Population 6,554 (2001 Census) Region North West Sovereign state United Kingdom Local time Thursday 12:05 AM Civil parish Billinge Chapel End | OS grid reference SJ528998 Country England Metropolitan county Merseyside Dialling code 01744 | |
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Metropolitan borough Metropolitan Borough of St Helens Weather 3°C, Wind W at 24 km/h, 98% Humidity | ||
Billinge is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. It forms the larger part of the civil parish of Billinge Chapel End. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, it had a population of 6,554.
Contents
Map of Billinge, UK
Historically in Lancashire, Billinge is located by road approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) southwest of Wigan (town centre) and 3.7 miles (5.9 km) northeast of St Helens (town centre).
Etymology
Billinge may mean "(place at the) pointed hill", from Old English billa "ridge, bill of sword" and -ing "place at/people of the". The name was recorded as Bylnge in 1252.
Governance
This township or civil parish lies within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire. It was in Wigan ecclesiastical parish (Deanery of Wigan) and, therefore, in the Diocese of Liverpool, previously Chester. On 2 February 1837 with the commencement of the Wigan poor law Union which merged the workhouses of 20 parishes in the Wigan area the parish was divided into two separate townships, Billinge Chapel End and Billinge Higher End. In 1872 Billinge Local Board of Health was established for the area of these two townships and two detached parts of Winstanley township (one known as Blackley Hurst and the other situated in the Carr Mill area, both lying within the area of Billinge Chapel End township). In 1894 the area of the Local Board (together with the remaining area of Winstanley township) became Billinge Urban District. In 1927 the urban district was renamed Billinge and Winstanley Urban District. In 1974 the Billinge Higher End ward and most of Winstanley ward became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester County; the Billinge Chapel End area (including the two detached parts of Winstanley township) became part of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside County.
Churches
Two of Billinge's churches are listed buildings. The Church of St Aidan (Grade II*) is in the Wigan Deanery, which is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool. St Mary's Church (Grade II), built in 1828, is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.
Schools
Billinge has a number of primary schools:
and one independent school which caters for children and young people with additional needs: