Shevington

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type= Greater Manchester
latitude= 53.5722
longitude= -2.6909
official_name= Shevington
metropolitan_borough= Wigan
metropolitan_county= Greater Manchester
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Wigan
post_town= WIGAN
postcode_district = WN6
postcode_area= WN
dial_code= 01257
os_grid_reference= SD542086
population= 9,786 (2001 Census)
london_distance=

Shevington is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.cite web |url= http://www.gmcro.co.uk/guides/gazette/gazframe.htm |title=A select gazetteer of local government areas, Greater Manchester County |author= |publisher=Greater Manchester County Records Office |accessdate=2007-09-26]

Lying within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire, Shevington lies approximately convert|4|mi|km|1 from Wigan town centre and has a population of 9,786 (2001 census).

Governance

Since local government reforms which took place in 1974, Shevington has formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan of Greater Manchester, having previously been part of the administrative county of Lancashire.

Geography

Shevington is located off Junction 27 of the M6 motorway and is bordered primarily by the villages of Appley Bridge and Standish, but also has close links to the villages of Wrightington and Standish Lower Ground.

Present day

There is a secondary school named Shevington High School. There are various primary schools located in and around the village; for example: Millbrook primary school, St. Bernadettes (A Roman Catholic School), Shevington Vale, and Shevington Community High School.

The village is served by Gathurst railway station.

The Conservatives have won the last two local elections despite the fact that it is a former mining village, showing the shift in political allegiances irrespective of social status.

There are three churches and two vicarages located in Shevington, the oldest being St. Anne's church. Unusually, the primary school associated with St. Anne's church in Shevington is located in the neighbouring village of Standish Lower Ground. There is also Shevington Methodist Church and St. Bernadette's Church. All three churches provide worship for Christians and social and community activities for the whole village.

The Shevington community consists of a mixture of private and council housing, predominantly centered around two rows of basic shops in the centre of the village. Shevington is home to two pharmacists, two Newsagents, a Post Office, Late Shop (small Co-op supermarket), two bakers' shops, a carpet shop, fish and chip shop, a well stocked Hardware store, a Conservative club and 1 Public House in the village.There is a Clinic, Doctors Surgery, and a library.

Shevington also has a public park, containing a war memorial to those lost during World War II.

There was an explosives factory on the outskirts of the village but it has closed and there is a controversial scheme to build private houses on part of the site. Shevington also has an amateur rugby league team called Shevington Sharks which takes part in the North West Counties League, they play their home games at St. John Rigby College. The Shevington football team plays its matches on the recreation ground behind the Methodist Church.

References