Preston (/ˈprɛstən/ⓘ) is a city on the north bank of theRiver Ribble inLancashire, in North West England. The city is theadministrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the widerCity of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding district obtainedcity status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year ofQueen Elizabeth II's reign.[2] Preston had a population of 147,835 at the 2021 census,[3] the City of Preston district 156,411 in 2023[4] and the Preston Built-up Area 313,322.[5] The PrestonTravel To Work Area, in 2011, had a population of 420,661,[6] compared with 354,000 at the previous census. The south bank of the Ribble is part of the Preston urban area, although it forms theSouth Ribble borough that is administratively separate.
Preston and its surrounding area have provided evidence of ancientRoman activity, largely in the form of aRoman road that led to a camp atWalton-le-Dale. TheAngles established Preston; its name is derived from theOld English meaning "priest's settlement" and in theDomesday Book is recorded as "Prestune". In theMiddle Ages, Preston was a parish and township in the hundred ofAmounderness and was granted aGuild Merchant charter in 1179, giving it the status of amarket town. Textiles have been produced since the mid-13th century when locally produced wool was woven in people's houses.Flemish weavers who settled in the area in the 14th century helped develop the industry. In the early-18th century,Edmund Calamy described Preston as "a pretty town with an abundance of gentry in it, commonly called Proud Preston".[7] SirRichard Arkwright, inventor of thespinning frame, was born in the town. The most rapid period of growth and development coincided with the industrialisation and expansion oftextile manufacturing. Preston was aboomtown of theIndustrial Revolution, becoming a densely populated engineering centre, with large industrial plants. The town's textile sector fell into terminal decline from the mid-20th century and Preston has subsequently faced similar challenges to otherpost-industrialnorthern towns, including deindustrialisation, economic deprivation and housing issues.
Preston was recorded in theDomesday Book of 1086 asPrestune.[10] Various other spellings occur in early documents:Prestonam (1094),Prestone (1160),Prestona (1160),Presteton (1180), andPrestun (1226). The modern spelling occurs in 1094, 1176, 1196, 1212, and 1332.[11] The town's name is derived from theOld English wordsPresta andtun. Thetun (enclosure, farmstead, village, manor, estate)[12] of thePresta.[13]
During theRoman period, Roman roads passed close to what is now the centre of Preston. For example, the road fromLuguvalium toMamucium (now Carlisle to Manchester) crossed theRiver Ribble atWalton-le-Dale,3⁄4 mile (1 km) southeast of the centre of Preston, and a Roman camp or station may also have been here.[14][15] At Withy Trees,1+1⁄2 miles (2 km) north of Preston, the road crossed another Roman road fromBremetennacum (the Roman fort atRibchester) to the coast.[16]
An explanation of the origin of the name is that the Priest's Town refers to a priory set up by St Wilfrid near the Ribble's lowest ford. This idea is supported by the similarity of thePaschal lamb on Preston's crest with that on St Wilfrid's.[17]
When first mentioned in the 1086Domesday Book, Preston was already the most important town inAmounderness (the area of Central Lancashire between the riversRibble andCocker, includingThe Fylde and theForest of Bowland). When assessed for tax purposes in 1218 – 19 it was the wealthiest town in the whole county.[18]
The right to hold aGuild Merchant was conferred byKing Henry II upon theburgesses of Preston in a charter of 1179; the associated Preston Guild is a civic celebration held every 20 years, the last being in 2012. It is the only guild still celebrated in the UK.[19]
Before 1328, celebrations were held at irregular intervals, but at the guild of that year it was decreed that subsequent guilds should be held every 20 years. After this, there were breaks in the pattern for various reasons, but an unbroken series were held from 1542 to 1922. A full 400-year sequence was frustrated by the cancellation of the 1942 guild due toWorld War II, but the cycle resumed in 1952. The expression '(Once) every Preston Guild', meaning 'very infrequently', has passed into fairly common use, especially in Lancashire.
Guild week is always started by the opening of the Guild Court, which since the 16th century has traditionally been on the first Monday after the feast of theBeheading of John the Baptist celebrated on 29 August. As well as concerts and other exhibitions, the main events are a series of processions through the city. Numerous street parties are held in the locality.
In 1952 the emphasis was on the bright new world emerging after the war. The major event, held in the city'sAvenham Park, had every school participating, and hundreds of children, from toddlers to teenagers, demonstrated different aspects of physical education in the natural amphitheatre of the park.
The 2012 guild formally opened on 2 September with a mayoral proclamation and the return of "friendship scrolls" that had travelled the world.[20] Highlights in the programme for the 2012 celebration included two concerts in Avenham Park – one byHuman League and another, a "Proms In The Park", featuringJosé Carreras,Katherine Jenkins and theManchester Camerata.
In the mid-12th century, Preston was in the hundred ofAmounderness, in the deanery of Amounderness and the archdeaconry ofRichmond. The name "Amounderness" is more ancient than the name of any other "Wapentake" or hundred in the County of Lancashire, and the fort at Tulketh, strengthened byWilliam the Conqueror, shows that the strategic importance of the area was appreciated even then.[21]
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The location of the city, almost exactly midway betweenGlasgow and London, led to many confrontations withScotland. Preston was burned by the Scots duringThe Great Raid of 1322 but two years later had quickly recovered. Decisive battles were also fought here, most notably during theEnglish Civil War at theBattle of Preston (1648), and then the firstJacobite rebellion, whose invasion of England was brought to a conclusion by the defeat of the pro-Catholic and pro-monarchial Jacobite army at theBattle of Preston (1715).Letitia Elizabeth Landon alludes to this latter defeat in her poetical illustration,Preston, to an engraving of a painting byThomas Allom, in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book 1834.[22]
Preston in 1774
In the last great Jacobite Rising, on 27 November 1745 the Jacobite Prince of Wales and Regent,Bonnie Prince Charlie passed through Preston with his Highland Army on the way south through Chorley and Manchester to Derby intending to take London and the Crown. Preston was the first of quite a few places in England where the Prince was cheered as he rode by and where he was joined by some English volunteers for his Army. One Jacobite eyewitness noted that from Preston onwards, "at every town we were received with ringing of bells, and at night we have bonfires, and illuminations".[23] Another Jacobite eyewitness noted in a private letter from Preston on 27 November 1745: "People here are beginning to join [us] very fast; we have got about sixty recruits today".[24] From 10 to 12 December the Prince gave his retreating Army a rest in Preston on their long, last and fatal retreat from Derby through Lancaster and Carlisle to their dreadful day of destiny the following 16 April onCulloden Moor nearInverness.[25]
Merchants from Preston took part in the transatlantic slave trade in the 18th century.[26][27]
The 19th century saw a transformation in Preston from a small market town to a much larger industrial one, as the innovations of the latter half of the previous century such asRichard Arkwright'swater frame (invented in Preston) brought cotton mills to many northern English towns. With industrialisation came examples of both oppression and enlightenment.Preston was the first English town outside London to be lit by gas. The Preston Gas Company was established in 1815 by, amongst others, a Catholic priest: Rev. Joseph "Daddy" Dunn of theSociety of Jesus. ThePreston and Wigan Railway arrived in 1838, shortly afterwards renamed theNorth Union Railway. TheSheffield firm ofThos. W. Ward Ltd opened aship breaking yard atPreston Dock in 1894.[28]
The more oppressive side of industrialisation was seen during thePreston Strike of 1842 on Saturday 13 August 1842, when a group of cotton workers demonstrated against the poor conditions in the town's mills. TheRiot Act was read and armed troops corralled the demonstrators in front of theCorn Exchange on Lune Street. Shots were fired and four of the demonstrators were killed. A commemorative sculpture now stands on the spot (although the soldiers and demonstrators represented are facing the wrong way). In the 1850s,Karl Marx visited Preston and later described the town as "the nextSt Petersburg".[29]Charles Dickens visited Preston in January 1854 duringa strike by cotton workers that had by that stage lasted for 23 weeks. It is believed that the town of "Coketown" in the novelHard Times was inspired by this visit to Preston. In 1858, thePreston Power Loom Weavers' Association was founded, and by 1920 it had more than 13,000 members in the town.[30]
The Preston Temperance Society, led byJoseph Livesey pioneered theTemperance Movement in the 19th century. Indeed, the termteetotalism is believed to have been coined at one of its meetings. The website of theUniversity of Central Lancashire library has a great deal of information on Joseph Livesey and the Temperance Movement in Preston.[31]
By 1901, nearly 120,000 people were living in Preston, now a booming industrial town.
New industries arrived in Preston during the interwar years which helped ease the pain felt through the sharp decline of the cotton industry. Electrical goods manufacturing and engineering arrived in the town, and the building sector enjoyed a boom with nearly 3,000council houses being built between 1920 and 1939. Some 1,500 houses were built for private sale.[citation needed]
Despite its heavy industry, Preston endured only a handful ofLuftwaffe air raids in World War II and there were no fatalities in the town, although an air crash in theFreckleton district claimed the lives of 61 people in 1944.
For some 20 years after 1948, Preston became home to a significant number of Asian andCaribbeanCommonwealth immigrants, who mostly worked in the manufacturing industry. However, an economic decline hit the town once again in the 1970s, capped by the closure of theCourtaulds factory in 1979 (nearly 3,000 job losses) and the decline of thedocks on theRiver Ribble, which finally closed in 1981. Mass unemployment was firmly back in Preston by the early 1980s, although it was now very much a national crisis due to therecession of that time.
The rehousing of families from town centre slums to new council houses continued after World War II, though it slowed down to a virtual standstill after 1975.[citation needed] The face of the town centre began to change in the 1960s, with old developments being bulldozed and replaced by modern developments such as theSt George's Shopping Centre, which opened in 1966, and theFishergate Shopping Centre which was built nearly 20 years later. The remains of the Victorian town hall, designed byGeorge Gilbert Scott and mostly destroyed by fire in 1947, were replaced by an office block (Crystal House) in 1962, and a modern-architectureGuild Hall opened in 1972, to replace the Public Hall.[32]
The town was by-passed byBritain's very first motorway, built and operated by engineer James Drake, which was opened byHarold Macmillan in December 1958. Within a decade, this formed part of theM6 – giving Preston a direct motorway link with Birmingham. Completion of the M61, shortly thereafter, gave Preston a direct link to Manchester. The late 1960s saw the completion of Ringway, abypass around the town centre, as well as anew bus station.[33]
The unparished urban settlement of Preston is represented by 19 of the 22 council wards withinPreston City Council which is based atPreston Town Hall on Lancaster Road. From the 2024 General Election, Preston is divided between two Westminster constituencies, namelyPreston andRibble Valley. TheCounty Hall is located on Fishergate and is the main office forLancashire County Council.[35]
A panoramic view of Preston, viewed from Penwortham Lane.
The climate of Preston is of a temperate maritime type, with a narrow range of temperatures, similar to the rest of the British Isles. Being relatively close to the Irish sea, this is more pronounced than areas to the south and east of Preston. The official Met Office weather station is located at Moor Park, less than 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the city centre, and surrounded by built-up areas, suggesting a degree of urban warming is likely, particularly during clear and calm nights.
The absolute high recorded at the weather station was 38.2 °C (100.8 °F)[36] during July 2022. In a typical year the warmest day should reach 27.6 °C (81.7 °F)[37] and 5.9 days[38] in total should attain a maximum temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or more. In October 2011, a new record October high temperature of 26.9 °C was set.[39]
The absolute minimum is −13.3 °C (8.1 °F), recorded during February 1969.[40] In a typical year the coldest night should fall to −6.8 °C (19.8 °F),[41] and 40.2 nights[42] should receive an air frost. The lowest temperature in recent years was −9.2 °C (15.4 °F)[43] during December 2010.
Annual rainfall totals just under 1000 mm per year,[44] with over 1 mm of precipitation falling on 150 days.[45] All averages refer to the period 1971–2000.
In October 2014 Preston was officially ranked "the wettest city in England", and third wettest in the UK behindCardiff andGlasgow.[46] It was also ranked "the gloomiest city in England", as it gets fewer hours of sunshine in a year than any other English city or town.[47] However, in March 2018 theLancashire Evening Post reported that Preston has lost its "soggy city status" to the neighbouring city ofLancaster.[48]
On 10 August 1893, approximately 32 millimetres (1.3 in) of rain fell in Preston in 5 minutes, being a record for the most rainfall to fall in that time in theUnited Kingdom.[49]
Climate data for Preston Moor Park, elevation 33 m, 1971–2000, extremes 1960–2005
One of the proposed derivations of the city's name coming from 'Priests' town'. The lamb on the city shield is a biblical image of Jesus Christ, and the same image that represented 7th-century bishopSt Wilfrid, the city's patron saint who is historically linked to the city's establishment. The "PP" on the city shield stands for "Princeps Pacis" (Prince of Peace), another title for Christ invoking Him as protector of the city, though it is also often taken to stand for the city's nickname "Proud Preston". In fact, there were originally three letters "P" on thecoat of arms, with one being lost over time.[51]
The 2001 Census recorded 72% of the population of the City of Preston as Christians, 10% as having no religion, and 8% as Muslims.[52] The Hindu and Sikh populations are smaller at 3% and 0.6% respectively, but in both cases this represents the highest percentage of any local authority area in the North West. 2% of the city's population were born in other EU countries. Though still small in number in Preston, theLatter-day Saints maintain a large profile.
Masjid-e-Noor on Noor StreetJamea Masjid close to Preston City Centre
Preston has a significant Muslim (Sunni Branch, particularlyHanafi school) population, the majority of which is ofGujaratiIndian descent. The Muslim population is centred in the Deepdale, Riversway, Fishwick, Fulwood and Frenchwood areas. Preston has 12 mosques: five in Deepdale & St George's, one in Frenchwood, one in Riversway, two in Adelphi and three in Fishwick.[citation needed]
Preston has a strong Roman Catholic Christian history and tradition, recently noted by Archbishop Vincent Nichols in his Guild 2012 Mass Homily: "The history of the Christian and Catholic faith is long and deep here in Preston."[56] Preston lies in the Roman CatholicDiocese of Lancaster and the AnglicanDiocese of Blackburn. There are at least 73 churches, chapels, missions and meeting houses, as well as 15 cemeteries and burial sites, for which records exist.[57]
Carey Baptist Church, on Pole Street, was built in 1826 for the Calvinistic Methodists ofLady Huntington. Formerly known as St Paul's Chapel, it was purchased by the Baptists in 1855. It is a Grade II listed building.[58][59] The church survives remains active in the community.[citation needed]
Preston was the location of the world's first foreign mission of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormons). As early as 1837 the firstLatter-day Saint missionaries to Great Britain began preaching in Preston and, in particular, other small towns situated along the River Ribble. Preston is home to the world's oldest continuousbranch (a small congregation) of the church.[60] An official memorial to the church pioneers may be found in the Japanese Garden in Avenham Park. In 1998 the church erected a large temple atChorley, near Preston, described byThe Telegraph newspaper as "spectacular".[61] The temple is officially known as thePreston England Temple.
St. John's Minster, formerly the Church of St John the Evangelist and prior to the reformation; St Wilfrid's Parish Church, is located on Church Street, in the centre of the city. From its origin, it has been the parish church of Preston. Thechurch of St George the Martyr, located on Georges Road, was founded in 1723.[62] One of the many large active Roman Catholic parish churches isSt Thomas of Canterbury and the English Martyrs, located on Garstang Road.[63]
St Walburge's Church, designed byJoseph Hansom ofHansom Cab fame, has, at 309 feet (94 m), the tallest spire in England on a church that is not a cathedral and the third tallest in the UK.[64]
The chimney of the Grade II listedTulketh Mill was designed by engineer Fred Dixon of Bolton for the Tulketh Spinning Company and dates from 1905. It has its own Grade II listing, the designation record describing it as "very tall, forms group with associated mill, both being very prominent landmarks to the north-west of the town".[70]
Preston has a number of notable monuments and public artworks, including:
Obelisk: located opposite the Cenotaph on Preston's Market Square, the Obelisk dates back to 1782 and was originally installed for the Guild celebration of the same year.[71]
Peace Gardens: located on Friargate, the gardens, designed by Graham Mort, originally housed the praying hands sculpture which now resides on Fylde Road.[72]
Preston Martyrs' Memorial: located in front of the Corn Exchange in Lune Street, this sculpture marks the site of theLune Street Riots which occurred during the1842 General Strike, when troops opened fire on striking mills workers, killing four and injuring three.[73]
The Splash: a sculpture ofTom Finney, located in front of theDeepdale football stadium. The statue is based upon a famous photo taken of Finney in a game againstChelsea in 1956, which was named England's Sports Photograph of the Year.[74]
The bronzestatues of Wallace and Gromit, with Wallace inWrong Trousers and Gromit reading his newspaper on the bench, was erected in September 2021 at the south market hall entrance to theCovered Market to commemorate its creatorNick Park, who originated from Preston.[75][76] Their archnemesis, Feathers McGraw, soon joined them when his statue was unveiled by Nick Park as part of the opening of the Animate extension in February 2025.[77]
Cotton Reel: designed by artist designed by Van Nong, this sculpture of a large cotton reel and needle is located in Avenham Road (between the city centre and Avenham Park) and commemorates the former Simpsons Gold Thread Works, which advanced the science of gold thread manufacture and from 1839 provided gold and silver thread for the military, royalty, cruise ships (includingTitanic), andfreemasonry.
Landscape With Trees: designed by artist Clare Bigger, this series of four metre high stainless steel pylons of stylised trees is located in Friargate in the city centre.
Preston has seen many changes over the course of its history in regards to its local economy, shifting from a market town to the textile industry and more recently to tertiary education and research.
The city was home toAlstom Transport's main UK spare parts distribution centre (formerlyGEC Traction Ltd) until it transferred operations toWidnes in July 2018.[78]Matalan Retail Ltd was also founded in Preston under the name Matalan Cash and Carry. Although the head office of Matalan moved toSkelmersdale in 1998, the city still has the tax office for the company (located inWinckley Square).
Goss Graphic Systems Limited, a global supplier ofprinting presses based in the United States, formerly employed more than 1,000 people in Preston, but in 2007 the company moved manufacturing to the United States, China and Japan and now has around 160 employees in the city.[79]
Unemployment in Preston rose 15% in the year up to April 2012 to a total of 3,783 claimants.[80] However, in November 2018 Preston was named as "Most improved city in UK", with unemployment down to 3.1% from 6.5% in 2014, and improvements above the national average for health, transport, the work-life balance of its residents, and for the skills among both the youth and adult populations.[81]
Preston is a major centre of the British defence aerospace industry withBAE Systems, the UK's principal military aircraft design, development and manufacture supplier, having its Military Aircraft headquarters located in nearbyWarton. The company has two of its major facilities located some miles on either side of the city.BAE Warton is located to the western side of the city whilstBAE Samlesbury is located to the east, over theM6 motorway. BAE Systems also operate large office facilities at the Portway area within the city and at The Strand office complex.
On 20 February 2006, the telecommunications retailerThe Carphone Warehouse took over Tulketh Mill (formerly the home of theLittlewoods catalogue call centre) in theAshton-on-Ribble area of the city. The building has undergone an extensive interior refurbishment and since March 2007 had been the workplace of some 800 employees. The site's main purpose was as acall centre for the broadband andlandline services providerTalkTalk as well asThe Post Office andStudent Loans Company. The site also housed call centres forTeam Knowhow andCarphone Warehouse which are now part ofDixons Carphone. It was officially opened on 19 December 2006 by CEOCharles Dunstone and the Mayor of Preston. Following theCOVID-19 pandemic,Dixons Carphone along with other tenants within Tulketh Mill, moved to a hybrid working solution (time split between working from home and working from the office), eventually moving to a permanent working from home solution and as of August 2022Dixons Carphone no longer have any operations based in Tulketh Mill.
Due to Preston's location as a transport hub, sitting between the M6, M55, M65, and M61 it is home to several freight and haulage companies. Haulage supplier and operator James Hall and Co who supply produce forSpar stores in the north of England have their head office – the biggest building in the city of Preston[82] – located just off the M6 Junction 31a at Bowland View.
TheRiversway area (in theAshton-on-Ribble area of the city) is also home to thePreston Docklands, once Europe's largest single dock basin, which has undergone redevelopment. Several office areas around the docks, along with significant residential presence. Several small businesses such as theFootball League's LFE headquarters[83] are based in the area, together with Riversway Developments[84] who have been responsible for some of this redevelopment.
The financial sector also has a presence in the city with a large selection of consultancies, insurance and law firms based inWinckley Square in the city centre.[citation needed]
Retail is also a major contributor to Preston's economy. The city's main high streets are Fishergate and Friargate which offer shops, bars and restaurants with many more tucked away down the side streets. Two major shopping centres are located along the high streets:
St George's Shopping Centre (formerlyThe Mall Preston) – a popular centrally located shopping mall dating from the 1960s.
Preston is also home to the historicCovered Market and Fishmarket. In 2016 these sites were redeveloped, and the old covered market now contains the new Market Hall and the Outdoor and Secondhand Markets, and the old fish market now contains the Box Market, a unique shopping space consisting of upgraded shipping containers. Market vendors sell fresh and local quality meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products, other hot and cold food to eat in or take away, as well as brewed ales and artisan coffee. The markets are open Monday–Saturday, and on Tuesdays acar boot sale operates from the Outdoor Market.[85]
Also in the city centre is theMiller Arcade, a specialist shopping centre in a listed building (which formerly included aVictorian Turkish baths), is situated off Fishergate near theHarris Museum.
The firstKFC outlet in the UK was opened on Fishergate in 1965.[86] The Flag Market is the home of fast food provider Spud Bros. They are based at the Hot Potato Tram which has been serving upbaked potatoes andparched peas to Preston visitors since 1955.[87]
A number of large retail shopping centres can be found in Preston's suburbs and surrounding towns, including:
Deepdale Shopping park, on the A5085 Blackpool Road on the northern edge of the city, has over 30 major stores Free parking is provided for over 1,000 cars.[88]
Riversway Retail Park, located off the A583 Riversway atAshton-on-Ribble. Free parking is provided.[89]
Capitol Centre Retail Park on the A6 London Way just outside the city boundary atWalton-le-Dale, in the neighbouring borough ofSouth Ribble. The centre has over 20 major stores. Free car parking is provided along with a bus interchange.[90]
South Rings Business Park is located several miles outside Preston, off the A6 atBamber Bridge, near the intersection of the M6, M65 and M61 motorways. Free car parking is provided.[91]
TheUniversity of Lancashire has become a major employer and source of economic growth not just for Preston in recent years, but for Lancashire as a whole, providing direct and indirect benefits to the local economy through employment, housing and retail.
The Regeneris Report commissioned by theLancashire County Council in 2013/14 found that the university:
contributed over £200m to the North West economy
was one of the largest employers in Preston and supported an estimated 4,300 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs in the North West through its core economic footprint and through the expenditure of students
with 36,160 students was the largest university in Lancashire and the third-largest in the North West, with the 9th largest undergraduate population of all UK universities
graduates add on average £24m to the North West economy per annum through increased skills and productivity[92]
In terms of direct economic benefits, in 2013/14 it:
directly employed 3,290 staff
spent £15 million on suppliers based throughout Lancashire and the wider North West area
had 18,390 full-time students residing in the North West who spent a total of £210m throughout the region, with £155m of that being spent in Lancashire.[92]
In 2015, it announced its intention to create historic and transformational change at its Preston Campus through a £200 million development programme entitledCampus Masterplan 2020. Its vision over the next five years is to create a unified, sustainable and welcoming campus which will enhance the experience for all those visiting the university.[93] The long-term vision is to spark a major focus on regeneration and business investment in the university quarter, reinforce the university's ties to the local community and create wider benefits for Preston and beyond.[94]
September 2019 saw the opening of the £35 million Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC), a facility with integrated teaching and research space.[95]
Construction ofUCLan's new student centre and public squareThe newly opened Student Centre and University Square
Also under development is the £57 million Student Centre and public square, which will provide a new campus reception building housing several student services, meeting rooms, office space, event venues and a rooftop garden. The new public square, provisionally known asAdelphi Square, will span over 8,400 square metres[96] and will be constructed in front of the new student centre and opposite the EIC, on empty land that was previously the site of the Fylde Building and public land bought by the university from the council. The project has seen the demolition of existing housing in St Peter's Square opposite the University Library and St Peter's Arts Centre, and redevelopment of the A583 and other nearby public roadways, including the Adelphi roundabout, which will result in revised traffic flows. Construction commenced in the third quarter of 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2021.[97] On 30 July 2021 it officially took ownership of the new Student Centre and University Square (which had provisionally been known as Adephi Square) when a ceremonial key was presented to the university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graham Baldwin, by the project's major contractorBowmer + Kirkland. The building became operational in September 2021.[98]
As the university increases in the global rankings,[99] it continues to attract more international students, researchers and Fellows, as well as partnerships with international learning institutions. It is anticipated that further economics benefits from increased foreign investment and business opportunities should entail.[100]
An £800 million[101] regeneration project known as theTithebarn Project was also planned for Preston. The project was originally managed by property giantsGrosvenor andLendlease, Grosvenor withdrew from the project,[102] followed a few years later by Lendlease. The project was dependent upon a number of requirements (such as the re-location of the currentbus station, which would cost at least £25million, and be funded largely by the taxpayer).[103] In November 2011, it was announced thatJohn Lewis, who were originally intended to be the major flagship store of the Tithebarn development had also withdrawn from the project, effectively killing it.[104] The council is now exploring more piecemeal ways of bringing in development[105] and formerLabour leaderJeremy Corbyn praises Preston for its "inspiring innovation".[106]
Since city status was awarded in 2002, Preston has been targeted by a number of developers. Residential developments were particularly popular with new apartments planned in and around the city centre. Many of these developments however are still struggling to find buyers for these apartments, and there are rising numbers of repossessions.[107] Office and hotel space is also in demand and a new Central Business District is being planned as well as a number of new hotels.
The Guild Wheel is apublic footpath and cycle route, created in 2012 in celebration of thePreston Guild and officially opened in August of that year.[110] 21 miles (34 km) in length, it encircles Preston, linking the city to the countryside and surrounding villages.[111] Walking and cycling on the pathway along the banks of theLancaster Canal is popular among the city's residents and visitors.
The nearest airports from Preston with scheduled service areLiverpool John Lennon Airport andManchester Airport, about 40 miles (64 km) south-west and south-east of the city respectively. Manchester Airport is linked by a direct rail service operated byTransPennine Express.Blackpool Airport, approximately 16 miles (26 km) to the west of Preston, provides facilities for private aviation andcharter flights. Although not a public airport,Warton Aerodrome is an active airfield west of the city and is the airfield for theBAE Warton factory.BAE Samlesbury to the east of the town was an active aerodrome, with agliding club, but today serves as a facility forBAE Systems and no longer supports flying activities.
The station has nine (9) platforms, eight (8) of which are in public use, and access is provided for the mobility-impaired. Facilities include:
Staffed ticket office (limited hours) and self-service ticket machines
Cafes and news agency
Lost property office
Toilets
Waiting lounges
Taxi rank
Bus stop (near by)
The station is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is managed byAvanti West Coast. For local passenger services outside the city boundaries, there are also stations atBamber Bridge andLostock Hall.[112]
The lines toSouthport andLongridge closed to passengers in 1965 and 1930 respectively. The disused tracks of the Longridge line are extant as far asDeepdale. In 2010 plans were put forward to use part of this line for a demonstration tram system.[113]
London Euston andGlasgow via Birmingham or Nuneaton
Caledonian Sleeper: an overnightsleeper service operating between London to Scotland; only theHighland Sleeper stops at Preston (theLowland Sleeper is express to and fromCarlisle). Northbound services operates from Euston station in London toWaverley station in Edinburgh, where the train divides into three different trains for the final destinations ofAberdeen,Fort William andInverness. Southbound services are the reverse, whereby the three trains come together at Edinburgh and continue south to London as one.[citation needed]
Northern Trains: provides regular services to many destinations in the North including:[115]
Although Preston is now only served by its main railway station, in the preceding decades there were a number of other stations which have since closed (and many demolished). The following is a list of former stations which were located within the boundaries of the current dayCity of Preston:[citation needed]
In December 2020, the Lancashire County Council approved a proposal to construct a new station inLea west of the city, to service new housing estates being built in the area. The proposed station will be located near the site of the former Lea Road station which closed in 1938. Although a timeline is yet to be established and construction yet to begin, government funding of £22.3M (along with local funding of £21.M) is conditional that it must be spent by 2023.[117]
With the industrialisation of Preston in the 19th century a branch line was built in 1846 from Preston's mail station to carry goods to and fromVictoria Quay on the River Ribble. With the opening of the Albert Edward Basin and the newPreston Dock in 1892, the number and length of tracks increased and at their peak grew to over 25 miles.[118]
With the closure of the docks in 1981 and its subsequent redevelopment, most of the tracks were removed and now only a small section remains, used by theRibble Steam Railway (RSR) and forbitumen trains operating to and from theTotalrefinery at the Riversway industrial park.[119]
A single station,Preston Riverside, is operated by the RSR for its heritage rail trips.
The Ribble has played an important role in the history of Preston. Archaeological evidence confirms human settlement along its banks going back toNeolithic times, as well as theSaxon andRoman eras. The river was already a trading port bymedieval times, increasing in use and importance in conjunction with the industrialisation of Preston, until the closure of the Port of Preston in 1981.[citation needed]
The river suffers from an on-going issue ofsedimentation, and was regularlydredged downstream of Preston while the city had an active port. Since dredging operations ceased,silt from the river is now spreading more widely over the beaches of its estuary.[121]
Preston Dock was a formermaritime dock located on the northern bank of the River Ribble approximately 1.6 mi (2.6 km) west of the city centre. It was the location of the Port of Preston at the Albert Edward Basin which opened in 1892 and is connected to the river by a series oflocks. The dock provided aport for shipping and ferry operations until its closure in 1981.[citation needed]
Records show that Preston was already a trading port by the 12th century and from around the mid-14th century ships would come up the river to unload and shelter in a natural basin known in its time as 'Preston Anchorage', where the Moor Brook joined the Ribble. In 1806 the Ribble Navigation Company was formed, and construction of the New Quays wharf (later renamed Victoria Quay) commenced a few years later further downstream along the section of the river where Marsh Lane joined Strand Road.[citation needed]
Sedimentation and the shallowness of the Ribble limited access to Victoria Quay to when the tide was high, and it was proposed that the river be diverted and an artificial tidal basin created whose water level could be controlled to allow 24-hour loading and unloading operations. In 1884 diversion of the Ribble began along with and the excavation of the what was to be the Albert Edward Basin along its northern bank, and in June 1892 the new Preston Dock was opened. However, the on-going issue of sedimentation required constant dredging of the Ribble and along with loss of trade to large ports around the country, the docks never returned a profit, leading to their closure in October 1981.[citation needed]
Redevelopment of the former docks began in 1985 and continued through to 1992. RenamedRiversway, the first of the new retail and industrial estates, along with new roads, were opened in July 1987. Development of residential housing commenced in 1989, with the new estate along the basin's southern shore named Victoria Quay after the earlier docks.[citation needed]
These days, the Albert Edward basin is used only for leisure activities, is home to many waterbirds. A public marina is located on its northwestern end, and access to and from the River Ribble is provided through the basin's original locks, operated by the Preston City Council; operating times are seasonal.[122]
TheLancaster Canal runs from Preston toKendal inCumbria. It was originally planned to join theLeeds and Liverpool Canal atWesthoughton and while the section north to nearChorley was built, the section south from Preston was never built. Instead, a "temporary" bridge – which still stands today – was constructed over the Ribble near Avenham Park, and a tramway operated from 1803 toWalton Summit.[citation needed]
From 1820packet boats carried passengers between Preston and Kendal, providing faster journeys than the stagecoaches of the day, and by 1833 travel time had been reduced to seven hours. From the 1930s leakage problems caused sections of the canal, now owned by theLMS Railway, around Kendal to be closed to public traffic. However, the canal remained navigable to coal traffic from Preston to the Kendal Gas Works until 1944, but in 1955 the whole canal was closed to all traffic by an Act of Parliament. Subsequently, sections of the canal were filled in, later to be re-opened as interest in the canal returned, and currently, 42 miles (67.6 km) of the canal from Preston toTewitfield nearCarnforth is open to navigation.[123]
At Preston the canal originally terminated at a large boat basin located in the city centre between Marsh Lane and the A59 Ring Road, on the western side of Corporation Street. An aqueduct carried the canal from its current terminus on the northern side of Aqueduct Street in atAshton-on-Ribble, past the formerMaudlands railway station, paralleling the eastern side of the railway to the basin, where railway tracks, long since removed, provided access originally to Victoria Quay and later to the new Preston Dock. Following theSecond World War, as many industries around Preston closed, this section of the canal became derelict and in the 1960s it was filled in and a new terminus with mooring facilities built at Ashton. The land through which the canal ran is now the campus of the University of Central Lancashire, with the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre located over the former boat slip, and the site of the boat basin now a small retail mall with anAldi supermarket.[123]
Originally the canal was isolated from the River Ribble, but this changed in 2002 with the opening of theRibble Link.
Opened in July 2002, the Ribble Link is a navigationwaterway built along a section of theSavick Brook that connects the previously isolated Lancaster Canal to the River Ribble. Featuring a series oflocks, the Link allows narrowboats and other small watercraft to transit between the two waterways.[citation needed]
The Link is approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) in length, starting from the Lancaster Canal nearIngol and entering the Ribble (as the Savick Brook) south ofLea Gate. There are eight (8) locks in total, permitting boats up to 62 feet (19 m) length and 10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m) in width to navigate its course.[citation needed]
Unlike a canal, vessels are not free to travel in either direction at any time. Traffic flow is controlled so that the Link can only be navigated in a specific direction on alternate days. The Link is only open for approximately 90 days between April and October, and is used by approximately 200 boats a year.[citation needed]
In 2006 the Preston City Council, in conjunction with theSouth Ribble Borough Council, proposed a major development estimated at £800 million to redevelop the city's docks and large sections of the River Ribble. Known asRiverworks, the plan proposed new leisure facilities (watersports), landmark buildings, a new central park oppositeAvenham Park, office and retail space, new residential developments and the re-opening of some of Preston's old canal with new facilities for a "park and boat ride" scheme. The proposal met with considerable resistance from the local community (with 74% of residents objecting) and leisure and environmental groups due to the potential loss of green space, impact upon ecosystems (especially fish populations) and increased risk of flooding resulted in protests and campaigns being organised to have the project cancelled.[124][125]
In December 2007 the Preston City Council pulled out of a major part of the Riversworks plan, the highly contentiousRibble Barrage, and stated the revised plan would only look at improving Preston Docklands (in particular, the on-going blue green algae problem) and extending the Lancaster Canal from its current terminus atAshton into the city at the back of the University of Central Lancashire (near the site of the former boat basin which was filled in prior to the construction of the current campus).[126]
A subsequent change in council'sSustainable Community Strategy, especially in regards toEnvironmental,Health and Well-being andPeople and Communities policies and targets, resulted in a ban on development on green belt land, and along with city's new Local Plan, the remaining (re)development proposals within the Riverworks plan were abandoned.[127][128]
ThePreston By-pass, opened 5 December 1958, became the first stretch of motorway in the UK and is now part of theM6 with a short section now forming part of theM55. It was built to ease traffic congestion caused by tourists travelling to the popular destinations ofBlackpool andThe Lake District. The firsttraffic cones were used during its construction, replacing red lantern paraffin burners.
In the 1980s, a motorway around the west of the city which would have been an extension of theM65 to theM55 was started but never finished. Originally, theM55 had no junction 2, because it was reserved for this new western bypass; however the construction of junction 2 began in 2019 and will create a link with theA583, close to theRiversway Docklands, in order to alleviate traffic on the M55 and the A6 at the Broughton Interchange to the north of Preston. The project is known as the Preston Western Distributor. TheM6 between junctions 30 and 32 was widened extensively between 1993 and 1995 to compensate. Junction 31A which has only a northbound exit and a southbound entry opened in 1997 to serve a nearby business park. Other motorways terminating close to the city are theM61 – Preston toManchester viaChorley andBolton,theM65 – Preston toColne viaBlackburn,Accrington andBurnley and theM55 – Preston toBlackpool viaKirkham.
Preston has several Taxi, Private Hire and Cab Companies serving Preston and surrounding Villages, including Millers, Uber andPreston Taxis
In conjunction with car parking facilities at the bus station, local services operate to and from twopark and rides located on the outskirts of the city to minimise private vehicular traffic in the city centre; one at Portway in theRiversway area, and the other off theA6 atWalton-le-Dale.
Local, regional and national bus services operate from thePreston bus station, which is located on the southeast edge of the city centre off the A59 and claimed by some residents to be the largest or second largest station in Europe.[129]
Blackburn Bus Company, part of theTransdev group, operates the 152 Hotline route to Blackburn andBurnley. An independent company,John Fishwick & Sons, that provided frequent services into the city centre from Lower Penwortham, Lostock Hall, Leyland, Euxton and Chorley, ceased trading in October 2015.
In October 2006, Preston Bus started operating two orbital bus routes.[130]Competition for routes and passengers resulted in abus war between the two companies after buses werederegulated. On 23 January 2009, Preston Bus was sold to Stagecoach[131] for over £10.4 million. Routes were changed and the services were brandedStagecoach in Preston. Following a lengthy investigation which began soon after the takeover, the Competition Commission ruled on 11 November 2009 that the action by Stagecoach had adversely affected competition in the area and ordered it to sell Preston Bus. In January 2011,Rotala announced it had agreed to take over Preston Bus.[131]
Preston was one of the first cities in the UK to have displays fitted to every bus stop which aim to provide an accurate time and destination of the next bus arriving usingGPS tracking.[132] The service, initially restricted to services within the borough, was expanded to cover Fishwick's 111 Preston to Leyland route but was discontinued in 2011,[133] and reinstated on some routes in 2013.
The city is home to theUniversity of Lancashire. Formerly known as The Harris Institute, PrestonPolytechnic, and more recently (1985–1992) as Lancashire Polytechnic, The university was in 2006 the sixth largest university in the country, with over 33,000 students.[134]
Preston College – Mainly based inFulwood with two campuses – one near theRoyal Preston Hospital for A-Levels and vocational courses, and an arts college inMoor Park. Has COVE (Centre of Vocational Excellence) status in Retail.
TUC Education Unit – Based at Buckingham House, Preston city centre
Television is provided byITV Granada, the ITV franchise holder for the North West region,BBC North West, the regional BBC station for the North West region, and a local TV service for Blackpool and Preston, That's Lancashire, from studios at the Northern Lights Business Centre in theUniversity of Central Lancashire's Media Factory building.
VisitPreston.com is a website that "showcases everything that Preston has to offer to all audiences", providing information on topics such as business investment, education, tourism, etc. It is provided by key local stakeholders including the Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council, University of Central Lancashire, Preston Business Improvement District, and The Chase creative consultants.[141]
Preston were champions of theFootball League in its first two seasons, but have not won it since. Their last major trophy came in 1938 when they won theFA Cup, and they have not played top division football since 1961. They are one of the few English league clubs to have been champions of all four tiers of the English professional league.[citation needed]
Dick, Kerr's Ladies, one of the successful earlywomen's football teams in Britain, called Preston home, starting in 1917. They were one of the first ladies teams to play an international match against an overseas side when they played against a team from Paris in the spring of 1920. They played a series of matches in the north west of England, and atStamford Bridge, London. The opening match of the tour was played at Deepdale, the home of Preston North End, in front of 25,000 spectators, a record for the ground at that time.[143]
The UCLan Sports Arena is theUniversity of Central Lancashire's multi-million pound sporting venue, catering for a wide range of outdoor sports such as football, rugby, athletics, hockey, tennis, netball and cycling on a 64-acre site. Open to students and the wider community, the arena is the city's premier multi-sports venue.[144]
The arena is located inLea, approximately two miles from the university's main campus in Preston. A shuttle bus operates for students on Monday-Saturdays from outside the UCLAN Students' Union building in Fylde Road. As well as being the home of a number of university sporting clubs, the arena also hosts various public sporting clubs including the Preston Harriers Athletics Club and the Preston Springsfields Tennis Club.[145]
The arena has a 1.5 km cycle track and a 0.75 km junior cycle track, open for use by individuals, clubs and cycle races/meetings. It is often used forcycle racing by the university's cycling club, as well as local and regional events and at such times is closed to general users.[146]
Ashton and Lea Golf Club,[147] inLea in the west of the city
Preston Golf Club,[148] inFulwood in the north of Preston.
The clubs operate on a membership basis, and usually allow playing and non-playing visitors. They also provide further facilities such as function rooms andpro shops.
The Ingol Village Golf Club operated inIngol in Preston's northwest from 1981 until its closure in 2017, when it was deemed nonviable due to dwindling membership.[149]
Speedway racing, then known as Dirt Track Racing was staged at Farringdon Park in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Preston team raced in the English Dirt Track League of 1929 and the Northern League of 1930 and 1931. The best known rider of the team wasJoe "Iron Man" Abbott who went on to Test Match successes riding before the war forBelle Vue. After the war Joe appeared forHarringay andBradford.
Preston is home to many other sports leagues and clubs.
Cricket: Preston Cricket Club, founded in 1882 and based atWest Cliff, compete in theNorthern Premier Cricket League. Many other cricket clubs including Fulwood and Broughton Cricket Club are based in Preston, with many competing in locally based competitions such as thePalace Shield.
Hockey: Preston Hockey Club was established in 1903.
The oldPark Hotel overlooking Miller Park in autumnPreston Market Hall and Covered Market at nightLocomotive no.20, on loan from theNational Railway Museum Shildon, operating on the Ribble Steam Railway
Popular attractions around Preston include:
Avenham andMiller Parks: located a short walk from the centre of the city on the banks of theRiver Ribble and adjacent toWinckley Square, these large parks rank amongst the finest examples of traditional Victorian parkland in the North West of England.[150]
Brockholes is anature reserve located just off Junction 31 of theM6 Motorway. It is owned by theLancashire Wildlife Trust and was previously a major quarry excavation site. It provides a wide range of events throughout the year and over 250 acres of trails and hides.
Deepdale is a footballstadium and the home ofPreston North End F.C. It is a 15-minute walk from the city centre and located oppositeMoor Park. Outside the SirTom Finney Stand isThe Splash statue of the famous player which was inspired by a photograph taken in 1956.
Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Preston Free Public Library: located in the city centre, the museum has collections on archaeology and local history; also fine art including decorative art, costume, and textiles, with a focus on local works.
Lancashire Infantry Museum: located atFulwood Barracks, the museum claims to be the "largest Regimental archive and the premier centre for military historical research in the North of England."[152]
Lancaster Canal: from its terminus and boat basin atAshton-on-Ribble the canal providesnarrowboat cruising and a scenic cycle path and walk (approximately 22 miles) toLancaster and destinations north.
Museum of Lancashire: located a short walk fromPreston bus station, the museum hosts historical collections on the theme of "Lancashire Through Time". On 30 September 2016 the museum closed to the general public due to council budget cuts. In July 2019 Lancashire County Council stated it was their "ultimate ambition" for the museum to reopen.[153]
Preston Market Hall and Box Market: located on the site of the historicCovered Market and Fishmarket, traders sell local fresh produce, hot and cold foods to dine-in or take-away, artesan beer and coffee, gifts andbric-à-brac. Open Monday-Saturday.[85]
Preston Minster, a grade II* building, dating from at least 1094, although most of it was rebuilt in the nineteenth century; it is theparish church of Preston and is united to theChurch of St George, both of which are located in city centre.
Ribble Steam Railway: apreserved railway running alongPreston Dock, the museum includes workshops (where preservation work is undertaken), a visitor centre and cafe, and offers rides on restored steam trains on operating weekends.
St Walburge's Church: located about a 15–20 minute walk from Preston Railway Station,[154] free guided tours are available around midday on Saturdays.[155] At certain times of the year, tours of the spire (the tallest in England for a church that is not a cathedral[64]) are available; tickets are limited and are available from the church in return for a recommended donation.[156]
Edmund Robert Harris (ca.1804–1877), local solicitor, the principal benefactor of theHarris Museum, Harris Institute or Art School, Harris Technical School and the Harris Orphanage. A Blue Plaque is located at his former home at 13 Ribblesdale Place
A. J. Hartley (born 1964), award-winning, bestselling novelist
Joseph Livesey (1794–1884), atemperance campaigner, local politician, newspaper proprietor and philanthropist,[168] a Blue Plaque commemorating him is located on Stoneygate
John Boyle O'Reilly (1844–1890) , Irish writer, journalist and civil rights activist lived in Preston from 1859 to 1863 with his family while he worked at thePreston Guardian.[169]
Nick Park (born 1958), filmmaker,animator and creator ofWallace and Gromit was awarded theFreedom of the City in 1997. There is a bronze statue of the two animated characters by the entrance to the Preston Market Hall in the city centre.[170]
^Charles Hardwick, "On the Roman Remains Recently Discovered at Walton-le-Dale, Near Preston", inTransactions, Volumes 7–8, Historic Society of Lancashire and Published 1855,pp. 127Archived 31 December 2019 at theWayback Machine
^John Moss, for Papillon (Manchester UK) Limited."The County of Lancashire, England, UK". Manchester2002-uk.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved17 July 2010.
^"Preston Dock – Shipbreakers".ribblesteam.wordpress.com. The Ribble Pilot. 12 October 2013.Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved16 November 2017.
^Rogers, Simon (21 December 2010)."20 December 2010 minimum".The Guardian. London.Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved26 February 2011.
^"Pocket Facts"(PDF). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 29 February 2008. Retrieved6 June 2006. (708 KB), University of Central Lancashire. Retrieved 6 June 2006.
^"Story shorts – 21/02/11".Lancashire Evening Post. 21 February 2011. Archived fromthe original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved12 December 2011.NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) has worked alongside the Big Lottery Fund to deliver support to 17 organisations nationwide. They include Prescap, Preston FM, Blog Preston and CSV Preston.
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