Lowton
| Lowton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Hare and Hounds public house, Lowton |
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 Lowton
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| Lowton shown within Greater Manchester | |
| Population | 11,012 (2001) |
| OS grid reference | SJ622973 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Dialling code |
01942 01925 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Lowton is a suburban village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is around 2 miles (3.2 km) from Leigh, 7 miles (11 km) south of Wigan and 11.0 miles (17.7 km) west of Manchester city centre. The settlement lies across the A580 East Lancashire Road.
Historically a part of Lancashire, Lowton's history is closely connected with Byrom Manor, ancestral home of the Byroms, a family which included poet John Byrom, inventor of a system of shorthand.
Lowton was associated with coal mining and manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution, given its proximity to several nearby collieries and factories.
Lowton has an unclear toponymy: it is from Old English tun "farm, village" with an uncertain first element (The first element is from lhe old English for high point IE Wornoth Low near is the highest hill in the area, and Lowton is the highest point locally.) A record of the name as Liewetune in 1176 suggests Old English hleowe "lee", although this is not a certain etymology.
Lowton was one of the berewicks of the Royal Manor of Newton, later being one of the members of the Barony of Makerfield. Byrom Manor, later to feature the ancestral home of the poet John Byrom and was constructed during the 18th century, is recorded as early as 1212, where the family prospered for centuries. Byrom Hall at one time featured a moat.
The Hare and Hounds public house, built in the 17th century, was once used as a place to hold trials of local criminals, including murders.
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