Skelmersdale - <>

Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, 6mi to the west of Wigan, 13mi to the northeast of Liverpool, 15mi south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem. The first recorded use of the name Skelmersdale appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was under the rule of Uctred as part of the hundred of West Derby.The urbanisation and development of Skelmersdale largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution. Industrial scale coal mining began in the early 19th century and continued to expand during that century to give rise to Skelmersdale as an important colliery village. The town forms part of the Wigan Urban Area.Skelmersdale was designated as a new town in 1961.GeographySkelmersdale is situated in a small valley on the River Tawd. The town was designed to accommodate both plant life and compact housing estates. Even in the town centre there is an unusually large amount of forestation. The large Beacon County Park lies to the east of Skelmersdale, where the iconic Beacon Point lies, along with the golf club.The town borders the village of Upholland to the east, eventually leading into the Wigan area of Greater Manchester, West Lancashire's administrative centre Ormskirk to the north-west, and Saint Helens to the south. The M58 runs through Skelmersdale.

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