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MY QTH Newton-leWillows is a small market town in the North West of England, situated halfway between Manchester and Liverpool. The nearest main towns are St. Helens four miles to the west, Warrington five miles to the south and Wigan seven miles to the north. The town consists of four distinctive districts, Earlestown, Wargrave (My Qth), Vulcan Village and the original ancient Newton in Makerfield which makes up the eastern part of the town. Newton is an ancient town, having been mentioned in the Domesday book, and was granted a charter in 1302 by King Charles I for a weekly market to be held here although the history of the area can be traced much further back. Excavations in the 1920's unearthed an old Roman road running through the area believed to have been constructed around 69AD. Newton was a parlimentary borough from the 16th century up until 1832. Over the years the town has boasted many industries including sugar refining, chemicals, glass, biscuit manufacturing machinery and coal mining but none as prolific as it's manufacture of ralilway locomotives at the Vulcan works. Around 1831 the first locomotives, the Tayleur and the Stephenson, where built at the works and as early as 1835 locos where being built and shipped all over Europe and India. The first passenger locos to run in India and Japan where produced at Vulcan works. During the first and second world wars many thousands of machine gun parts and munitions where produced here and in the 1940's the works not only produced light infantry tanks but where entrusted with the design, development and manufacture of the 'Waltzing Matilda' tank. Today much of the industry has gone and Newton-le-Willows has reverted back to a small market town. For a more detailed view of the history of the town  |
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