Historically a part of Lancashire, Halliwell once formed an autonomous township in the ancient parish of Deane.[2] Traces of this ancient history still remain. Boundary Street marks the old boundary between Halliwell and the parish of Bolton le Moors, and a modern wall along Gladstone Street also marks this former boundary.[3] The old building on Halliwell Road, much modernised, at the end of the wall, is the former toll house.
Halliwell derives its name from the holy well, an ancient spring which used to exist at the northern end of the township off Smithills Croft Road.[4] In Old English it was recorded as halig wella (i.e. holy well). Over the centuries the name has been spelled as Haliwalle (1220), Haliwell (1243), Harywal (1273), and Halewell (1277–8). In Deane Parish Church registers it was spelled Halliwoe and Hollowell.[5][6]
The parish church of St Peter's was consecrated in 1840.[7]
Halliwell had a football team, Halliwell F.C., who were one of the strongest teams in the area. They played at a ground known as Holy Harbour which is now buried under modern housing between Arnold Street, Hughes Street and Cloister Street. The houses are social housing and the landlord is Irwell Valley, they were built in 1998 / 1998. The two new builds on the Holy Harbour land are known as Rusheylea Close and Newlea Close.
