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Formerly a township within the parish of Warrington, and now a parish in its own right, Woolston-with-Martinscroft consists of two settlements: Woolston to the west and Martinscroft to the east, which run along the north bank of the River Mersey and take in Paddington to the south-west. It is bounded by the River Mersey to the south, Bruche and Padgate to the west, Longbarn and Birchwood to the north and Rixton to the east. The township remained an agricultural community on the furthest outskirts of Warrington until the 1970s, when development by Warrington New Town radically transformed its rural character. With the construction of the M6 motorway on its eastern side, Martinscroft lost its previous status as the main village centre. The mosses to the north were covered by the Grange Employment Estate and the last remaining farm was demolished in the late 1990s. The parish is generally known as Woolston only. It is now a residential suburb of Warrington, popular with families, and known mostly to wildlife enthusiasts for its proximity to several nature reserves and SSSIs (Site of Special Scientific Interest). The Mersey Way long-distance footpath runs along the river bank. == Geography == ''The flat country is divided into fields with rather meagre hedgerows and scanty trees. The alluvial and sandy soil appears fertile, yielding good crops of potatoes and turnips, oats, wheat, and clover, whilst many a marshy corner is devoted to the cultivation of osiers for the manufacture of potato hampers and 'skips'. In the north of the district there is a considerable patch of mossland and here too there is a good deal of clay in the surface soil. By the river there are moist pastures. The inhabitants are entirely employed in agricultural labour and basketmaking.'' 1907 description.〔'Townships: Woolston with Martinscroft', ''A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3'' (1907), pp331-334. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41341 Date accessed: 19 September 2014〕 The area has two main natural areas: Woolston Linear Park and the Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve—a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Woolston is situated in the Mersey Valley and so there is a very slight lowering in height between it and the surrounding areas. The highest point is on the Woolston Eyes, formerly Thelwall Eyes, (four-man-made areas formed by large embankments for the dispersement of dredging waste). The lowest point is the marshland formed by the dereliction of the Woolston New Cut Canal and Woolston Old Canal. The Manchester Ship Canal denotes the southerly boundary of the Eyes reserve and can be crossed either via nearby Latchford locks or by the unique penny ferry crossing (11p each way as of October 2009). Woolston has plenty of waterways including the aforementioned canals; the new cut of the River Mersey; and the Manchester Ship Canal. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Woolston, Cheshire」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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