[4] Ley (also lēah or leigh) is a common element of place-name, meaning a clearing in a woodland; ċeorl refers to a person of status similar to a freeman or a yeoman.

[5] There are various remains of prehistoric occupation on the nearby Anglezarke Moor, including the Round Loaf tumulus which is believed to date from 3500 BC.

[8] Chorley first appears in historical records in the mid thirteenth century as part of the portion of the Croston Lordship acquired by William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, around 1250.

[9] The Earl established Chorley as a small borough comprising a two-row settlement arranged along what later became Market Street.

[10] It is most likely that the borough was sacked by the Scots during the Great Raid of 1322, with Chorley being one of the southernmost points reached in Northern England.

The manorial history of Chorley is complex as the manor had no single lord throughout most of this period, as it had been split into moieties and was managed by several different families.

Very little is known of Chorley Hall, although according to what the painter John Bird painted in 1795, its location to where it once stood is said to have been where The Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary School now stands, with phantom steps near to the school within Astley Park being the only physical clue to the hall's existence.

[9][11] It is believed the borough of Chorley was not a success in this period because of the lack of manorial leadership and the dispersed nature of the small population.

[9][11] It is believed that the church is named after Saint Laurence, an Irish saint who died in Normandy in the 12th century, whose bones were conveyed to the church by local noble Sir Rowland Standish[12] Duxbury,[13] an ancestor of Myles Standish (an English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military adviser for their Plymouth expedition to the New World).

[citation needed] As happened in many other instances following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, these relics went missing in the turmoil of the English Reformation under the rule of Henry VIII.

Chisnall Hall Colliery at Coppull was considered the biggest Lancashire pit outside of Wigan and one of many located in the Chorley suburb.

The name of the River Chor was back-formed from Chorley and runs not far from the centre of the town, notably through Astley Park.

A large factory on Pilling Lane produced, including military vehicles and tanks during the Second World War.

The initiative offers red carpet introductions to key people in the town, financial incentives and tailored support for business growth.

There was also the Heath Charnock isolation hospital on Hut Lane which dealt with infectious diseases before reverting to use for long term patients, before closing in the 1990s.

[40] TransPennine Express services, which operate from Manchester Airport to Glasgow or Edinburgh, pass through the station but do not stop.

Since then they have had limited success, with their most memorable moments being two appearances in the second round of the FA Cup and two seasons in the Football Conference in the late 1980s.

Founded in the year 2000, the Bucs now have eight competitive teams and over 120 players competing in the BAFA National Leagues structure.

[citation needed] Chorley RUFC was founded in the early 1970s and initially their matches were on played on fields at Astley Park.

Since there was no club house in the early days the team played from the Prince of Wales pub, near the town's covered market.

Work started on a new clubhouse on 22 March 1984 [citation needed], on an area of land off Chancery Road, situated on the edge of the freshly constructed Astley Village Estate.

The club currently run two senior sides and a mini section, the 1st XV playing in the RFU North Lancs 2 division.

The club was forced to close in 2004, due to small crowds and the withdrawal of funding by backer Trevor Hemmings.

The only rugby league side currently active who are situated in Chorley is amateur side Chorley panthers Chorley is home to track cyclists including Olympic gold medal winners Jason Queally and Bradley Wiggins, and Paralympic silver medallist Rik Waddon, due in part to the proximity of the town to the Manchester Velodrome; it is also the home town of Paralympic gold medallist Natalie Jones.

The council owned leisure centre contains a swimming pool, sports hall, squash courts and a small fitness suite.

The borough also includes other gym facilities, two other council-owned leisure centres (at Clayton Green and Coppull) and another public swimming pool at Brinscall.

Duxbury Park municipal golf course is 1 mile (2 km) south of Chorley town centre.

The club caters to both leisure and racing members and runs regular training and social rides on local roads.

As well as Phoenix Nights, comedian Dave Spikey based his comedy series Dead Man Weds in, and filmed most of it in, Chorley.