Located in the county of Merseyside, or Lancashire up until 1974, and around 10 miles east of Liverpool, is the town of St Helens.
The name 'St Helens' comes from a chapel called 'St Elyn's' in what was a small hamlet in the area. The first documented reference of this comes from 1552. This hamlet transformed into a thriving town around the time of the Industrial Revolution.
It is believed that coal was discovered in St Helens from as early as the late Medieval era. The town would go on to lead the way in the coal mining industry. In the mid 18th century the Liverpool turnpike road was extended, allowing coal to be carried more easily from St Helens. Then in 1757, England's first canal opened. The Sankey Canal connected St Helens to the River Mersey, allowing coal to be transported all the way to Liverpool.
St Helens would also play a role in the birth of the railways. The nearby village of Rainhill within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens would be home to the locomotive trials in 1829 where Stephenson's Rocket was selected to be the world's first steam locomotive. This model would be put to use on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway when it opened the following year of 1830. Three years later, in 1833, St Helens Junction station opened along this line of track, making it one of the oldest stations still in use today.
Alongside coal mining, other industries in St Helens included copper refining, brewing and glass-making. In 1826 glass manufacturer Pilkington was founded in St Helens. For many years this was the biggest employer in the town with around 30 thousand glass workers at its peak. To this day the company still operates, although they are currently headquartered 9 miles up the road in the village of Lathom.
In terms of sporting representation St Helens is predominantly a rugby league town. St Helens R. F. C. - commonly known as 'Saints', have represented the town since 1873 when they were formed. At the time of writing they have 15 top tier championship titles, including 8 in the Super League since its establishment in 1996.
Famous people from St Helens include comedian Johnny Vegas and The Beautiful South vocalist Jacqui Abbott.
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Filmed: 29th June 2021
Link to the walk on Google Maps: goo.gl/maps/TD1y6QYFLpquo18DA
Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Church Street
0:09 Bridge Street
2:14 Water Street
4:52 Westfield Street
6:48 Ormskirk Street
7:08 Cotham Street
8:25 St Helens Town Hall
8:56 Victoria Square
9:33 St Helens Cenotaph
9:37 Victoria Square
10:00 Corporation Street
12:14 Hall Street
14:42 Church Street
17:07 Ormskirk Street
18:30 Baldwin Street
20:14 The Landings
20:55 North Road
22:35 Church of St Mary
22:47 North Road
23:29 Church of St Mary