Created a Parish Council in 1983, Burscough lies north of
Ormskirk and south of Rufford on the A59. The Leeds and Liverpool
canal passes through the parish, along with the Southport to Wigan
railway and the Preston to Liverpool rail line.
The town centre is home to a number of local
shops and pubs and more recently has benefitted from the
opening of the Burscough Wharf development in the heart of the
town centre involving the refurbishment and development of over
12,000 square feet of canal side buildings offering an array
of retail and leisure outlets.
Burscough Priory, in Abbey Lane, is a scheduled ancient
Monument, although only very small parts of some walls now remain.
The site comprises a mosaic of steep-sided banks, with scrub, grass
and pools.
The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust's reserve at Martin Mere (external
link) - a marshland refuge and nature reserve of international
importance - is within the parish of Burscough.
Burscough Parish Church was one of the Million of Waterloo churches
built as a thanksgiving after the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815.
Although it was consecrated in 1832, Burscough remained part of the
ecclesiastical parish of Ormskirk until 1849. Forty years later the
present chancel was built. Its beautiful east window forms a
memorial to those from the parish who gave their lives in the First
World War.
Map:
Burscough Parish