A guide to living in Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town in Cheshire which sits on the northern bank of the River Mersey. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn. Upstream 8 miles to the east is Warrington and 4 miles downstream to the west is the city of Liverpool.
Transport links
Regular buses run through Widnes with a dedicated school bus and a hospital shuttle for your convenience. You can find the full timetable here.
Widnes is six miles from Liverpool John Lennon Airport and 25 miles from Manchester Airport. Both of which operate worldwide flights. From Widnes, both Liverpool and Manchester are easily accessible with regular trains. The journey to Liverpool takes just half an hour and you can be in Manchester in just 40 minutes by train. You can travel to London Euston from Widnes in under three hours via bus, then train.
Education
There are 19 primary schools in the town and 3 nursery schools. There are 3 secondary schools, Saints Peter and Paul Catholic College, Ormiston Chadwick Academy and Wade Deacon High School. You can for search them here.
Shopping
Located in the town centre, Greenoaks Centre is open seven days a week to fulfil your shopping needs. More recently, Widnes Shopping Park also opened, hosting superstar retailers such as Next, New Look, Boots and River Island.
What to do
Enjoy the great outdoors at Victoria Park, in the Appleton area of Widnes. The park has a cafeteria, refreshment kiosk, bandstand, model boating lake, tennis and basketball courts, skateboarding park and bowling greens. And as if that were not enough, there’s a glasshouse that hosts an array of beautiful butterflies.
The green haven makes a perfect place for a family day out. The town is also home to a number of nature reserves – Pickerings Pasture is an area of wildflower meadows overlooking the River Mersey. Clincton Wood and Hale Road Woodlands also offer natural sanctuaries.
Kingsway Leisure Centre has a swimming pool, gym and sports hall to keep your fitness levels up. The Hive Leisure Park boasts a multiplex cinema, bars and restaurants. And with 16-lane ten pin bowling, a children’s play area and an ice rink, you can guarantee you’ll be entertained.
Widnes also has a main library in Victoria Square that has been recently refurbished and offers a wide selection of books. And if you’re interested in railways, you’re in luck as the library proudly offers a particularly wide collection on this topic.
Sport
The major sport in Widnes is rugby with the Widnes Vikings Rugby League Football Club being a popular sports team in the north. The Widnes Vikings are in the Betfred Championship. Widnes also has a local football team who play their home matches at Halton Stadium and compete in the Northern Premier League.
Did you know?
Widnes is a friendly industrial town that’s major industry is the manufacture of chemicals.
Considering to move to Widnes? Contact our case managers to find your new home today!