Welcome to the city of Preston! It is located on the north bank of the River Ribble. Historically, Preston was established by the Angles during the Roman activity in the country. However, it was during the industrial period that Preston saw its most rapid period of growth and development. It became a boomtown in the textile sector but more recently, shifted its industry to tertiary education and research. Preston's economy has boomed so significantly in recent years that it was named "most improved city in the UK" when it improved its 15% unemployment rate to 3.1%. It also gained improvement above the national average in health, transport, and the work-life balance for its residents as well as skills in the young adult and adult population.