Runcorn is an industrial town in Cheshire in England on the southern banks of the River Mersey at the site of the river's first bridge crossing. Runcorn can be considered as two separate towns, the 'old town' which grew up around the Bridgewater Canal and a large chemical complex, and the 'new town' which was built in the 1970s and 80s as part of the government's new and expanded towns development program. The town also has an ancient castle and priory, both of which were sacked.
The remains of the priory (Norton Priory) are the main tourist attraction of the town.
Runcorn is well served by roads (the M56 passes to the south of the town, and fast expressways run round and through the new town), railways (Runcorn station on the Liverpool to Crewe line and Runcorn East of the Chester to Warrington line) and is within 15 minutes drive of Liverpool Airport. It is connected to Widnes across the Mersey by a rail bridge. Road transport went by ferry until the 1890s when a transporter bridge was built. This was replaced in 1962 by a steel arched bridge resembling the Sydney Harbour Bridge - this has now become a notorious traffic bottleneck.
Buses in Runcorn use dedicated "busways", a rarity in the United Kingdom.
Runcorn has a large shopping centre (Shopping City) and has had some innovative design in housing and public buildings. However despite this, a large amount of industrial employment and a large amount of green space is not a popular place to live, possibly due to the proximity of chemical works.
