Whittle Hall
Whittle Hall is housing estate within the parish of Great Sankey in the town of Warrington, North West England. Its more exact location is in-between the old centre of Great Sankey, the new built Chapleford, and the Omega Development Site (formerly RAF Burtonwood). The area falls under the WA5 postal code. The estate consisted originally of Whittle Hall Farm and its surrounding fields, however as part of the Warrington new town development, the last 20 years have seen the fields turned into modern houses. The estate also contains Whittle Hall Community Centre and the original farm building which are now due to be demolished for a proposed redevelopment. As the estate is part of the new town development, the people who reside there are originally from all over the UK.
Shops
The estate itself contains no retail outlets. The area surrounding Sankey Station (10 minutes walk) hosts two pubs, two convenience stores, a hairdresser, a take away offering English, Chinese and pizzas, a computer shop and an independent sandwich shop. An Asda superstore is located 5 minutes drive or 45 minutes walk away at Westbrook. Gemini Retail Park (10 minutes drive) hosts a massive Marks & Spencer, the UK's first IKEA, Toys R Us, and the closest McDonalds to the estate. High Street shopping is available in the town centre at the newly refurbished Golden Square Shopping Mall.
Governance
The area has three councillors in the Warrington Borough Council and five councillors representing the area on Great Sankey Parish Council. The area falls under the Warrington South (constituency) for which David Mowat is the current Member of Parliament (Conservative Party)
Transport
Bus: Warrington Borough Transport provides buses, with direct services to the town centre (20 minutes) and the Westbrook Centre (10 mins)
Train:: Sankey railway station (10 minutes walk) offers hourly services to Warrington Central Station, Manchester Oxford Road and Liverpool Lime Street, for the West Coast Main Line passengers must get the bus to Warrington Bank Quay (15 mins)
Air:: Warrington has no airports so the nearest airports to whittle hall are Liverpool John Lennon Airport (8 miles) and Manchester Airport (15 miles)
Road: Kingsdale Rd runs through the estate but actually contains no houses, houses are found on connected dead end roads/cul de sacs. Whittle Hall is connected to the outside world through Whittle Hall Avenue and Lingley Green Avenue. The estate is located just 1 mile from M62 J8 making the houses popular homes for people working in Manchester and Liverpool (each 45 minutes). Travel to Warrington town centre is achieved via Whittle Hall Avenue and Liverpool Road (A57 road) the journey is 3 miles and takes 10 minutes (traffic permitting).
Education
Whittle Hall forms part of the catchment area for Great Sankey High School which also contains sixth form faculties under the name Barrow Hall College. Penketh High School is as close to the estate but because its catchment area does not cover Whittle Hall few children from the estate attend.
Sports and leisure
Whittle Hall has no professional sports teams, Warrington Wolves RLFC is the closest major sports team. As for the Premier League Wigan Athletic is the closest by distance, however Everton F.C. Liverpool and Manchester United are the most commonly supported clubs. Sankey Leisure centre is located next to Great Sankey High School. It is only a 2 minute drive and offers an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and an astroturf football pitch. There is a David Lloyd gym located 5 minutes drive on the A57.
Landmarks and culture
Whittle Halls most known place is the duck pond located where the estate meets Lingley Avenue. This area contains the community centre, football fields a playground and was formerly part of "Site 2" airmens living area on the giant RAF Burtonwood. Although just outside Whittle Hall the 'Thatched Cottage' is very well known. This newly built white cottage is very recognisable against the backdrop of red brick houses. The estate is bordered on one side by the linear park which contains a stream, open areas and separates the estate from the older parts of Great Sankey. The park is main route used for school children whom walk to the schools located on Barrow Hall Lane as well as being extremely popular with dog walkers.
External links
Whittle Hall Community Center GIS, Research and Consultation, Chief Executive's Unit Census (Summer 2008)
Sankey Station at National Rail
Whittle Hall Bus Timetable (pdf format) No.13 No.29
