Helsby | |
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Helsby from Helsby Hill |
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Helsby shown within Cheshire | |
Population | 4,972 |
OS grid reference | SJ491755 |
Civil parish |
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Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | FRODSHAM |
Postcode district | WA6 |
Dialling code | 01928 |
Police | Cheshire |
Fire | Cheshire |
Ambulance | North West |
EU Parliament | North West England |
UK Parliament | |
Helsby is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in Cheshire, England, which in 2011 had a population of 4,972.
The village is situated on the A56 main road between Chester and Runcorn. The neighbouring settlements are Dunham-on-the-Hill, Frodsham, Elton and Alvanley. Helsby is a semi-rural village, with many dairy and arable farms, but is also in close proximity to a number of industrial plants around the Mersey estuary including the former Royal Dutch Shell Stanlow oil refinery(now Essar) the Quinn Glass manufacturing plant, the Kemira fertiliser plant on Ince Marshes and the chemical manufacturing site (previously ICI chemicals, now Ineos Chlor) and power station at Rocksavage. There are few jobs in Helsby itself, due to the larger surrounding cities, Chester and Runcorn offering better prospects and a wider range of careers. The Tesco supermarket is one of the biggest employers there. The village is popular with commuters as a residential area, due to its links to the M56 motorway and rail networks.
There are the remains of a Promontory fort on Helsby Hill of 1.9ha in area. Modern excavations have revealed evidence of activity on Helsby Hill prior to the construction of the hillfort comprising a buried soil containing fossilised pollen dating to the late Mesolithic to early Neolithic dated between 7000 and 3001BC. Further evidence suggests a burning episode dating to the early Neolithic occupation or woodland clearance dating to 4000BC to 2351 BC.