Garswood
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Coordinates: 53°29′17″N 2°40′12″W / 53.488°N 2.670°W
| Garswood | |
  Garswood shown within Merseyside |
|
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan borough | St Helens |
| Metropolitan county | Merseyside |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIGAN |
| Postcode district | WN4 |
| Dialling code | 01942 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | St Helens North |
| List of places: UK • England • Merseyside | |
Garswood is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. It lies between Ashton-in-Makerfield, St Helens and Wigan.
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[edit] History
Garswood is from Old English wudu "wood" with an uncertain first element. The name was recorded as Gratiswode (undated).
Garswood has seen, along with extensive farming, much coal mining activity in its past, due to strata running up to an adjacent fault causing much outcropping of coal seams. Mining has taken place using shallow (comparatively) shafts and many drifts. The last drift mine in the Garswood area, Quaker House Colliery, closed in 1992. Extensive opencast mining has taken place in more recent times and continues to date in the area.
The village contains the Railway Hotel, the Stag Hotel and the Simms Road Inn public houses.
[edit] Education
In 1588, Seneley Green (as it was then known) became the site of the area's first free grammar school, founded by Robert Byrchall on land granted for the purpose by Sir Thomas Gerard. The building is, today, used as Garswood Public Library. Garswood County Primary School is located in the centre of Garswood and has roughly 300 pupils. Byrchall High School, in Ashton-in-Makerfield, carries the founder's name and still owns carved slabs that detail donations to the school over its history.
[edit] Sport
Garswood United F.C., formed 1967, joined the Mid-Cheshire League in 1988. They won Division Two in 1990 and Division One in 1996. The club plays at Simms Lane End, Simms Lane.
Garswood is also very near to Haydock Park Racecourse.
[edit] Transport
Garswood railway station provides direct rail links to Liverpool Lime Street, St. Helens and Wigan, plus many other stations along the same line.
Road links are provided by the village's proximity to the M6 motorway and the East Lancashire Road (A580) and is equidistant from St. Helens and Wigan. Garswood is not far from Haydock Industrial / Business Estate, where companies such as Asda, Sainsbury's and Booker have warehousing facilities which employ large numbers of people, many of whom live in Garswood.
