It is now split between the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, and the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside, both within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.
An area of this size would have encompassed most of the land bordered by present-day Warrington, Wigan, and Leigh townships.
The western part of Wigan borough constitutes the Makerfield parliamentary constituency.
The name Makerfield may be the same place as Maserfelth recorded by Bede,[1] the site of a battle in 642 AD at which King Penda of Mercia defeated and killed King Oswald of Northumbria.
The name may derive from Brittonic *magẹ:r , meaning "a wall" (adopted from Latin māceria > Welsh magwyr, Breton moger; compare Magor, Wales).