Ormskirk
| Ormskirk | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Market day in Ormskirk |
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 Ormskirk
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| Ormskirk shown within Lancashire | |
| Population | 24,196 |
| OS grid reference | SD415085 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ORMSKIRK |
| Postcode district | L39 |
| Dialling code | 01695 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England, 13 miles (21 km) north of Liverpool, 11 miles (18 km) northwest of St Helens, 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Southport and 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Preston. Ormskirk is famous for its gingerbread.
Ormskirk lies on sloping ground on the side of a ridge, whose highest point is 68 metres (223 ft) above sea-level, at the centre of the West Lancashire Plain, and has been described as a "planned borough", laid out in the 13th century. Ormskirk is an unparished area, surrounded by the parishes of Bickerstaffe, Aughton, Scarisbrick, Burscough, Lathom and Lathom South.
The town is located in the district of West Lancashire and is the site of the headquarters of West Lancashire Borough Council.
Since Ormskirk does not have a parish council, a voluntary association, Ormskirk Community Partnership, was created in 2009, with the support of the West Lancashire Borough Council, to act as a voice for Ormskirk. Ormskirk is home to Edge Hill University.
The name 'Ormskirk' is Old Norse in origin and is derived from Ormres kirkja, from a personal name, Ormr (which means "serpent" or dragon), and the Old Norse word kirkja for church. Ormr may have been a Viking who settled here, became a Christian and founded the church but there are no other records or archaeological evidence to support this and Ormr's identity is unknown.
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Wikipedia