Halton is a borough in North West England, administered as a unitary authority. It was created in 1974 as a district of Cheshire, and became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998. Halton dates back to the 12th century (and beyond) when land on both sides of the river belonged to the Barony of Halton. Now its major towns are Widnes and Runcorn. The area borders Merseyside, Warrington and the shire county of Cheshire. The borough straddles the River Mersey — the area to the north (including Widnes) is historically part of Lancashire, that to the south, Cheshire.