Chorley
Chorley is a thriving market town that has taken on a new heritage to replace the old one. It used to be one of Lancashire’s iconic and important industrial towns. The mills and the mines are in the past now, and the ‘Choose Chorley’ initiative has brought in a new range of businesses and opportunities.
A new home here is a new opportunity too. There’s easy access to Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton, Preston and Manchester, and to the countryside around the town too. Lancashire has always been able to offer a balance between its hard-working towns and the open space of the South Pennines, and Chorley is well-placed to fit that picture.
The town centre is home to some of the area’s best markets. They are at the heart of the community, and with a covered market operating five days a week and a Tuesday street market, you’ll be spoilt for choice with local produce.
Home town
Chorley’s town centre offers much more than the renowned markets. There are high-street shops alongside independent ones, and Market Walk has been extended to include a six-screen cinema, ten-pin bowling, adventure golf and plenty of places to eat out with the family. On the edge of town, Astley Park has woodland, a lake, a stately home and a walled garden to explore. Getting down to the nuts and bolts of daily life, there’s an Asda Superstore, a train station and a Stagecoach Interchange.
Homework
Schools for your children are high up on any new home checklist. Chorley has 18 Primary Schools, 5 Secondary Schools, 2 Special Schools and 6 Independent Schools. With a spread across the town, there are bound to be some excellent options in your catchment area. For after-school sports, Chorley has a leisure centre with a swimming pool and there are football and cricket clubs.
Out of town
The M6 and the M61 are the key motorway routes linking with Preston to the north, and Manchester, Warrington and Liverpool to the south. The drive time from Chorley to Manchester is just under an hour or you can get a direct train to Manchester Piccadilly. Driving to Preston takes about half an hour and the average train time is just 17 minutes. Closer to home, when you’re not working, it’s just 11 miles to Rivington and the beautiful Anglezarke Reservoir.