IPA: /ɛkstən/) and is situated just to the south of Leyland, and to the west of Chorley.

In 1997, Euxton Balshaw Lane railway station was re-opened after a gap of some 30 years. It is on the Preston - Wigan West Coast Main Line. In the near future there will be a second station built, which will serve the new Buckshaw Village development, and is on the Preston - Manchester line.

Euxton Hall, which was a significant stately residence, now acts as a private hospital and is half its former glory, with the second storey being removed in the latter half of the twentieth century along with its grand colonnade. Euxton Hall Gate house can be seen at the bottom of the brow, near the parish church. Balshaw Lodge, which has recently been redeveloped, was originally built as guest lodgings for the hall.

There was a large Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF Chorley) built here in the build up to World War II (Nevell "et al"., 1999). At its peak the factory employed over 40,000 people, and had its own railway station. It was probably the biggest munitions filling factory in the world, and it is said that the bouncing bombs used in the Dambusters Raid were made there. ROF Chorley later came under the ownership of British Aerospace, and in subsequent years was closed down with the land being sold. In the early 2000s the former ROF Chorley site was effectively flattened and sanitised, so that the land could be transformed into the new Buckshaw Village.

The former ROF Chorley sports ground is now used by English Premiership football team Bolton Wanderers F.C. as its training headquarters.

The village is also home to Euxton Villa FC and to Euxton Cricket Club. Euxton includes the prestigious Xton Business Park.

Plans by Tarmac to operate a sand quarry near the village were approved in August 2008 by a planning inspector. The quarry, to be located between Runshaw Lane and Dawbers Lane, had been proposed for ten years and is opposed by the the village council, and by local residents, some of whom set up an action group, Euxton Residents Against Sand Extraction (ERASE), due to its impact on health, traffic and environment locally. The quarry has permission to operate for 15 years. [cite web | url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/chorley/3597953.Tarmac_wins_Euxton_quarry_appeal/ | title=Tarmac wins Euxton quarry appeal | first=Tyrone | last=Marshall | work=Lancashire Telegraph | publisher=Newsquest Media Group | date=2008-08-15 | accessdate=2008-08-23 ]

[http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=1161953&t=k&om=1 Google maps overlay of area impacted by the quarry proposal (Area of quarry proposal in Light Red)]

References

* Nevell, M., Roberts, J. and Smith, J. (1999) "A History of Royal Ordnance Factory, Chorley", Lancaster : Carnegie Publishing, ISBN 1-85936-063-7

External links

* [http://www.chorley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1185 Euxton] chorley.gov.uk.
* [http://www.chorley-guardian.co.uk/chorley/Quarry-battle-call-to-arms.3989276.jp Quarry Battle Call to Arms] chorley-guardian.co.uk