• Newton-le-Willows - Newton-le-Willows is an ancient town having been mentioned in the Domesday Book. A parliamentary borough from the 16th century until 1832, the developing industrial town became an urban district in 1894 under the name Newton in Makerfield. The name of the urban district was changed in 1939.

In addition to the town's important role in the English Civil War, perhaps its most notable claim to fame is the suggestion that it was the location of the Battle of Brunanburh.

Newton's history since the 19th century has been very closely linked with the railway industry. It was little more than a village when the famous Vulcan Foundry was opened in 1831 and later developed into one of the world's foremost locomotive manufacturers. Vulcan Village, the southernmost suburb of Newton was developed to house workers from the foundry and has in recent years become a conservation area.

The western area of the town, Earlestown was developed also with the coming of the railways. Earlestown was also built as a factory village, but for the Viaduct Foundry, which later became the London and North Western Railway's principal waggon works. Since Victorian times, Earlestown has been the fastest growing area of the town and today Newton-le-Willows' town centre is situated in Earlestown.

Between Earlestown and the Vulcan Village is the largely residential suburb of Wargrave.

William Huskisson, Member of Parliament for Liverpool and an early supporter of railways, was killed at Parkside near Newton when he was run down by Stephenson's Rocket locomotive on the opening day of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. There is a memorial at the spot where the accident happened. A modern bridge in the town centre is named in memory of Huskisson.

Newton has two historic railway stations. Newton-le-Willows railway station is situated in the old original part of town and like Earlestown railway station, was opened in 1830. Today, they are two of the oldest railway stations still in existence. Earlestown was an important junction where the original Manchester and Liverpool line was joined by the 1837 line running south to Birmingham. The town has also had three other railway stations, situated at Parkside, where the first fatal railway accident happened, at the Vulcan Village and one serving the old racecourse, closed when nearby Haydock Park Racecourse was opened.

Two other local railway related landmarks are Newton Viaduct, and the Sankey Viaduct which is locally known as "the Nine Arches". The town also had other industries, namely sugar refining, chemicals, glass, biscuit manufacturing machinery and coal mining. Parkside Colliery, opened in the 1960s with an expected lifespan of 100 years but closed in 1992. The colliery hit the national headlines due to demonstrations against its closure. The closure of Parkside marked an end to Lancashire's centuries old coal industry.