Our Area

BIRKENHEAD
Birkenhead is a town within the metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool. At the 2001 Census, the town had a population of 83,729. Historically part of Cheshire, Birkenhead is perhaps known as a centre for ship building, a seaport and its related industries.

History

The earliest records state that the Mersey ferry began operating from Birkenhead in 1150 when Benedictine monks under the leadership of Hamon de Mascy built a priory there. This was distanced from the Industrial Revolution in Liverpool by the physical barrier of the River Mersey. Birkenhead retained its agriculture status until the advent of the Steam ferry service in 1820.

Shipbuilding started in 1829. An ironworks was initially established by William Laird in 1824 and he was joined by his son John Laird in 1828. The business eventually became Cammel Laird. Notable vessels that have been built at Birkenhead include, HMS Archilles, HMS Affray, CSS Alabama, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Birkenhead, HMS Caroline, the Hua’scar, RMS Mauretania, the pioneer submarine Resurgam, HMS Thetis (which sank on trials in Liverpool Bay),HMS Conqueror and the HMS Prince of Wales.

In addition to the ferries, the Mersey Railway tunnel in 1886 and the Queensway road tunnel in 1934 gave rapid access to Liverpool, so opened the Wirral Peninsula for development, and prompted further growth of Birkenhead as an industrial centre. The town’s population grew from 110 in 1801 to 110,912 one hundred years later, and stood at 142,501 by 1951.

Governance

Formerly a township in the Bidston parish of the Wirral hundred, Birkenhead was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1887, and became a country borough with the passing of the local Government act in 1888.The borough included the parish of St Mary, Bidston, Claughton, Tranmere, Grange, Oxton and part of Bebington later known as Rock ferry. Landican, Prenton and Thingwall were added in 1928 followed by Nocturum,Upton and Woodchurch in 1933

Prior to April 1974, Birkenhead and the rest of the Wirral Peninsula was part of the country of Cheshire, the Local government act 1972 caused Birkenhead to loose its borough status. The town has since been administered as part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral into the Metropolitan county of Merseyside.

Landmarks

Birkenhead Park is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain. The park was the forerunner of the parks movement and its influence was far reaching both in Britain and abroad – most notably Olmsted’s design for Central Park, New York, The parks main entrance is modelled on the Temple of Illysus in Athens and its Roman boathouse are notable features. There are sandstone ledges and two lakes along with an ornate bridge. Hamilton Square contains the most Grade 1 listed buildings in one place in England including the Birkenhead Town Hall. A short distance from Hamilton Square is the Queensway tunnel entrance and the Woodside Ferry Terminus were scenes from the film Chariots of fire were filmed.

Religious landmarks include the Birkenhead Priory, St Marys Tower, St James Church and St Wergburghs. Bidston Windmill is on the ridge behind the town.

Transport

Birkenhead had the first street tramway in Europe and horse drawn buses began operating in 1848 to be replaced by motor vehicles after the First World War. In 1886 Birkenhead and Liverpool were linked by an underground railway which today is part of the Mersey rail network. The nearest airport is Liverpool John Lennon Airport located about 8 miles from Birkenhead.

Maritime

Birkenhead’s dock system is part of the Port of Liverpool and the twelve keys ferry terminal allows a direct freight to Dublin along with the Isle of Man. During winter months Birkenhead operates a service to Douglas.

Birkenhead has theatres such as The Little Theatre, the Pacific Road Arts centre and it also has the Williamson Art Gallery. Birkenhead has also hosted the National welsh Eisteddfod event, migrants from Wales and Ireland contributed greatly to the growth of the town and in 1917it  was noted for the award of the “Bairds”chair to the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans known as Hedd Wyn, unfortunately it was found that Hed dWyn had been killed on the battlefield in Belgium so the a chair was draped in black.

Sport

Birkenhead is the home of Tranmere Rovers who play at Prenton Park. Located also is the Birkenhead North End & Victoria cycling clubs which have given Olympic riders such as Chris Boardman, Mark Bell, Steve Cummings and Rachael Heal.

The first two Boy Scout groups in the world were founded in Birkenhead in 1908. The 2nd Birkenhead scout group is the longest running scout group in the world.

Notable people
 Include Glenda Jackson, Patricia Routledge, Lewis Collins, Megs Jenkins, Paul Ogrady and the soprano Valerie Masterson. It has also produced poets and Authors such as Adrian Henri and Michael Z Williamson. The poet Wilfred Owen lived in Birkenhead from the age of 4.

Artists such as Philip William Steer, Robert Talbot Kelly, Bessie Bamber and the cartoonist Norman Thelwell and Bill Tidy also came from Birkenhead. In music the lead singer from the House Martins and Beautiful South singer/songwriter Paul Heaton, Charlie Landsborough and Desmond Briscoe.

Birkenhead has produced notable sportsman such as Dixie Dean Everton FC, Matt Dawson the rugby union player and several other footballers such as Jason McAteer and David Thompson. and from the field of Science Sir Thomas Brassey who was a Victorian civil Engineer.

There are several musicians linked to the area such as Elvis Costello, Tony Friel, David Hughes, David Balfe and David Nicholas is the last resident cinema organist and longest serving at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and spent his early years in Birkenhead.

Andrew Whittam Smith wad the founder editor of the Independent, he grew up in Birkenhead, Colin Evans a renowned Trade Diplomat and Daniel Poole a recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal during World War

Birkenhead is twinned with

Gennevilliers France

Lorient France

Latina Italy