The Celtic tribe of Brigantes lived in the North of England before and during the Roman invasion of Britain and it is likely that they may have settled in Westhoughton.

About AD79, the Romans built a road from Manchester to Lancaster through Westhoughton and Blackrod. One of eight forts in Lancashire was situated at Blackrod.

Following the Conquest of 1066 the Normans sought to extend their authority to the whole of the country and the church and barons became key landowners.

Land Divisions were created in Lancashire in 1250 and in 1272 the Lostock and Westhoughton boundaries were agreed, 12 Liege men being appointed by the Canons of Cockersand Abbey.

1315 was the date of the Banastre rebellion when supports of Sir Adam Banastre met at Wingates and took an oath to live and die together.

Around 1337, the first Flemish Clothiers settled in Bolton.  Flemish weavers introduced wooden shoes (clogs) and jannock bread (made from oatmeal). To induce these refugees to settle in England, it was promised “that their beds be good and their bedfellows better”, seeing that the yeomen in England would not disdain to marry their daughters to them!

St Bartholomew’s Chapel is known to have existed in 1509 but there was a great upheaval in 1536 with the dissolution of the monasteries.

In 1539 there was known to be a windmill at Snydle and a year later, 1540, the first coal was mined in Westhoughton, an industry which was to flourish and later survive for nearly 400 years