Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale
Town
The Concourse shopping centre, Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Location in West Lancashire
Skelmersdale
Location of town centre in Skelmersdale
Skelmersdale
Location within Lancashire
Population38,813 
OS grid referenceSD487062
• London180 mi (290 km) SE
District
  • West Lancashire
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSKELMERSDALE
Postcode districtWN8
Dialling code01695
PoliceLancashire
FireLancashire
AmbulanceNorth West
UK Parliament
  • West Lancashire

Skelmersdale /ˈskɛlmərzdl/ is a town in the West Lancashire district of England. It sits on the River Tawd, 6 miles (10 km) west of Wigan, 13 miles (21 km) north-east of Liverpool and 15 miles (24 km) south-west of Preston. In 2006, it had a population of 38,813.[1] The town is known locally as Skem /ˈskɛm/.

While the first record of the town is in the Domesday Book of 1086, much of the town, including the current town centre, was developed as a second wave new town in the 1960s. The town's initial development as a coal town coincided with the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century; the town lies on the Lancashire Coalfield.

  1. ^ ""Great Britain" World Gazetteer". Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.