Atherton, Greater Manchester
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Atherton is a town and component area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. Built on and around seven brooks, it has a long industrial past with a history of coal mining, cotton mills, and nail manufacturing.
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[edit] Geography and administration
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Atherton has a small pedestrian shopping centre, with small independent traders. There are public transport links: by rail links to Wigan and Manchester, and by bus to Bolton, Leigh, Wigan, St Helens, Manchester, the Trafford Centre and Middlebrook Retail and Leisure Complex.
[edit] History
Archaeologists have found evidence of Bronze Age and Romano-Celtic settlement in the Atherton area. The area was long associated with coal mining and nail manufacture. In the 19th century Atherton was a township in the parish of Leigh, focused on the village of Chowbent. During the Industrial Revolution the cotton industry became established here. As the population grew, the resulting town was called Atherton, although the name Chowbent is still sometimes used by locals. There are some fine examples of historic buildings in and around Atherton, including the 17th century Alder House, Chowbent Chapel (1722), and St John's Church (1879).
[edit] Night life
Atherton has many pubs along the main street (Market Street), including the Punch Bowl, the Mountain Dew and the Pendle Witch. However the town is fairly quiet at night with most people choosing to go out in nearby Tyldesley and Leigh. Atherton's Formby Hall also plays host to the Bent 'n' Bongs Beer Festival over the last weekend of every January.
