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Woolton (; ) is an affluent suburb of
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
, England. It is located southeast of the city and is bordered by Allerton, Gateacre, Halewood, and Hunt's Cross. At the 2011 Census, the population was 12,921.


Overview

Originally a standalone village, Woolton was incorporated into Liverpool in 1913. The area was referred to as "Uluentune" in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
, with the name translating as "farm of Wulfa". Shortly after the Domesday survey, which was completed in 1086, Woolton became part of the Barony of Halton and Widnes. In 1189, a charge was granted by John, Constable of Chester, to the order of
Knights of St. John of Jerusalem The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...
, a religious order who protected the routes for Christians on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Knights held land in Woolton for over 350 years, until it was confiscated from them in 1559 by
Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...
. The manorial rights to Woolton passed from Queen Elizabeth to
James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
, who sold them to William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby. Woolton then passed to Isaac Green, then his daughter, then her son Bamber Gascoyne of Childwall (MP for Liverpool 1780–1796 and an ancestor of longtime ''
University Challenge ''University Challenge'' is a British television quiz programme which first aired in 1962. ''University Challenge'' aired for 913 episodes on ITV from 21 September 1962 to 31 December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC ...
'' host
Bamber Gascoigne Arthur Bamber Gascoigne (24 January 1935 – 8 February 2022) was an English television presenter and author. He was the original quizmaster on ''University Challenge'', which initially ran from 1962 to 1987. Early life and education Gasco ...
), and is now owned by the
Marquess of Salisbury Marquess of Salisbury is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for the 7th Earl of Salisbury. Most of the holders of the title have been prominent in British political life over the last two centuries, particularly th ...
. Housing is primarily
detached A stand-alone house (also called a single-detached dwelling, detached residence or detached house) is a free-standing residential building. It is sometimes referred to as a single-family home, as opposed to a multi-family residential dwelli ...
and
semi-detached A semi-detached house (often abbreviated to semi) is a single family duplex dwelling house that shares one common wall with the next house. The name distinguishes this style of house from detached houses, with no shared walls, and terraced hous ...
, although some terraces survive in Woolton Village (the centre of the suburb). Pubs in the area include The Cobden, The Elephant, The Grapes, The Victoria, and The White Horse, with more within walking distance. Other notable buildings include the Victorian public swimming baths and the public library, which was converted from a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
chapel but closed in 2012 as part of Liverpool City Council's cost-cutting measures. Woolton has a number of churches, including St Mary's (
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
), St Peter's (
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...
), and St James's (Methodist). The Catholic schools St Francis Xavier's and St Julie's are also located in Woolton. Hunts Cross Station is the nearest railway station on the southern boundary of Woolton, with local services on the southern route of the Manchester to Liverpool line between
Liverpool Lime Street Liverpool Lime Street is a terminus railway station and the main station serving the city centre of Liverpool. Opened in August 1836, it is the oldest still-operating grand terminus mainline station in the world. A branch of the West Coast ...
and
Manchester Oxford Road Manchester Oxford Road railway station is a railway station in Manchester, England, at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street. It opened in 1849 and was rebuilt in 1960. It is the second busiest of the four stations in Manch ...
, and also
Merseyrail Merseyrail is a commuter rail network serving the Liverpool City Region and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. Merseyrail operates 66 railway stations across two lines – the Northern Line and Wirral Line, which are dedicated el ...
's
Northern Line The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs from North London to South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. The Northern line is unique on the Underground network in having two different routes through central London, t ...
to
Liverpool Central Liverpool Central railway station in Liverpool, England, forms a central hub of the Merseyrail network, being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. The station is located underground on two levels, below the site of a former mainl ...
and
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...
.
Liverpool South Parkway Liverpool South Parkway station (Formerly Allerton railway station), is a railway station and bus interchange in the Garston district of Liverpool, England. It serves, via a bus link, Liverpool John Lennon Airport in the neighbouring suburb of ...
, one and a half miles to the west of Woolton, serves the same lines in addition to
Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The Crewe built-up area had a total population of 75,556 in 2011, which also covers parts of the adjacent civil parishes of Willaston ...
and
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
stopping services. Bus services provide connections with
Liverpool John Lennon Airport Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport in Liverpool, England, on the estuary of the River Mersey south-east of Liverpool city centre. Scheduled domestic, European, North African and Middle Eastern services are operat ...
, the city centre, neighbouring districts and the broader Liverpool area. Gateacre (for Woolton) also served passengers from 1879 until its closure in 1972. All three elected councillors for the Woolton ward (Malcolm Kelly, Kris Brown, and Barbara Mace) are Liberal Democrats.


Beatles landmarks

Numerous sites of interest associated with
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 ...
can be found in Woolton, most notably
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
's childhood home at
251 Menlove Avenue 251 Menlove Avenue is the childhood home of the Beatles' John Lennon. Located in the Woolton suburb of Liverpool. It was named Mendips after the Mendip Hills. The Grade II listed building is preserved by the National Trust. Residence of John L ...
and the children's care home Strawberry Field, both of which are just one street away from each other. It is also generally believed that Lennon first met
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
during a
fête In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Village fêtes Village f ...
at
St Peter's Church St. Peter's Church, Old St. Peter's Church, or other variations may refer to: * St. Peter's Basilica in Rome Australia * St Peter's, Eastern Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia * St Peters Church, St Peters, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ...
in Woolton on 6 July 1957. The churchyard additionally houses the graves of Eleanor Rigby and Lennon's uncle,
George Toogood Smith George Toogood Smith (1903 – 5 June 1955) was the maternal uncle, through marriage, of John Lennon. Smith operated his family's two dairy farms and a retail outlet with his brother, Frank Smith, in the village of Woolton, Liverpool. The far ...
, with whom he lived at 251 Menlove Avenue for much of his childhood.


Notable areas

* Mendips (251 Menlove Avenue) *
Much Woolton Old School Much Woolton Old School is a small Grade II* listed building on School Lane in Woolton, Liverpool, United Kingdom. An inscription on the building's exterior claims it to be the "oldest elementary school building in Lancashire" and built in 1610. ...
*
St Peter's Church St. Peter's Church, Old St. Peter's Church, or other variations may refer to: * St. Peter's Basilica in Rome Australia * St Peter's, Eastern Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia * St Peters Church, St Peters, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ...
* Strawberry Field * Woolton Hall *
Woolton Picture House Woolton Picture House (also known as Woolton Cinema) is a privately owned cinema in the Woolton area of Liverpool, England. It is the only remaining single-screen cinema in the city, and is popular with cinema enthusiasts because of its old-fa ...
*
Woolton Woods and Camphill Woolton Woods and Camp Hill is a wooded park in the Woolton suburb of Liverpool, England. Overview Woolton Woods and Camp Hill is adjacent to St Julie's Catholic High School. From 150 BC, an Iron Age fort occupied the crest of Camp Hill. The ...


Notable people

*
Ernest Alexander Major-General Ernest Wright Alexander, (2 October 1870 – 25 August 1934) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Co ...
, recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
, born in Woolton *
Joe Baker Joseph Henry Baker (17 July 1940 – 6 October 2003) was an England international footballer. Born in Woolton in Liverpool, England, he spent virtually his entire childhood growing up in Motherwell, Scotland. He is notable for being the first ...
, footballer, born in Woolton * Malandra Burrows, actress and singer, born and raised in Woolton * Jodie Comer, actress, raised in nearby
Childwall Childwall () is a suburb and ward of Liverpool, England, located to the southeast of the city. It is bordered by Belle Vale, Bowring Park, Broadgreen, Gateacre, Mossley Hill, and Wavertree. In 2019, the population was 13,640. Overview The earl ...
and attended St Julie's in Woolton *
Philip A. Gale Philip Alan Gale (born 1969) is a British chemist, Deputy Dean of Science and Professor of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney. He is notable for his work on the supramolecular chemistry of anions. Gale was bor ...
, scientist, raised in Woolton *
Amy Jackson Amy Louise Jackson (born 31 January 1992) is a British actress and model known for her work in Indian films, predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu languages. A former Miss Teen World, Jackson has appeared in over fifteen films. She made he ...
, actress, raised in Woolton *
Katarina Johnson-Thompson Katarina Mary Johnson-Thompson (born 9 January 1993) is an English athlete primarily known as an elite multi-eventer, both as a heptathlete and an indoor pentathlete. She has been World Champion in both disciplines, and a double Commonwealth ...
, heptathlete, raised in Woolton and attended St Julie's *
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
, singer, musician, and songwriter, raised in Woolton *
Rex Makin Elkan Rex Makin, (20 August 1925 – 26 June 2017) usually known as Rex Makin, was a solicitor and philanthropist who practised in Liverpool, England, for over sixty years. He was most noted for his involvement with the Beatles' early career an ...
, solicitor, lived in Woolton *
Matthew Murphy Matthew Edward Murphy (born 23 July 1984) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of The Wombats, which he co-founded in 2003. He began a solo career under the name ...
, singer, musician, and songwriter, born and raised in Woolton * Simon O'Brien, presenter and actor, lives in Woolton *
Bob Paisley Robert Paisley OBE (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded, due to his achievements with the club, ...
, former manager of Liverpool FC, buried in the churchyard of St Peter's *
Simon Rimmer Simon Peter Rimmer (born 5 May 1963) is an English celebrity chef, best known for his on-screen partnership with Tim Lovejoy. Early life Simon Peter Rimmer was born on 5 May 1963 in Wallasey. Career Rimmer originally studied fashion and texti ...
, celebrity chef, owns the Elephant Pub & Bakehouse in Woolton *
Willy Russell William Russell (born 23 August 1946) is an English dramatist, lyricist and composer. His best known works are ''Educating Rita'', ''Shirley Valentine'', '' Blood Brothers'' and ''Our Day Out''. Early life Russell was born in Whiston, Lancash ...
, playwright, lives in Woolton *
Peter Serafinowicz Peter Szymon Serafinowicz ( ; born 10 July 1972) is an English actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, best known for his roles as the title character in the 2016 live-action series of ''The Tick'', Pete in '' Shaun of the Dead'' (2004) an ...
, actor and comedian, raised in nearby Gateacre and attended St Francis Xavier's *
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
nuns from
Stanbrook Abbey Stanbrook Abbey is a Catholic contemplative Benedictine women's monastery with the status of an abbey, located at Wass, North Yorkshire, England. The community was founded in 1625 at Cambrai in Flanders (then part of the Spanish Netherlands ...
lived in Woolton from 1795 to 1807


References


External links


Liverpool City Council, Ward Profile: Woolton



Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 25

Woolton Village website
{{Authority control Areas of Liverpool