Sell your Rolex Warrington

Located within the northern promontory of Cheshire, Warrington is the countys’ largest urban area and borough, bigger even than Chester. Despite this, whilst Chester is designated a city, Warrington remains a town.

Warrington was founded by the Romans at the site of an important crossing point across the Mersey River. After the Romans left, a new, larger settlement was established by the Saxons, and so by the Middle Ages, Warrington had emerged as a vital communications centre and market town.

Whilst the English Civil War raged, Warrington had sympathies on both sides and accommodated soldiers from both the Royalist and Parliamentarian armies. In August 1651 it was the scene of the last victory by the Royalists over the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Warrington Bridge. Legend still says that dents in the walls of the local parish church were caused by cannon fire from the battle.

During the 18th century, the Mersey River flowing through the town was widened, dredged and made more navigable. The town of Warrington expanded and became far more urbanised. Due to the increase in shipping on the river, the town enthusiastically embraced the industrial revolution in full. Warrington became a centre for the manufacture of steel, (especially steel wire), chemicals, brewing, tanning and textiles. With the later arrival of steam engines, Warrington benefitted yet again, with steam being used to power both its transport system as well as the factories and mills.

In the 1940s, Warrington was the location for the enormous Burtonwood Airbase. Originally built for the RAF, it subsequently served as the largest US Army Air Force outside of America itself. Visited by Hollywood celebrities such as Bob Hope and Humphrey Bogart who entertained the personnel, Burtonwood continued to be used by the USAAF and the RAF until the base closed in 1993.

Warrington was designated as a new town in 1968. This brought in large amounts of external investment and the town subsequently grew in size. Warrington attracted new businesses, and subsequent employment opportunities. Alongside a programme of housing developments, this drew in new residents from the cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

Whilst the traditional heavy industries declined during the latter part of the 20th century, the growth of the town increased with the expansion of light industries, retail (the UKs first IKEA store was opened here in 1987), distribution and technology.