St Helens

St Helens, town, administrative centre of St Helens borough, Merseyside, north-western England. St Helens is a large industrial town lying between Manchester and Liverpool. It acts as a residential area for the two cities and has a broad industrial base. A coal-mining centre from the 16th century, by the 18th century St Helens had become a centre of glass-making. The town is today Great Britain’s leading glass-making centre and Pilkington Glass, one of the world’s largest glass-manufacturing companies, is a major employer. The opening in 1762 of the Sankey Navigation (canal) joining St Helens to the River Mersey was a major boost to the town’s growth; the canal is now disused. Haydock Park, a major racecourse, is in the town as is the home ground of St Helens rugby league team, who are one of the country’s premier clubs; Knowsley Safari Park is on the town’s boundary. The orchestra conductor Sir Thomas Beecham was born in the town. Population (1995 estimate) 179,900.