St Helens to the east of Liverpool is famed for its glass production, where glass has been manufactured here since the 18th Century at Pilkington’s. Today the World of Glass exhibition celebrates the past, present and furture of the industry. The Pilkingtons factory works would draw water from The Hotties canal, the UK’s first modern canal linking it to the River Mersey, before emptying hot water back into it, creating huge clouds of steam, which could be seen across the town.

The town was named after the Chapel of St Elyn at nearby Prescot and houses many buildings of particular interest including the Friends Meeting House in Church Street, a stone building with mullioned windows and sundial, and the grand Town Hall of 1876.

St Helens is home to the Transport Museum, which boasts a collection of old buses, coaches, trams and lorries under one roof, as well as a great number of art galleries and museums.