Orford, Lancashire
| Orford | |
| Lancashire | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SJ609902 |
| Location: | 53°24’26"N, 2°34’57"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 10,950 (2001) |
| Post town: | Warrington |
| Postcode: | WA2 |
| Dialling code: | 01925 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Warrington |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Warrington North |
Orford is a Lancashire village which has become a suburb of Warrington. The hamlet of Orford was originally a small area north of the township of Warrington, centred on Orford Green. ‘Orford’ now describes a large area between the town centre and the M62, incorporating other small communities, such as Longford. The Orford area has a population of around 10,950 as at the 2001 census.
The area is primarily given over to housing, most being council housing, for this is not a prospering community with many residents on social security. Many ex-council houses are now in private ownership.
About Orford
Its most distinctive building, Orford Hall, was demolished in the 1930s after the grounds were given to the town for a park (Orford Park). On former waste land between the park and Winwick Road a £30m project providing community and sporting facilities opened in May 2012 as Jubilee Park.
William Beamont, a Victorian solicitor and local philanthropist, lived at Orford Hall, which had previously been the seat of the Blackburne family. He founded Warrington's municipal library, the first rate-aided library in the United Kingdom, in 1848. His diaries are a valuable source of social history. Another notable local family were the Booths, who built Orford House in the late 18th century, ancestors of Charles Booth of the Liverpool shipowning family.
There is one high school, Beamont Collegiate Academy, and there are several primary schools.
Transport
The area is well served by bus services.
The nearest railway stations are those in Warrington; Warrington Central for services to Manchester and Liverpool and Warrington Bank Quay for services by the West Coast Main Line