Preston Cenotaph

The Battle of Preston (17–19 August 1648), fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory for the New Model Army under the command of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots Engagers commanded by the Duke of Hamilton. The Parliamentarian victory presaged the end of the Second English Civil War.

Preston ( ) is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding district obtained city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Preston has a population of 114,300, the City of Preston district 132,000 and the Preston Built-up Area 313,322. The Preston Travel To Work Area, in 2011, had a population of 420,661, compared with 354,000 in the previous census. Preston and its surrounding area have provided evidence of ancient Roman activity, largely in the form of a Roman road that led to a camp at Walton-le-Dale. The Angles established Preston; its name is derived from the Old English meaning "priest's settlement" and in the Domesday Book is recorded as "Prestune". In the Middle Ages, Preston was a parish and township in the hundred of Amounderness and was granted a Guild Merchant charter in 1179, giving it the status of a market town. Textiles have been produced since the mid-13th century when locally produced wool was woven in people's houses. Flemish weavers who settled in the area in the 14th century helped develop the industry. In the early-18th century, Edmund Calamy described Preston as "a pretty town with an abundance of gentry in it, commonly called Proud Preston". Sir Richard Arkwright, inventor of the spinning frame, was born in the town. The most rapid period of growth and development coincided with the industrialisation and expansion of textile manufacturing. Preston was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, becoming a densely populated engineering centre, with large industrial plants. The town's textile sector fell into terminal decline from the mid-20th century and Preston has subsequently faced similar challenges to other post-industrial northern towns, including deindustrialisation, economic deprivation and housing issues. Preston is the seat of Lancashire County Council, houses the main campus of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and is home to Preston North End F.C., a founder member of the Football League and the first English football champions. The demonym for residents of the city is "Prestonian".

Preston ( ), commonly known as the City of Preston, is a local government district with city status in Lancashire, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Ribble and has a population of 147,617 (2021). The neighbouring districts are Ribble Valley, South Ribble, Fylde and Wyre. The district is named after its largest settlement, Preston, which lies in the south of the district. The district also includes rural areas to the north of the main urban area, including part of the Forest of Bowland, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In 2002 the district was granted city status to mark the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II; prior to this it was known as the Borough of Preston, having held borough status since its creation in 1974.

The Sessions House is a courthouse in Harris Street, Preston, Lancashire, England. The courthouse, which continues to be used for judicial purposes as well as being used as administrative offices for His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, is a Grade II* listed building.

Preston Town Hall is a municipal building in Lancaster Road in Preston, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Preston City Council, is a Grade II listed building.

The Covered Market in Earl Street, Preston, Lancashire, England is a Grade II listed landmark structure built 1870-75. After three aborted attempts to start the project in the early 1800s, and a serious construction accident in 1870 that set back progress, the covered market was finished in 1875. Since then, new buildings have been added to the market and it has been modernized several times.

The Harris Museum is a Grade I-listed building in Preston, Lancashire, England. Founded by Edmund Harris in 1877, it is a local history and fine art museum.

Miller Arcade is a Grade II listed shopping centre in Preston, Lancashire, England. The building was opened in 1899 and is located in Preston's city centre and is Preston's first indoor shopping centre. The building is modelled on a much larger shopping centre, Burlington Arcade, London.

The Black Horse is a Grade II listed public house at 166 Friargate, Preston, Lancashire, England PR1 2EJ.It is on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. It is one of only 14 pubs to still have a ceramic bar counter. It still has many other historic features such as the ceramic fireplaces and wall tiles, a mosaic floor, stained glass and fixed seating. It was built in 1898, and the architect was J. A. Seward, for the Atlas Brewery Company of Manchester. and is currently owned by Robinsons Brewery.

Preston Guild Hall is an entertainment venue in Preston, Lancashire, England.

St George's Shopping Centre, formerly The Mall Preston and The Mall St George, is a shopping centre in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England.

Preston Crown Court, or more properly the Crown Court at Preston, is a criminal court on the Ring Way in Preston, Lancashire, England. The court is based on two sites in the city; Preston Combined Court Centre on Ringway and Sessions House on Lancaster Road. As a first tier court centre, the court deals with all types of cases that are heard in the Crown Court as well as being a trial centre for civil High Court cases; it is also a venue for the County Court where smaller civil cases and family cases are dealt with.