Wallasey () is a town within the
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in
Merseyside
Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan county, metropolitan and ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England, 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Merse ...
, England; until 1974, it was part of the
historic county of
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
. It is situated at the mouth of the
River Mersey
The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...
, at the north-eastern corner of the
Wirral Peninsula. At the
2011 Census, the population was 60,284.
History
Toponymy
The name of Wallasey originates from the
Germanic word ''
Walh
''Walhaz'' is a reconstructed Proto-Germanic word meaning 'foreigner', or more specifically 'Roman', 'Romance-speaker' or '(romanized) Celt', and survives in English as 'Welsh'. The term was used by the ancient Germanic peoples to describe inha ...
a'', meaning a Briton, a Welshman, which is also the origin of the name
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. The suffix “''-ey''” denotes an island or area of dry land. Originally the higher ground now occupied by Wallasey was separated from the rest of Wirral by the creek known as
Wallasey Pool (which later became the docks), the marshy areas of
Bidston Moss and
Leasowe, and sand dunes along the coast.
Early history
![Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside, England-14Sept2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Wallasey%2C_Wirral%2C_Merseyside%2C_England-14Sept2013.jpg)
Within the boundaries of the
historic county of
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
, the area was sparsely populated before the 19th century.
Horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
s organised for the
Earls of Derby on the sands at Leasowe in the 16th and 17th centuries are regarded as forerunners of the modern
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
.
Old maps show that the main centre and parish church (
St Hilary's) were located at what is now called
Wallasey Village, and there were smaller hamlets at
Liscard,
Poulton and
Seacombe, from where there were occasional
ferries across the Mersey. There was also a mill (at Mill Lane), and from the mid-18th century a
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
store or
magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
at Rock Point, located well away from the built-up areas.
![St Hilary's Church, Wallasey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/St_Hilary%27s_Church%2C_Wallasey.jpg)
The main activities in the area were farming and fishing. The area also had a reputation for
smuggling
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
and “
wrecking”, the act of luring ships onto rocks or sandbanks with false lights in order to raid their cargo. Underground cellars and tunnels, which were used to hide cargo pilfered from wrecked ships still exist in the town. As late as 1839, the “Pennsylvania” and two other ships were wrecked off Leasowe in a severe storm, and their cargoes and furnishings were later found distributed among local residents.
Early 19th-century development
By the early 19th century, the shoreline between Seacombe and Rock Point started to become an attractive area to which affluent
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
merchants and
sea captain
A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel.Aragon and Messner, 2001, p.3. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficie ...
s could retire. Development at
Egremont began around this time, and gained pace with the introduction of steam ferries across the river. The area also had a defensive role overlooking the growing
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the enclosed Dock (maritime), dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, Merseyside, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Great Float, Birkenhead Docks between ...
. In 1829,
Fort Perch Rock
Fort Perch Rock is a former defence installation situated at the mouth of Liverpool Bay in New Brighton. Built in the 1820s to defend the Port of Liverpool, its function has changed from defensive, to tourist attraction and museum. It has bee ...
was built, and in 1858
Liscard Battery
Liscard is an area of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The most centrally located of Wallasey's townships, it is the main shopping area of the town, with many shops located in the Cherry Tree Sho ...
.
In 1835 Liscard Hall was built by another merchant,
Sir John Tobin
Sir John Tobin (1763–1851) was a Manx merchant based in Liverpool. He was a merchant seaman who became a sea captain, making voyages both as a slave trader and as a privateer against French shipping. He was Mayor of Liverpool in 1819–1820. In ...
. Its grounds later became Central Park. His family also developed a “model farm” nearby.
![East Float Dock, Wallasey - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/East_Float_Dock%2C_Wallasey_-_geograph.org.uk_-_335724.jpg)
With the expansion of trade on the Mersey, new docks were constructed between 1842 and 1847 in the Wallasey Pool, and by 1877 the dock system between Wallasey and neighbouring
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
was largely complete. The area around the docks became a centre for
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
industries, many associated with
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
, and other activities including
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
refining and the manufacture of
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mix ...
and
fertilisers
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
.
Bidston Dock
Bidston Dock was a Dock (maritime), dock at Birkenhead, in England. It was situated to the west of the Great Float, between Bidston and Poulton, Merseyside, Poulton.
History
A proposal for the construction of the dock on most of what remained ...
, the last in the area, was opened in 1933, but was filled in during 2003.
Later growth and the 20th century
During the latter half of the 19th century New Brighton developed as a popular seaside resort serving
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
and the
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
industrial towns, and many of the large houses were converted to inexpensive hotels. A pier was opened in the 1860s, and the promenade from Seacombe to New Brighton was built in the 1890s. This served both as a recreational amenity in its own right, and to link up the developments along the estuary, and was later extended westwards towards Leasowe. The
New Brighton Tower, the tallest in the country, was opened in 1900 but closed in 1919 and dismantled shortly afterwards. However, its ballroom continued as a major venue, hosting numerous concerts in the 1950s and 1960s by local Liverpool bands as well as other international stars.
After 1886, with the opening of the
Mersey Railway
The Mersey Railway was the first part of the passenger railway connecting the communities of Liverpool, Birkenhead, and now the rest of the Wirral Peninsula in England, which lie on opposite banks of the River Mersey, via the Mersey Railway Tun ...
allowing access via a tunnel to Liverpool, the pace of housing development increased, particularly in the Liscard and Wallasey Village areas. The area now called Wallasey comprises several distinct districts which gradually merged to form a single built-up area during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Further growth continued well into the 20th century and eventually spread into the Leasowe area and beyond to
Moreton.
The UK's first
guide dog training school,
the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, was founded in the town in 1931. A statue sits outside the
Floral Pavilion Theatre to celebrate this.
The Wallasey Golf Club is where club member, Dr Frank Stableford, developed the
Stableford
Stableford is a scoring system used in the sport of golf. Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in stroke play, it involves scoring points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole. Unlike traditional scoring methods, ...
system of points scoring. This was first used in competition in 1932.
Because of its docks and proximity to Liverpool, parts of the area suffered aerial bombing in 1940–41. After the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the popularity of New Brighton as a seaside resort declined dramatically, as did the use of the docks, and Wallasey gradually became more obviously a residential suburb for
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
,
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
and the other towns in the area.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
played some of their first shows outside Liverpool at the Grosvenor Ballroom in Liscard in 1960, and over the next few years also played several times at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton. On 12 October 1962, they played there as the support act for
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
. Wallasey was also the home base of two other leading
Merseybeat
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music genre that developed, particularly in and around Liverpool, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from American rock and roll, rhythm and blues, skiffle ...
groups,
the Undertakers featuring
Jackie Lomax, and the
Pressmen featuring Ritchie Prescott and
Phil Kenzie
Phil Kenzie is a British multi-saxophone player and rock and roll musician. He has been voted by fans as "one of the greatest rock 'n' roll sax players of all time." who later became a successful saxophone soloist.
The world's first passenger
hovercraft
A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious Craft (vehicle), craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces.
Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull ...
service operated from July 1962 to September 1962 between Leasowe and
Rhyl in
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
. Local MP
Ernest Marples was responsible as
Minister of Transport (1959–64) for introducing
parking meter
A parking meter is a device used to collect money in exchange for the right to park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time. Parking meters can be used by municipalities as a tool for enforcing their integrated on-street par ...
s, yellow lines and seat belt controls to the UK.
The "Solar Campus" on
Leasowe Road was the first building in the world to be heated entirely by
solar energy
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...
. It was formerly St George's Secondary School, and was built in 1961 to the designs of Emslie Morgan. The solar panels on this establishment have since been removed due to high costs and has been renamed.
Wallasey was struck by
an F1/T3 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.
Civic history
![County Borough of Wallasey, Cheshire (1970)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/County_Borough_of_Wallasey%2C_Cheshire_%281970%29.svg)
Wallasey became a
County Borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent ter ...
in 1913, and its
town hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
was officially opened in November 1920. The borough boundaries expanded to include Moreton and
Saughall Massie in 1928.
The County Borough of Wallasey was incorporated into the
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral on 1 April 1974. The town is contained in the parliamentary constituency of
Wallasey
Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Pe ...
, which has been held since the
1992 general election by
Angela Eagle
Dame Angela Eagle DBE (born 17 February 1961) is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wallasey since 1992. Eagle was born in Yorkshire and studied PPE at the University of Oxford, before working for t ...
of the
Labour Party.
Geography
Wallasey is situated at the north-east of the Wirral Peninsula, on the western side of the
River Mersey
The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...
and adjoining the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
. The area is approximately east-north-east of the
Dee Estuary
The Dee Estuary ( cy, Aber Dyfrdwy) is a large estuary by means of which the River Dee flows into Liverpool Bay. The estuary starts near Shotton after a five-mile (8 km) 'canalised' section and the river soon swells to be several miles ...
at
Hoylake
Hoylake is a coast, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee, Wales, River Dee meets the Irish Sea. Historic counties of En ...
. Wallasey is at an elevation of between above sea level, with the highest point being around
St Peter and St Paul's Church in New Brighton.
The area now called Wallasey comprises several distinct districts - Egremont, Liscard, New Brighton, Poulton, Seacombe and Wallasey Village. These gradually merged to form a single built-up area during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Unlike in most other towns, there is no single Wallasey town centre, although the main shopping area is centrally located at Liscard. Both the parliamentary constituency and the former County Borough of Wallasey also include (or included)
Leasowe,
Moreton and
Saughall Massie, which are now usually regarded as separate settlements.
The town forms part of the wider
Birkenhead Urban Area
The Birkenhead Built-up area is an urban area in England, which covers the towns of Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington and Ellesmere Port in both Merseyside and Cheshire. It is defined for certain statistical purposes by NOMIS (National Online Manpow ...
, which in 2011 had a population of 325,000.
Liscard
![Liscard Hall, Central Park-by-Sue-Adair](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Liscard_Hall%2C_Central_Park-by-Sue-Adair.jpg)
This contains the main shopping area, with the covered Cherry Tree precinct and an extensive shopping parade outside. Central Park, originally the grounds of Liscard Hall, is the largest park in the town. Much of the area is residential and contains mainly high-density semi-detached housing with some terraces. The gatehouse of the old Liscard Battery remains.
Liscard Hall was destroyed by a fire on 7 July 2008. The damage was so severe, the whole building had to be demolished.
Wallasey Village
Wallasey Village has a mixture of mostly 20th century semi-detached and detached housing, a shopping street, with a floral roundabout in the centre.
St Hilary's Church is an ancient foundation; the old tower is all that remains of a 1530 church building which burned down in 1857. There are two
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s,
Wallasey Village and
Wallasey Grove Road. At the north end of Wallasey Village, the main street leads to the promenade and coastal park, and two golf courses. The promenade passes here, running from the 'Gunsite' around to Seacombe, a total of over .
New Brighton
![New Brighton Lighthouse 1243656](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/New_Brighton_Lighthouse_1243656.jpg)
New Brighton was a popular seaside resort after the mid-19th century, but declined in popularity after the 1950s. Nevertheless, the marine promenade is part of a walkway and the areas near the sea offer a much improved beach and many leisure activities. The Floral Pavilion plays host to regular productions and national stars such as
Ken Dodd, and
Vale Park is a public park. Housing here ranges from large villas near the sea to suburban semi-detached homes, and some terraces in parts of the area. New Brighton is served by a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
of the same name.
Poulton
Poulton was originally a small fishing and farming hamlet beside the Wallasey Pool (hence its name). It developed with the growth of the docks, mainly as an industrial and terraced housing area.
Egremont
Egremont developed as an affluent residential area in the early 19th century, and was named by one Captain Askew who built a house in the area in 1835 and named it after his
Cumberland birthplace.
Seacombe
Seacombe, the most southeasterly section of Wallasey, is best known for its
Mersey Ferry terminal, with regular ferry boat departures to
Pier Head in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
and
Woodside
Woodside may refer to:
Places and buildings Australia
*Woodside, South Australia, a town
*Woodside, Victoria, a town
Canada
*Woodside National Historic Site, the boyhood home of William Lyon Mackenzie King
*Woodside, Nova Scotia, a neighborho ...
in Birkenhead. There is a commuter ferry service direct to Liverpool during peak hours, while for the rest of the day the ferries are geared to serving tourists with a circular cruise visiting Birkenhead Woodside ferry terminal as well. Seacombe is the last remaining of the three ferry terminals which used to connect the Borough of Wallasey, the others being Egremont Ferry and the New Brighton Ferry, which operated from its own pier, running parallel to the New Brighton pleasure pier. Seacombe Ferry is also the starting point of a four-mile unbroken promenade, mostly traffic-free, running alongside the River Mersey to Harrison Drive beyond New Brighton.
Local landmarks are
St Paul's Church, standing on its own traffic island, and the ventilation tower for the
Kingsway Tunnel
The Kingsway Tunnel (or Wallasey Tunnel) is a toll road tunnel under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. The tunnel carries the A59. It was built because the Queensway Tunnel – which was built in the 1930s to carry vehicles b ...
with its mighty extraction fans. As with Poulton, the area developed with housing for the dockworkers and nearby industries, and much of the housing is owned by Magenta Housing or are terraced. The Guinea Gap swimming baths are located between Seacombe and Egremont.
Education
When compared to the national average, the schools of Wallasey slightly underperform on GCSE results. However they are above the national average on A Level results.
Primary schools
*Egremont Primary School
*Greenleas Primary School
*Kingsway Primary School
*Liscard Primary School
*Mount Primary School
*New Brighton Primary School
*Park Primary School
*Riverside Primary School
*St Albans Catholic Primary School
*St George's Primary School
*St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
*Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School
*Somerville Primary School
Secondary schools
*
The Kingsway Academy
The Kingsway Academy (formerly Wallasey School) was a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Leasowe in the English county of Merseyside.
Wallasey Grammar School in the Wirral area was first constructed on St George's Road. A ...
(in
Leasowe)
*
The Mosslands School
, motto_translation = Through Knowledge to Better Things
, established = 1956
, type = Community school
, religion = Any
, president =
, head_label =
, head = Adrian Whiteley
, chair_label =
, chair ...
*
The Oldershaw Academy
Oldershaw Academy is a secondary school located in the Liscard area of Wallasey, England, and is a specialist Business and Enterprise College.
History
Grammar school
Dr. John Oldershaw founded the school in 1920, and it opened on 11 Septemb ...
*
St Mary's Catholic College
*
Weatherhead High School
Weatherhead High School is a single sex girls' academy school with mixed Sixth Form, located in Merseyside, England in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. In 2003, the school relocated from three separate sites around the Wallasey area to a ne ...
*St Georges Secondary Modern School
Voluntary aided schools
*St Alban's Catholic Primary School
*St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
*Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School
*
St Mary's Catholic College
Transport
Road
* The
Kingsway Tunnel
The Kingsway Tunnel (or Wallasey Tunnel) is a toll road tunnel under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. The tunnel carries the A59. It was built because the Queensway Tunnel – which was built in the 1930s to carry vehicles b ...
was opened by
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
when it was completed in 1971. Its roadway route via Poulton leads to its entrance in Seacombe, which links Wallasey with the centre of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. It was featured in the film ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1''.
* The
M53 motorway begins in Poulton; it leads south through the centre of the Wirral Peninsula to
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
and into the
M56 motorway
The M56 motorway, also known as the North Cheshire motorway, serves the Cheshire and Greater Manchester areas of England. It runs east to west from junction 4 of the M60 at Gatley, south of Manchester, to Dunkirk, approximately north of Chester ...
, which continues to
Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2019, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passenger numbers and the busiest of those n ...
.
* The North Wallasey Approach Road begins in Wallasey Village and ends in
Bidston
Bidston is a village, a parish and a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, in the modern county of Merseyside. The area is a mixture of the well-preserved Bidston Village, Bidston Hill, a modern housing estate, and the Bidston Moss nat ...
at junction 1 of the M53.
* Leasowe Road gives access to Leasowe and Moreton to the west, and to Wallasey Village to the east.
Railway
The town has three
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s:
Wallasey Village,
Wallasey Grove Road and
New Brighton. Electric trains to Liverpool and Birkenhead generally depart every 15 minutes; this reduces to every 30 minutes during late evenings and on Sundays. Grove Road station has a large car park with over 160 spaces.
Bus
Until 1969, Wallasey had its own corporation bus service; from this date, the operation was taken over by
Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive
Merseytravel is the passenger transport executive, responsible for the coordination of public transport in the Liverpool City Region in North West England. Merseytravel was established on 1 December 1969 as the Merseyside Passenger Transport ...
. The Wallasey bus service was relatively constrained within the borough boundaries and had two distinctive features. One was the unusual livery, which appeared to be two shades of yellow (officially it was "sea green" and rich cream, but it always looked yellow and the service was generally known as the "yellow buses"). Secondly the services mostly radiated from Seacombe Ferry terminal across the borough and bus departures coincided with the arrival of the ferry. Vehicles were lined up facing outwards from the kerb and, every 10–15 minutes, the passengers (several hundreds at peak hours) would arrive from the ferry boat. When all had boarded their respective routes, the inspector in charge would blow a whistle and there would be an amazing
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
-style start with up to fifteen
double-decker buses, including racing engines, close manoeuvring and competitive gestures between the crews for the first few hundred yards until the routes gradually diverged across the borough.
Now, regular bus services (
Arriva North West routes 432 and 433) depart Liscard every 10 minutes and travel via the Kingsway Tunnel to Liverpool. In addition, there are several services which link the districts of Wallasey and nearby towns such as Birkenhead, Leasowe and Moreton.
Notable people
The following people were from Wallasey:
*
Fortunatus Wright (1712–1757),
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
*
Annie Higdon
Annie Catherine "Kitty" Higdon (''née'' Schollick; 30 December 1864 – 24 April 1946) was a British schoolmistress. She and her husband, Tom, were at the centre of the 25-year long Burston School Strike. Their battle with authority is celebrate ...
(1864-1946) Schoolteacher and social activist
*
Samuel John "Lamorna" Birch (1869–1955), painter
*
Hetty King
Winifred Emms (4 April 1883 – 28 September 1972), best known by her stage name Hetty King, was an English entertainer who performed in the music halls as a male impersonator over some 70 years.
Early life
She was born in New Brighton, Ches ...
(1883–1972),
music hall
Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...
performer
*
Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950), science fiction writer and philosopher
*
Aeneas Francon Williams
Aeneas Francon Williams, FRSGS (17 February 1886 – 9 December 1971) was a Minister of the Church of Scotland, a Missionary, Chaplain, writer and a poet. Williams was a missionary in the Eastern Himalayas and China and writer of many publishe ...
, FRSGS (1886 – 1971), Minister of the Church of Scotland, Missionary, Chaplain, writer, poet
*
Walter McLennan Citrine, Baron Citrine, GBE, PC (1887–1983), trade unionist and politician
*
Saunders Lewis
Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis) (15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist, supporter of Welsh independence and was a co-found ...
(1893–1985), Welsh nationalist politician and writer
*
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Sir Miles Dempsey (1896–1969), commander of the
British Second Army during the
D-Day landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
*
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
Bill Tilman
Major Harold William Tilman, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar, (14 February 1898 – November 1977) was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages.
Early years and Africa
Bill Tilman was born on 14 Feb ...
, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar (1898–1977), mountaineer and explorer
*
Maxwell Fry
Edwin Maxwell Fry, CBE, RA, FRIBA, FRTPI, known as Maxwell Fry (2 August 1899 – 3 September 1987), was an English modernist architect, writer and painter.
Originally trained in the neo-classical style of architecture, Fry grew to favour the n ...
, (1899–1987), modernist architect
*
Sidonie Goossens
Annie Sidonie Goossens OBE (19 October 1899 – 15 December 2004) was one of Britain's most enduring harpists. She made her professional debut in 1921, was a founder member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and went on to play for more than half ...
(1899–2004),
harpist
*
Wilfrid Lowry
Wilfrid Malbon Lowry (; 14 July 1900, Wallasey – 4 July 1974, Heswall) was a rugby union wing who played for Birkenhead Park FC and for England in 1920.
Personal life
Lowry was born on Sandrock Road, in Wallasey and grew up in New Brighton, ...
(1900–1974),
Birkenhead Park FC and England
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player
*
John Baker John Baker or Jon Baker may refer to:
Military figures
*John Baker (American Revolutionary War) (1731–1787), American Revolutionary War hero, for whom Baker County, Georgia was named
*John Baker (RAF officer) (1897–1978), British air marshal
...
(1901–1985), structural engineer and inventor of the
Morrison indoor shelter
*
Donald McMorran (1904–1965), New Classical architect
*
Frank Doel
Frank Percy Doel (14 July 1908 – 22 December 1968) was a British antiquarian bookseller for Marks & Co in London who achieved posthumous fame as the recipient of a series of humorous letters from American author Helene Hanff, to which he scrupu ...
(1908–1968), bookseller in London, whose story is told in ''
84 Charing Cross Road
''84, Charing Cross Road'' is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play, and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, locate ...
''
*
Malcolm Lowry
Clarence Malcolm Lowry (; 28 July 1909 – 26 June 1957) was an English poet and novelist who is best known for his 1947 novel ''Under the Volcano'', which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list. (1909–1957), writer (''
Under the Volcano
''Under the Volcano'' is a novel by English writer Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957) published in 1947. The novel tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British consul in the Mexican city of Quauhnahuac, on the Day of the Dead in November ...
'')
*
Fred Perry (1909-1995), Wimbledon tennis champion
*
Charles Crichton (1910–1999), film director (''
The Lavender Hill Mob'', ''
A Fish Called Wanda
''A Fish Called Wanda'' is a 1988 heist comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and written by Crichton and John Cleese. It stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. The film follows a gang of diamond thieves who double- ...
'')
*
Leslie Graham (1911–1953), world champion motorcycle racer
*
Brian Reece
Brian Reece (24 July 1913 – 12 April 1962) was an English actor.
Biography
Born in Wallasey, Cheshire, he starred as the eponymous policeman in the BBC radio series ''The Adventures of PC 49'' (1947–1953). His films include '' Orders Are ...
(1913–1962), actor
*
Deryck Guyler
Deryck Bower Guyler (29 April 1914 – 7 October 1999) was an English actor, best remembered for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as ''Please Sir!'' and ''Sykes''.
Early life
Guyler was born in Wallas ...
(1914–1999), actor and comedian
*
Frances Macdonald (1914-2002), painter
*
Mabel Esther Allan
Mabel Esther Allan (11 February 1915 – 14 May 1998) was a British author of about 170 children's books.
Biography
Mabel Esther Allan was born at Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula, then in Cheshire (now Merseyside). She decided to be a ...
(1915–1998), children's author
*
John Mungo-Park (1918–1941), wartime flying ace
*
Raymond Moore, (1920–1987), photographer
*
Graham Stark (1922–2013), actor
*
Victor Tindall
Victor Ronald Tindall (1 August 1928 – 11 June 2010) was an English rugby union international, obstetrician and gynaecologist.
He was born in Kingsclere, Hampshire, but moved to Cheshire where he attended Wallasey Grammar School. He was a ...
(1928-2010), England rugby player
*
Dickie Davies
Richard John Davies (born 30 April 1933) is a retired British television sports presenter, who anchored '' World of Sport'' from 1968 until 1985.
Early life
Davies attended Oldershaw Grammar School after passing his eleven-plus; he then did ...
(b 1933), TV sports journalist and presenter
*
Rita Hunter
Rita Hunter (15 August 193329 April 2001) was a British operatic dramatic soprano.
Biography
Rita Hunter was born in Wallasey, Merseyside and lived in Limekiln Lane. During her childhood, her parents, both fans of music hall, would take Rita ...
CBE (1933–2001), opera singer
*
Ralph Steadman (b 1936), artist and cartoonist
*
Ann Bell (b 1938), actress
* Brian Jones (b 1940), saxophonist with
The Undertakers
*
Eric Idle
Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...
(b 1943),
Monty Python
Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...
legend
*
Peter Benson (1943-2018), actor
*
Geoffrey Hughes (1944-2012), actor
*
Jackie Lomax (1944-2013), singer-songwriter
* Warren "Bugs" Pemberton (1945-2013), drummer with
The Undertakers
*
Michael Carson (b 1946), writer
*
Heather Couper
Heather Anita Couper, (2 June 1949 – 19 February 2020) was a British astronomer, broadcaster and science populariser.
After studying astrophysics at the University of Leicester and researching clusters of galaxies at Oxford University, Co ...
(1949–2020), astronomer and broadcaster
*
Nigel Olsson (b 1949), rock drummer (
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
)
*
Tom Murphy (b.1949), sculptor
*
Alan Rouse
Alan Paul Rouse (19 December 1951 – 10 August 1986) was the first British climber to reach the summit of the second highest mountain in the world, K2, but died on the descent.
Education
Rouse was born in Wallasey and began climbing at the a ...
(1951–1986), mountaineer
*
Peter Watson (b 1952), photographer
*
Ray Stubbs
Raymond J. Stubbs (born 24 May 1956) is an English broadcaster and former footballer. He worked as a presenter for the BBC, ESPN and BT Sport, and now works for Talksport radio.
His most recent role is presenting the coverage of the World Seni ...
(b 1956), TV sports presenter
*
Jayne Casey
Jayne Casey (born 1956, in Wallasey, Cheshire) is an English artistic director who was known for being involved in the Liverpool punk and new wave scene in the 1970s and 1980s, with Big in Japan, Pink Military and Pink Industry. A Keychang ...
(b 1956), singer (member of
Big In Japan)
*
Shirley Ballas (b 1960), dancer
*
Simon Rimmer (b 1963), Chef, TV Presenter
*
Paul Hollywood (b 1966), TV personality, baker
*
Matthew Smith (b 1966), Games Programmer, creator of
Manic Miner
*
Louise Delamere
Louise Alexandra Delamere (born 17 June 1969) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Lia in the Channel 4 comedy drama ''No Angels'' and Colette Sheward in the BBC medical drama '' Holby City''.
Career
Delamere appeared in ''Agatha ...
(b 1969), actress
*
Shaun Garnett (b 1969),
Tranmere Rovers footballer & coach
*
Dominic Purcell
Dominic Haakon Myrtved PurcellO'Connor, B,Break Out". ''Men's Fitness''. December/January 2007 Issue; retrieved 18 December 2006. (born 17 February 1970) is a British-Australian actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Lincoln Burrows in F ...
(b 1970), actor
*
Elizabeth Berrington, (b 1970), actress
*
Neil Cross
Neil Cross ( Neil Claude Gadd; born 9 February 1969) is a British novelist and scriptwriter, best known as the creator of the drama series ''Luther'' and ''Hard Sun''. He is also the showrunner for the TV adaptation of '' The Mosquito Coast'', ...
(b 1972), cricketer
*
Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey (born 26 October 1973 in Wallasey (now part of Merseyside, formerly Cheshire), is a former English rugby union player who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and represented both England and the British & Irish L ...
(b 1973),
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
Rugby Union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player
*
Robbie Green
Robbie Green (born 19 July 1974) is a former English professional darts player. His nickname was Kong.
PDC career
Green made his televised debut at the 2004 UK Open, reaching the last 64 stage. The same year he qualified for the World Matchp ...
(b 1974), Professional darts player
*
Jenny Frost (b 1978), singer (member of
Atomic Kitten)
*
The Boo Radleys
The Boo Radleys are an English alternative rock band who were associated with the shoegazing and Britpop movements in the 1990s. They originally formed in Wallasey, England in 1988, with Rob Harrison on drums, singer/ guitarist Simon "Sice" Ro ...
(formed 1988),
Alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
band
*
Jay Spearing
Jay Francis Spearing (born 25 November 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool, where he is also a coach at their academy.
He started his career with Liverpool as a youth- ...
(b 1988),
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club is a professional association football club based in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1887, th ...
footballer
*
Tyler Morton
Tyler Scott Morton (born 31 October 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a holding midfielder for Blackburn Rovers, on loan from club Liverpool.
Club career
Morton was playing for the Greenleas junior team when spotted b ...
, (b 2002),
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...
footballer
See also
*
Listed buildings in Wallasey
*
Wallasey power station
Wallasey power station supplied electricity to the town of Wallasey and the surrounding area from 1897. It was owned and operated by Wallasey Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power st ...
References
Bibliography
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External links
{{authority control
Towns in Merseyside
Towns and villages in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Unparished areas in Merseyside
Populated coastal places in Merseyside