Public Services

It was during the reign of Queen Victoria that Warrington witnessed the creation of the public services we know today. This revolution in the provision of public services such as the police, fire and public health services brought with it new employment opportunities for people in the town. For example in 1820 there was no security force in the town, yet by 1900 there was a professional police force employing a total of 61 people

Warrington Borough Police assembled outside Arpley Street Police Station to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953
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By the early 20th century Warrington people could turn on the tap and get clean fresh water, light the gas at the cooker or the lamp, or even press a switch and illuminate the room with electric light. Some of them could flush the toilet, though many people still used the tub toilets out in the backyard which had to be emptied by the 'night-soil' men. The waterworks at Appleton and Winwick, the gasworks at Mersey Street, the men who maintained the sewers and took away the refuse - these were all part of civilised urban living and the town grew to depend on them.