WEST LANCASHIRE

district, administrative and historic county of Lancashire, northwestern England, north of the city of Liverpool. West Lancashire is separated from the Irish Sea by the narrow coastal strip of Sefton except in the north at the mouth of the River Ribble. The district is essentially a low-lying coastal plain, much of it reclaimed marshland, although marshes in the extreme north have not been drained. Its proximity to large urban centres encourages intensive market gardening of the rich peat soils. At higher elevations in the southeast near Skelmersdale, glacial moraines are found. Ormskirk, the administrative and agricultural centre, in the southwest, preserves much of its medieval market town character. Its street market is said to date back 700 years. A brass foundry and confectionery are in Ormskirk. Skelmersdale, the other centre, has experienced industrial relocation and town development and expansion since being designated a new town in 1961. The Rufford Old Hall in the small town of Rufford is a fine example of a late medieval timber-framed building. Area 134 square miles (347 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) 111,200.