{{Short description|Village in Cheshire, England}} {{distinguish|Preston Brooks}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}} {{Use British English|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox UK place |country= England |coordinates = {{coord|53.318|-2.654|display=inline,title}} |official_name= Preston Brook |static_image_name= The Bridgewater Canal, Preston Brook, looking north - geograph.org.uk - 6854415.jpg |static_image_caption= Homes on the canal in Preston Brook |population = 7,148 |population_ref = |civil_parish = Preston Brook |unitary_england= Halton |lieutenancy_england= Cheshire |region= North West England |constituency_westminster= Runcorn and Helsby |post_town= RUNCORN |postcode_district= WA7 |postcode_area= WA |dial_code= 01928 |os_grid_reference= SJ5881 }} <!-- start of article --> '''Preston Brook''' is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England. It is situated in the borough of Halton and is bordered by the M56 motorway to the north, Dutton to the east, and Runcorn to the south and west.
==Overview== The village was formerly bordered to the east by the village of Preston on the Hill, which is now part of Preston Brook. The Bridgewater Canal runs from Manchester through Preston Brook, where it divides into two branches; one branch leads to Runcorn, where it used to join the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey before that, while the second branch joins the Trent and Mersey Canal at the Preston Brook canal tunnel. Due to the Bridgewater Canal's dominance, many residents live on or own boathouses.
Preston Brook houses the Abbots Park industrial estate, which was formerly used by ScottishPower and is now used by Capita, DHL, FirstGroup, Mammoet, Marks & Spencer, O2, Rotex Global, Tesco Mobile, and Wincanton Logistics. The community has a website and bi-monthly newsletter.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prestonbrookparishcouncil.gov.uk/preston-brook-village-news.html |title=Preston Brook Village Newsletter |publisher=Preston Brook Parish Council |access-date=20 September 2018}}</ref> It is home to {{nowrap|E-scape,}} the UK's first dedicated {{nowrap|off-roading}} track for electric vehicles. It is in the constituency of Runcorn and Helsby, which has been represented by Sarah Pochin of Reform UK since the 2025 Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
==Demographics== The population was 7,148 at the 2021 Census,<ref name="2021census">https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report</ref> up from 809 in 2011.<ref name="2011 Census">{{NOMIS2011|id=E04000316|title=Preston Brook Parish|accessdate=26 May 2020}}</ref> 96.2% of the population was recorded as White and the remaining percentage was split between mixed or multiple ethnic groups (1.9%); Asian, Asian British, or Asian Welsh (1%); other (0.6%); and Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean, or African (0.2%).<ref name="2021census" /> 52.9% of the population was recorded as Christian and 41.3% declared no religion whilst 4.5% declined to answer, with the remaining percentage split between 0.7% Muslim, 0.3% other, 0.2% Hindu, and 0.1% Buddhist, in addition to two Sikhs and one Jew.<ref name="2021census" />
Approximately 2,860 people were employed in the area as of 2021, with the most prevalent careers being in retail and motor repair (17.3%), human health and social work (16.7%), manufacturing (10.2%), transport and storage (7.9%), and administrative work (6.4%).<ref name="2021census" /> 51.1% of the population drove to work whilst 24.2% worked mainly from home, with 7.6% walking to work and 7.1% taking public transport.<ref name="2021census" /> Of the population aged 16 years and over, 25.2% had no qualifications and 19% had Level 4 qualifications{{efn|Corresponding to the first year of a bachelor's degree.}} or above whilst 18% had Level 3 qualifications{{efn|Corresponding to A-Levels.}} or above.<ref name="2021census" /> 15.1% of the population was recorded as being considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010.<ref name="2021census" />
==Gallery== <gallery perrow="8"> File:Barker's Hollow Road - geograph.org.uk - 4802423.jpg|Barker's Hollow Road File:Bridgewater canal towards Preston Brook Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 7103008.jpg|Homes and houseboats on the canal File:The Bridgewater Canal, north of Preston Brook tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 6854428.jpg|Further up the canal File:Canalside housing at Preston Brook, Cheshire - geograph.org.uk - 2672891.jpg|Homes on the canal File:Book share at Preston Brook - geograph.org.uk - 7103040.jpg|A free bookshare in Preston Brook File:Chester Road roundabout and industrial estate - geograph.org.uk - 3211454.jpg|Abbots Park industrial estate File:E-scape, the UK's first dedicated electric off road riding centre - geograph.org.uk - 5353276.jpg|Children riding {{nowrap|e-motorbikes}} at {{nowrap|E-scape}} File:The Tunnel Top public house at Dutton - geograph.org.uk - 4266780.jpg|The Tunnel Top pub </gallery>
==See also== *Listed buildings in Preston Brook
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{commons category|Preston Brook}} {{Cheshire, Borough of Halton}} {{Cheshire}}
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Category:Villages in Cheshire Category:Civil parishes in Cheshire Category:Borough of Halton Category:Trent and Mersey Canal