Ditton, Cheshire

Ditton is a residential area of Widnes, in the borough of Halton. It has two small areas of shops ("Alexander Drive" and "St Michaels") and the Roman-Catholic St Michael's church - a piece of splendid Gothic architecture. The area also houses two medium-sized industrial estates. There are three public-houses in Ditton; the Blundell Arms, the Yew Tree and the New Inn. To the South-East of Ditton runs Ditton road, which connects the Ashley-way Central Widnes by-pass to the Halebank area of the town. This an industrial stretch of road containing remnants of Widnes' manufacturing and trade, including a chemical plant and large timber yard which sit on an expanse of land which leads to the River Mersey. This area also once contained a popular golf course - St Michaels Municipal, however this has been closed due to arsenic contamination, which is a reminder of the industrial waste that lies beneath. There was once a railway station in Ditton, based on Hale Road on the border between Ditton and Halebank, however this closed to passengers on 27th May 1994. To the side of the site of Ditton station (now a railway junction with the concrete remnants of platforms) runs "Ditton-brook", which runs from East-Liverpool to Ditton, where it flows into the River Mersey. Until the early 1990's, Ditton was the site of a large Golden Wonder factory, where their crisps and Pot Noodle snacks were produced. The workforce were primarily Ditton-based, so the decline of the factory exacerbated the problem of unemployment for unskilled and semi-skilled workers in the area. The site of the factory was used as the Police Station in the BBC drama Merseybeat which was filmed on location in Ditton. Ditton borders Halebank to the South and West, Hough Green to the North and North-West and an area just outside of Widnes Town Centre (the Ball o'Ditton) to the East. The area has recently benefited from new-build housing developments (such as Redrow's Chapel Gate development) with units primarily being purchased by first time buyer owner-occupiers, many of whom are indigenous to the area.