West Lancashire is a local government district in Lancashire, encompassing the towns of Ormskirk, Skelmersdale, and Burscough along with numerous villages within an area of agricultural land between Liverpool, Preston, and Southport. This diverse district features the market town of Ormskirk, the new town of Skelmersdale, and extensive agricultural areas including parts of the West Lancashire Coastal Plain. The climate is maritime with mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and typical Lancashire conditions, slightly drier than western areas due to rain shadow. Culturally, West Lancashire maintains strong identity with Ormskirk's historic market town character (famous for its market, its parish church with both tower and spire, and Edge Hill University), Skelmersdale's new town development (designated 1961, with its distinctive planning and ongoing regeneration), and Burscough's canal heritage (junction of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal). The area preserves important heritage including Lathom Park (remains of the great Lathom House, seat of the Earls of Derby), Rufford Old Hall (National Trust, 15th-century timber-framed hall), and Martin Mere Wetland Centre (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve on the site of a former mere). The district's villages feature traditional Lancashire character while the agricultural land supports farming including the famous Lancashire potato production. Edge Hill University contributes to Ormskirk's cultural life while Skelmersdale's new town layout includes extensive green space. Boundary GIS data for West Lancashire Borough Council is available for download in GeoJSON and KML formats, supporting market town preservation, new town regeneration, and wetland conservation at Martin Mere in this diverse Lancashire district.

📍 Administrative boundary of west lancashire local authority district

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