Heswall
Heswall is a town on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. At the time of the 2001 Census, the total population of the ward was 16,012 (Male: 7,474; Female: 8,538),[2] which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton. The population of the town of Heswall itself was 7,750.[1]
Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 it was part of the county of Cheshire.
Geography
Located on the eastern side of the Dee Estuary, with views across the river to North Wales, Heswall is about 15-20 minutes' drive from the Roman city of Chester and about 20 minutes' drive from Liverpool. The spires of Liverpool's cathedrals can be seen on the horizon from high ground.
The town of Heswall consists of three parts: upper, lower and the 'hills'. The commercial upper part is centred at the junction of Telegraph Road and Pensby Road. Lower Heswall village is quieter and designated a conservation area. 'Heswall Hills' is the south east of upper Heswall - the main roads running through it being Barnston Road and Brimstage Road. Typically, though, Heswall Hills is classed as either Heswall (its postage town) or Barnston. Barnston Primary School is located in Heswall Hills.
History
Heswall was recorded in the Domesday Book as Eswelle and owned by Robert de Rodelent, who also owned much of the land on the eastern side of the River Dee. In 1277, it became the property of Patrick de Haselwall, who was Sheriff of Cheshire.
In 1801, the population was recorded as 168. By the census in 1841, it had only grown to 398. Prior to 1897 it was known as Hestlewelle or Hesselwelle. Its growth was started by wealthy merchants from Liverpool who had originally chosen it as a retreat but the arrival of two railway connections allowed them to commute. One line is the Borderlands Line from Wrexham Central to Bidston which opened in 1896. This line is still active and has Heswall railway station on the eastern edge of the town. The station was formerly called Heswall Hills to distinguish it from the older, now demolished, Heswall Station. The old station was in Station Road in the Lower Village on another line from West Kirby to Hooton. This opened in 1886 but the line closed to passengers in 1956. The track of the old railway became a footpath, the Wirral Way.
The Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital originally opened in Heswall as Liverpool Country Hospital for Children in 1909.[3] It stood on the opposite side of Telegraph Road from the 'Puddydale', it had a tall square clock tower and extensive grounds with views over the Dee estuary. The hospital closed in 1985[3] and the site is now occupied by a Tesco supermarket.
Open spaces
There are several areas of open space. The largest is the Dales, an area of dry, sandy heathland overlooking the River Dee. It has the status of both Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Local Nature Reserve (LNR). Within this SSSI lies 'the Dungeon', a small river valley cut into the hillside. A path connects the Dales to the Wirral Way and the coast. Other open areas also overlooking the Dee are the Beacons, and Poll Hill, which is the highest point on the Wirral Peninsula.
The large grass area near the centre of town is known as the 'Puddydale'. In former years, Heswall County Primary School was situated on the eastern edge of the field, but has since been demolished.
Transport
Rail
| Station | Operator | Route | Days of operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heswall | Arriva Trains Wales | Borderlands Line (Bidston-Wrexham Central) | Monday-Sunday |
Bus
Services operating in the Heswall area, as of December 2008:
| Number | Route | Operator | Days of operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/24 | West Kirby-Chester | Avon Buses | Monday-Saturday |
| 71/72 | Heswall-Liverpool | First Chester & The Wirral | Monday-Saturday |
| 77 | Woodside-West Kirby | Avon Buses | Monday-Saturday |
| 85 | Heswall-Mill Park | Avon Buses | Monday-Saturday |
| 113 | Heswall-New Ferry | A1A Travel | Monday-Saturday evenings |
| 166/167 | Heswall Shore-Heswall | Eazibus | Monday-Saturday |
| 171 | Heswall-Birkenhead | A2B Travel | Sunday evenings |
| 172 | Heswall-Birkenhead | Avon Buses (Mon-Sat) and A2B Travel (Sun) | Monday-Saturday mornings and Sunday evening |
| 174 | Heswall-Lower Village | Eazibus (M-F) and A2B Travel (Sat) | Monday-Saturday |
| 175 | Heswall-Irby | Eazibus (M-F) and A2B Travel (Sat) | Monday-Saturday |
| 186 | Eastham Ferry-Leasowe | Avon Buses | Evenings and Sundays |
| 272/273 | Hooton/Neston-Arrowe Park Hospital | Helms Coaches (Mon-Sat daytime) and Eazibus (evenings and Sundays) | Monday-Sunday |
| 471 | Barnston-Liverpool | Arriva North West | Monday-Friday peak times |
| 472 | Barnston/Heswall-Liverpool | Arriva North West | Monday-Saturday |
Notable people
Births
- Ian Astbury, vocalist for rock band The Cult.
- Ian Botham, retired English cricketer.
- Jim Bowen, comedian and former presenter of darts game show Bullseye.
- Paul Bracewell, a football midfielder who played for Stoke City, Sunderland, Everton, Newcastle United, Fulham and England.
- Christian Furr, the youngest artist to have officially painted Queen Elizabeth II.[4]
- Andy McCluskey, Lead singer of eighties pop band 'Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark' and founder of Atomic Kitten
- Scott Minto, retired footballer.
- Philly Morris, cancer survivor and founder of checkemlads.com testicular cancer charity.
- John Peel, the late BBC Radio 1 disc jockey, radio presenter and music journalist.
- Anne Thelwell, won Miss United Kingdom in 1959.
- John Williams, a former Grand Prix rider.
- Dougal Wilson, (born 1971) is a notable director of commercials and music videos.
- Ian Woan, a football winger best known for his playing years at Nottingham Forest.
Resident connections
- Ringo Starr spent two years in Heswall's Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital when he contracted chronic pleurisy as a child.
- In 1964, Paul McCartney bought "Rembrandt"; a detached mock-Tudor house in Baskervyle Road, Heswall, for his father, Jim McCartney, which cost £8,750. Jim later moved to a bungalow nearby, and lived there until his death on 18 March 1976.[5][6]
- In 2009, Coldplay released their single Life in Technicolor II and featured doll sized mock-ups of themselves performing the single in front of an audience, mainly children in a church in Heswall. There is also a sign outside the church on the video mentioning 'Heswall Village Fete'
- The Coldplay video may have been inspired by the fact that in 1962 – The Beatles performed at Newton Dancing School, Village Hall, Thingwall Rd., Irby, Heswall, Wirral, Cheshire.
See also
Notes and references
Notes
- ^ a b Wirral 2001 Census: Heswall, Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, retrieved 16 July 2007
- ^ 2001 Census: Heswall, Office for National Statistics, retrieved 16 July 2007
- ^ a b Children's Hospitals: Liverpool Infirmary for Children, E. Chambré Hardman Archive, retrieved 23 February 2008
- ^ Brief Biographical Information, christianfurr.com, retrieved 12 August 2007
- ^ a b Miles 1997 p210.
- ^ Photo of Rembrandt, magicalbeatletours.com, retrieved 22 October 2007
- ^ Beatles facts
Bibliography
External links
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