Woolton

Woolton

Woolton Street
Woolton
Woolton shown within Merseyside
Population 12,921 
(2011 Census)[1]
OS grid reference SJ425867
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LIVERPOOL
Postcode district L25
Dialling code 0151
Police Merseyside
Fire Merseyside
Ambulance North West
EU Parliament North West England
UK Parliament

Woolton (locally /ˈwuːltən/),[2][3][4][5] is an affluent suburb of Liverpool, England, in the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Hunt's Cross, Allerton, and Halewood. At the 2011 Census the population was 12,921.[1]

History

Originally a separate village, it was incorporated into the City of Liverpool in 1913. The area was referred to as Uluentune in the Domesday Book, with the name translating as "farm of Wulfa".[6] 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, a religious order who protected the routes for Christians who were on a pilgrimage to The Holy Land. These Knights Hospitallers held land in Woolton for over 350 years, until it was confiscated from them in 1559 by Queen Elizabeth I. The manorial rights to Woolton passed from Queen Elizabeth to James I who sold them to William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby. Woolton then passed to Isaac Green, and through his daughter to her son Bamber Gascoyne of Childwall (MP for Liverpool 1780-96 and an ancestor of Bamber Gascoigne[6] who hosted University Challenge for many years), and is now owned by the Marquess of Salisbury.

Description

Woolton is a prestigious middle class suburb. Housing is primarily semi-detached and detached, although some well-preserved terraces survive in Woolton Village.

Public houses in the area include The White Horse, The Cobden, The Victoria, The Grapes and The Elephant. Also of note are the Victorian swimming baths building, and the public library which was converted from a Methodist chapel, but was closed in 2012 as part of Liverpool City Council's cost cutting measures.

Many Beatles landmarks can be found in Woolton, including Mendips (Lennon's childhood home at 251 Menlove Avenue) and Strawberry Field. Another one of Woolton's claims to fame is that John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met at St. Peter's garden fete on 6 July 1957.[7]

Government

The elected councillors for Woolton are Cllrs Mark Norris, Colin McAlley, and Barbara Mace - two are Labour with the latter being Liberal Democrat.

Places of worship

Woolton has a number of churches, including three Christian churches in Woolton Village: St. Peter's Church of England is located opposite its church hall; St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is found about fifty yards down Church Road and along a driveway around 150 yards south-west of St. Peters; St. James's Methodist is found on Church Road South, facing its church hall.

Bob Paisley, the legendary Liverpool F.C. manager from 1974 to 1983, was buried in the churchyard of St Peter's after his death in February 1996.[8]

The old congregational church is now a nursing home at the junction of Quarry Street South and High Street.

Landmarks

Transport

Hunts Cross Station is the nearest railway station on the southern boundary of Woolton,[3][4][5] with local services on the southern route of the Manchester to Liverpool line between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road, and also Merseyrail's Northern Line to Liverpool Central and Southport. Liverpool South Parkway, one and a half miles to the west of Woolton, serves the same lines in addition to Crewe and Birmingham stopping services.

Bus services provide connections with Liverpool John Lennon Airport, the city centre, neighbouring districts and the broader Liverpool area.

Notable residents

References

  1. 1 2 2011 Census: Woolton (Ward), Office for National Statistics, retrieved 27 May 2013
  2. ↑ "Woolton Introduction". 2004. Retrieved 2013-04-30.
  3. 1 2 "Rental of Much Woolton". (MS) in Salisbury Papers. 1658.
  4. 1 2 "Maps of Woolton". 2004. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  5. 1 2 "Brief History of Much Woolton". 2004. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  6. 1 2 Daugherty, Brian, Woolton, Liverpool, retrieved 15 April 2008
  7. ↑ The Beatle Source, The Savage Young Beatles, retrieved 15 April 2008
  8. ↑ "Bob Paisley". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.