Chorley is situated on the A6 between the M6 and M61 about 10 miles to the south of Preston and to the north west of Bolton between the hills of the West Pennine moorland and the coastal plain of Southport.
The town is probably best known for its market. Chorley 's market charter dates to 1498 but experts believe the town it is older than that. There are two markets - the covered market (open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) and the open Flat Iron (on Tuesday only). How the Flat Iron gets its name we do not know but the variety of goods offered for sale is wide and ever changing - a reason why it is visited by people from near and far.