Industry & Commerce

Cotton yarn was spun in Horwich in Henry VII's reign. Being a rural community, spinning, weaving and bleaching were cottage industries, operating on farms and cottages where water was plentiful for driving wheels and bleaching textiles. Wilderswood in particular provides early evidence of these activities.

In 1777 the Ridgway family leased the Wallsuches site and within a few years their bleachworks employed the majority of people from Horwich as well as from neighbouring towns. Horwich grew rapidly from 300 people when the Ridgways arrived to 3,500 in 1831. The Ridgways built Holy Trinity Parish Church and School and helped with the provision of workers' housing. Employees who joined a building club were allowed to build their own houses. The streets running off Church Street are still known as the Club houses to this day. Wallsuches Bleachworks closed in 1933 and the area is now a housing development with a commemorative plaque installed by the Town Council to acknowledge its historical importance.

There were coal mines in the area mentioned in documents from the 16th century, with many more developing in the 19th century. As well as coal, seams of dry clay were drawn and these supplied works making bricks and sanitary ware. Crankshaw's pipeworks, with their own mine was known as `Klondyke', closed down in 1961. A new housing development stands on the site. Montcliffe Colliery closed in 1966, but there are still two large stone quarries in the north of the town.

A decision made by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company to build a locomotive works in Horwich in 1884 changed the character of the town. A complete infrastructure was built to cope with the huge influx of workers and the population reached nearly 13,000 by 1891. During both World Wars tanks and munitions were manufactured in Horwich. Despite fierce union resistance, the Loco' Works closed in 1983 and the site is now used for various industrial and commercial purposes. A Town Council commemorative plaque acknowledges its contribution to the town. Bolton Council has plans to building 1600 dwellings and industry and commerce on the site in the future.

In 1937 the De Havilland factory was built following a visit from Cobham's Flying Circus who were looking for a site to build aircraft. It was of major importance during World War II. The factory subsequently became Hawker Sidley, then British Aerospace and is now Matra Dynamics.

Horwich has been fortunate to attract a great many new industries and commercial outlets to add to our varied range of employers attracted by our excellent motorway links and nearby scenic amenity area.

The 1997/98 football season saw Bolton Wanderers come to the Horwich area in the newly built Reebok Stadium. The Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Park is also home to the magnificent Bolton Arena with facilities ranging from a tennis centre, fitness suite, running track, conference centre and several multi-use games areas.

The first Co-op opened on Lee Lane in 1862. It flourished and branches opened all over the town. Horwich still has its Co-op, but now also benefits from Tesco, ASDA, Aldi, Iceland and Sainsburys as well as a range of specialist shops in the town centre.

Horwich town centre is protected by a CCTV scheme and benefits from a Christmas lighting scheme, both funded by Horwich Town Council. There is a newly planted civic Christmas tree on the roundabout opposite the Crown Hotel and also another one on the roundabout near the Beehive Public House.