Billinge, Merseyside


Billinge is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, 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.
Historically in Lancashire, Billinge is located by road approximately 4.5 miles southwest of Wigan and 3.7 miles northeast of St Helens.

History

Etymology

Billinge may mean " 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 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. In 1894 the area of the Local Board 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 in Greater Manchester; the Billinge Chapel End area became part of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside.

Churches

Two of Billinge's churches are listed buildings. The Church of St Aidan is in the Wigan Deanery, which is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool. St Mary's Church, 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: