This article is about Preston in Lancashire, England. For other uses of the name see Preston (disambiguation).

City of Preston
	Shown within Lancashire
Geography
Status:	City (2002)
Region:	North West England
Admin. County:	Lancashire
Area: - Total	Ranked 215th 142.22 km²
Admin. HQ:	Preston
ONS code:	30UK
Demographics
Population: - Total (2002 est.) - Density	Ranked 137th 129,991 914 / km²
Ethnicity:	85.5% White 11.6% S.Asian
Politics
Preston City Council http://www.preston.gov.uk/
Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
Executive:	Labour
MPs:	Nigel Evans, Mark Hendrick, Michael Jack

Preston is a local government district and city in North West England. It is the county town of Lancashire, and is on the River Ribble.

Preston is famous for, among other things, its large bus station (with 79 gates), St Walburge's Church (the tallest church in England, with the third highest spire at 94 metres), and Preston North End F.C., one of the oldest Football League teams. City status was granted to Preston in 2002.

The Preston By-pass, opened 5 December 1958, became the first stretch of motorway in the UK: it is part of the M6. This was necessary as the town suffered from increasing traffic congestion due its proximity to the key tourist destinations of The Lake District and Blackpool.

Every 20 years, a famous celebration called the Preston Guild takes place. The last Guild celebration took place in 1992 and the next is due in 2012.

The city is home to the University of Central Lancashire, one of the largest universities in the country.

Twin towns are Almelo in the Netherlands, Nimes in France, Recklinghausen in Germany and Kalisz in Poland.

Features of Preston

• Museums
  • The Harris Museum
  • St Walburge's Church
  • The National Football Museum
  • The Museum of Lancashire
  • The Lancashire Queens Regiment Museum
  • The British Commercial Vehicle Museum
• Parks
  • Miller Park, Preston
  • Avenham Park

Geography

• The River Ribble runs through the city.
• The Forest of Bowland forms an impressive backdrop to Preston.

History

In 1825 Preston was in the hundred of Amounderness, in the deanery of Amounderness and the archdeaconry of Richmond. The name of Amounderness is more ancient than the name of any other Wapentake or hundred in the County of Lancaster, and so Preston is of at least High Saxon antiquity. Served by the River Ribble, Preston was one of the principal ports of Lancaster. As late as the time of Charles I the monarch demanded 1/4 more ship money than Lancaster and double the amount of Liverpool.

During the Roman period the road called Watling Street made by the Conquerors from the Setantian port of Neb of the Nese passed 1 mile north of Preston. The Roman road from Languavallium in Cumberland to Condate in Cheshire intersected in Preston at Tulketh-hall.

In Ripon in 705 Archbishop Wilfrid the lands near the River Ribble were set on a new foundation, and the parish church was probably erected. Later Edward the Elder passed the lands to cathedral at York and then from successive transfers the lands were passed round between churches hence the name Preist's Town or Preston.

Famous people from Preston

• Richard Arkwright - inventor of the water frame that kick-started the textile industry in the late 18th century
• Nick Park - animator
• Francis Thompson - poet
• Tom Finney - Footballer

See also

• Battle of Preston
• Ribble Steam Railway

External Links

• Preston City Forum (Free but need to register to use)
• BBC News: 'Proud Preston' wins city status
• Proud Preston Picture and Photo Gallery