Visit Atherton town centre and discover a wide range of quality shops, nestling in a bustling centre. Parking is free and with a great choice of places to eat and drink, Atherton puts the fun back into shopping. Visit the Friday market and browse for a bargain.
Join in the market fun days held throughout August. Check out our postcards to see if you were caught on camera this summer!

For evening entertainment, Atherton has a number of established traditional pubs and delightful restaurants, catering for every taste.

The local traders group and pub watch work closely with local ward councillors, Greater Manchester Police and Wigan Council, through the Risk Management initiative to deliver a safe town centre environment. This partnership has enabled the installation of CCTV with significant funding from the Council, Government and support from local traders.

Work is now well underway on the first phase of an exciting scheme to transform Atherton's shopping centre. The new pedestrian square outside St John the Baptist Church, opened in October and provided an attractive focal point for the town centre.

The project will see the creation of a one-way bus lane running through Market Street with cars prevented from travelling down Market Street between 10.00am and 4.00pm. The scheme is designed to make the town centre more accessible to pedestrians, encourage greater bus use and give better access to car parks. The project has been funded by a partnership including the SRB5 Atherton Building Communities Initiative, English Heritage, Wigan Council and the Landfill Tax Credits.

With a packed programme of events and summer activities, you're never sure who you will bump into in Atherton.

The origin of the name Atherton has several possibilities. However, historians believe it is almost certainly derived from the Anglo-Saxon words for 'stream' (adre) and 'village' (tun). 'Adre-tun', the settlement near the stream, became know as Atherton over the centuries. Seven small streams run through or border on Atherton.

The parish church of St John the Baptist , built in 1879, is the historical core of the town centre and provides a spectacular backdrop to the busy main street. The centre of Atherton was known as Chowbent. Today, Chowbent Chapel, built in 1722 is a striking landmark in the town. Also worthy of note is the 17th century Alder House, now a private residence off the High Street .

The Jolly Naylor public house on Market Street is a reminder of Atherton's industrial past. Domestic handloom weaving (including silk weaving), nail and bolt making were important occupations before the industrial revolution.

By 1900 collieries, mills and iron works provided the main sources of employment. The Fletcher family name dominated the industrial and civic life in Atherton during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. The family built a model estate for their workers at Howe Bridge, which has now been designated a Conservation Area. On 21st December 1910, 333 men were killed in Pretoria Pit disaster, just outside Atherton. This was one of the worst pit disasters ever.

The town's rich heritage is celebrated each year during the Atherton Festival in May including cemetery walks, town trails and the heritage tour on wheels!