neighbouring areas
| Accrington | Carnforth | Morecambe | Todmorden |
| Ashton-under-Lyne | Chorley | Oldham | Wigan |
| Blackpool | Lancaster | Preston | |
| Bolton | Liverpool | Rossendale | |
| Bury | Manchester | Skelmersdale |
Leigh is 10 miles west of Greater Manchester with a population of about 45,000. In the 18th century Leigh had a thriving textile industry and there were at least a dozen mills in the town. In 1795, the Bridgewater Canal was extended from Worsley to the middle of Leigh, and in 1819 a branch was cut from the Leeds - Liverpool Canal in Wigan to meet the Bridgewater Canal at Leigh Bridge. In the latter half of the 19th century, coal became an important industry for Leigh and the largest employer of labour after the textile industry. In recent years, former collieries have been replaced with retail parks and with excellent facilities for athletics, rugby, business and leisure pursuits.
If you are looking for property for sale in Leigh and only require two or three bedrooms, you have a choice of charming terraced cottages and houses; contemporary, detached houses and bungalows; and new-build townhouses and maisonettes. Estate agents in Leigh also represent a few larger houses mostly situated on the fringes of town.
Purpose-built contemporary apartment houses are where most of the flats for sale in Leigh are located. For details of flats currently on the market, and for information regarding cottages, bungalows and houses, please contact Leigh estate agents.
Amenities for Leigh properties
Leigh Centurions is the local professional rugby team and Leigh RMI is a semi-professional football club. Leigh Harriers Athletic Club was founded in 1909 and is still going strong and Leigh also has its own cricket club. There are plenty of schools in Leigh for children of all ages, and Pennington Flash is a local country park with a lake and nature reserve that is ideal for walking, cycling and horse riding.
Transport in Leigh
The railway station in Atherton is a couple of miles north from Leigh and is on the Wigan - Manchester Victoria line. The station in Newton-le-Willows is about 4 miles south-west of Leigh and is on the Liverpool – Huddersfield line. By road, Leigh is just north of the A580 and 5 miles from both Junctions 4 and 5 of the M61.
Surrounding areas
While searching for property to buy or property to rent in Leigh, which is covered by postcode WN7, you may also like to consider Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Todmorden, and Accrington.
