BIRKENHEAD

'Birkenhead' (Welsh: ''Penbedw'') is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is located on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the City of Liverpool, and has a total resident population of 83,729.^[1]
Historically part of Cheshire, Birkenhead is perhaps best known as a sea port and as a centre for ship building. Birkenhead has also been closely involved with the maritime activity of nearby Liverpool.

Contents

History

Governance

Economy

Landmarks

Transport

Trams

Railways

Roads

Maritime

Airport

Education

Schools

Colleges

Healthcare

Arts and leisure

Arts

Media

Sports

Cultural references

Notable people

Twin towns

Future

References

External links

History

The name Birkenhead is possibly from the Old English ''bircen'' meaning birch tree, of which many once grew on the headland which jutted into the river at Woodside.
The first Mersey ferry began operating from Birkenhead in 1150 when Benedictine monks under the leadership of Hamon de Mascy built a priory there.^[2][3] Distanced from the Industrial Revolution in Liverpool and the North-West by the physical barrier of the River Mersey, Birkenhead retained its agricultural status until the advent of the steam ferry service in 1820.
Ship-building started in 1829.^[4] An iron works was initially established by William Laird in 1824 and was joined by his son John Laird in 1828. The business eventually became Cammell Laird. Notable vessels built at Birkenhead include HMS ''Achilles'', HMS ''Affray'', CSS ''Alabama'', HMS ''Ark Royal'', HMS ''Birkenhead'', HMS ''Caroline'', ''Huáscar'', RMS ''Mauretania'', the pioneer submarine ''Resurgam'', HMS ''Thetis'' which sank on trials in Liverpool Bay, HMS ''Conqueror'' and HMS ''Prince of Wales''.
In addition to the ferries, Mersey Railway tunnel in 1886 and a Queensway road tunnel in 1934 gave rapid access to Liverpool and so opened up the Wirral Peninsula for development, prompting the rapid growth of Birkenhead as an industrial centre.

Governance

Birkenhead was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1877, and became a county borough with the passing of the Local Government Act 1888. The borough included the parishes of Birkenhead St Mary,^[5] Claughton with Grange, Oxton, Tranmere and part of Bebington, later known as Rock Ferry. The parishes of Landican, Prenton and Thingwall were added in 1928, followed by the parishes of Noctorum and Woodchurch in 1933.
Prior to 1974, Birkenhead and the rest of the Wirral Peninsula, was part of the county of Cheshire, since the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, Birkenhead has lain within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. The current Member of Parliament is Frank Field.

Economy

Birkenhead Market was first established in 1835 on a site between Chester Street and Hamilton Street. ^[6]
Michael Marks, of Marks & Spencer, opened one of his first seven Penny Bazaar stalls here during the 1880s. ^[7]
During the 1970s, the commercial centre of the town was redeveloped around the principal shopping area of Grange Road. Following a fire at the original Birkenhead Market in 1974, it was later moved to new premises adjoining the Grange Shopping Precinct development. Commercial expansion continued in the 1990s when the Pyramids Shopping Centre was opened.

Landmarks

Birkenhead Park is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain.^[8] The park was the forerunner of the Parks Movement and its influence was far reaching both in Britain and abroad – most notably on Olmsted's design for Central Park, New York. Designed by Joseph Paxton (later Sir Joseph Paxton) in 1843 and officially opened in 1847, it was an immediate economic and social success. The park's main entrance, modelled on the Temple of Illysus in Athens, and its 'Roman Boathouse' are notable features. There are sandstone lodges at the three entrances, each with a different style of architecture, Gothic, Norman and Italian. There are also two lakes and an ornate 'Swiss Bridge'. There is also a large area of parkland at the edge of the town called Arrowe Park. In 1929, the 3rd World Scout Jamboree was held there.
John Laird, a Scot, was influential in the design of the town. Parts were laid out in a grid-iron pattern like the New Town in Edinburgh with similar architecture. This grid pattern was centred around Hamilton Square which was started in 1826 and, apart from Trafalgar Square in London, contains the most Grade 1 listed buildings in one place in England.^[9] including Birkenhead Town Hall. A short distance from Hamilton Square are two other notable landmarks: the Queensway Tunnel Main Entrance and the Woodside Ferry Terminal. The film Chariots of Fire had scenes shot at Woodside. These scenes were as a representation of Dover in the 1920s.^[10]
Religious landmarks include Birkenhead Priory & St Mary's Tower, St James' Church and St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Church. Other notable landmarks include Bidston Windmill on a ridge behind the town, Flaybrick Watertower and Flaybrick Memorial Gardens.

Transport

Trams

Birkenhead had the first street tramway in Europe. Opened on 29 August 1860 the first line ran from Woodside (landing stage of the Mersey Ferry) to Birkenhead Park. This early system was horse-drawn and was the brainchild of flamboyant American, George Francis Train. ^[11]
[12]
A preserved tram is currently on display in the Woodside ferry terminal booking hall.
Two replica trams, imported from Hong Kong, have been brought into service as part of a heritage tramway between Woodside and Wirral Transport Museum.

Railways

Birkenhead and Liverpool became the first major conurbations in northwest England to be served by an underground railway system, which today is part of the Merseyrail network.
The major underground station in Birkenhead is Hamilton Square, the nearest station to the ferry terminal. Hamilton Square is linked to the "Liverpool Loop" of the Wirral Line, which includes James Street, Moorfields, Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations, all of which are underground. Other stations located in Birkenhead include Birkenhead Central, Green Lane, Conway Park, Birkenhead Park and Birkenhead North.
The Wirral Line from Birkenhead travels south to Chester and Ellesmere Port, north to New Brighton and westwards, across the Wirral peninsula, to West Kirby. The Borderlands Line leaves Bidston in the north of Birkenhead and travels through the rural centre of Wirral, ultimately leaving England near Shotton and terminating in Wrexham, Wales.
View Merseyrail Network Map

Roads

Junctions 1 & 3 of the M53 motorway allow access to the national motorway network. The A41 trunk road connects Woodside with Marble Arch in London. The Queensway Road Tunnel, opened in 1936, runs underneath the River Mersey and connects the town to Liverpool.

Maritime

Birkenhead's dock system is part of the Port of Liverpool facility, operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company. The Twelve Quays ferry terminal allows a direct freight & passenger service to Dublin, Ireland & Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The Mersey Ferry at Woodside supplies a passenger service to Liverpool, as well as chartered cruising.

Airport

The nearest airport is John Lennon Airport (formerly known as Speke) in Liverpool.

Education

Schools

Birkenhead's oldest independent school is Birkenhead School.^[13] It was exclusively a boys' school from its founding in 1860 until 2000 when its Sixth Form became co-educational. It also has a preparatory school for boys aged 3–11 and a co-educational nursery from 3 months. "Old Birkonians" (as former pupils are known) include the lawyer F. E. Smith (Lord Birkenhead), Andreas Whittam Smith (chairman of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and founder of ''The Independent'' newspaper), Andrew Irvine (mountaineer), and Philip Toosey, hero at the Bridge on the River Kwai.
Birkenhead High School is an independent school for girls, founded in 1885 and catering for girls aged 2½–18. It is a member of the Girls' Day School Trust. Its alumnae include the actress Patricia Routledge.

Colleges

Birkenhead's technical college in Woodside (Previously in Borough Road), now called Wirral Metropolitan College, had a theatre named after one of its most famous former students and Birkonian (born 1936), Glenda Jackson, the Oscar-winning actress and Member of Parliament. The college and the Glenda Jackson Theatre were demolished in late 2005, to make way for apartment blocks, although Wirral Metropolitan College flourishes on other sites across the Wirral. A little known fact is that the theatre secretly housed an emergency command centre for the region in its basement, accessible via the college. Politicians and officials would have retreated to this secure bunker in the event of nuclear war to coordinate the recovery effort. By the 1990s the bunker had been decommissioned, and the surrounding complex of rooms was used by the college as a rehearsal space and a recording studio.

Healthcare

Formerly, Birkenhead was served by Birkenhead General Hospital on Conway Street, St. James' Hospital in Claughton and St. Catherine's Hospital,Tranmere. Presently, Birkenhead is served by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & Wirral Primary Care Trust.

Arts and leisure

Arts

Despite being in England, Birkenhead hosted Wales's National Eisteddfod in 1917, as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1879.
In 1856, Birkenhead Library was opened as the country's first public library in an unincorporated borough.^[14] The library was situated in Hamilton Street until 1909, when it moved to a new building in Albion Street, near Birkenhead Market. In the 1930s, this building (along with much of the surrounding area) was demolished to make way for the entrance to the Mersey Tunnel. The present library, Birkenhead Central Library, is situated on Borough Road & was opened by King George V in 1934.
The Argyle Theatre was a major theatre and music hall which opened in 1868 and became notable for the calibre of artistes who appeared there. It was being used as a cinema when it was destroyed by bombing in 1940.^[15]
The Little Theatre was established in 1958 from a converted former Presbyterian church, whilst more recently, the Pacific Road Arts Centre in Woodside opened in 1999.
The Williamson Art Gallery was opened in 1928 and houses a fine collection of paintings, porcelain and pottery. The Laird School of Art was the first public school of art outside London and was given to the town by John Laird. It opened on 27th September 1871.
The first Boy Scout group in the world was founded as the 1st Birkenhead YMCA in 1908. The 2nd Birkenhead scout group is the longest running scout group in the world, being established in 1908 and still in existence, as of 2007.

Media

Birkenhead is served by local daily newspapers the Liverpool Echo and Liverpool Daily Post. The free local weekly newspapers are the Wirral Globe and the Birkenhead News (part of the Wirral News group).
The local radio station Wirral's Buzz 97.1 is based in the town. In addition, there are five other local radio stations that transmit to Birkenhead: BBC Radio Merseyside, Radio City 96.7, Juice 107.6, Dune 107.9 and Rock FM 97.4.
Birkenhead is situated within the television regions of BBC North West and ITV's Granada Television.

Sports

Birkenhead is the home of Tranmere Rovers Football Club, a professional football team who play at Prenton Park near the Tranmere area of the town. They are in Football League One. Cammell Laird F.C. is the town's semi professional football club who play at Kirklands in Rock Ferry. They are in Northern Premier League Division One South. The town is also the home of several successful amateur football leagues, both 11-a side and six-a side.
The Birkenhead Park Football Club was founded in 1871, the same year as the Rugby Football Union. The club originally played in the Lower Park but moved to their current home in the Upper Park in 1885. ^[16]
Located in the town are the Birkenhead North End & Victoria Cycling Clubs. Olympic riders from the clubs include Chris Boardman, Steve Cummings and Rachel Heal.^[17][18]

Cultural references

Birkenhead is mentioned in the song "What She Said" on the album ''Meat Is Murder'' by The Smiths: ''What she read/All heady books/She'd sit and prophesise/(It took a tattooed boy from Birkenhead/To really really open her eyes).''
The town is also referred to in the song "Everything Is Sorrow" on the Boo Radleys' ''C'mon Kids'' album: ''I worked in Birkenhead for you/It brings me tears even now.''

Notable people

In the arts Birkenhead has produced Lewis Collins, actor; Michael Z. Williamson, science fiction author; Adrian Henri, poet and artist; Megs Jenkins, actress; Paul O'Grady (also known as Lily Savage), comedian and TV host; World War I poet, Wilfred Owen, although born in Oswestry, was educated at the Birkenhead Institute; Patricia Routledge, actress; impressionist painter Philip Wilson Steer; and Norman Thelwell, cartoonist. In music Indie band Half Man Half Biscuit hail from Birkenhead as do Paul Heaton, lead singer of the Housemartins and the Beautiful South; and Charlie Landsborough, singer/songwriter.
Birkenhead has also produced notable sportsmen such as Matt Dawson, the rugby union player; 'Dixie' Dean, record-breaking footballer, who was born at 313 Laird Street; and several other footballers including Jason McAteer and David Thompson. In the field of science and engineering Birkenhead claims Sir Thomas Brassey, the notable Victorian civil engineer and Professor Sir John Eric Richardson, electrical engineer, academic and champion of the polytechnic sector. Some of the notable pupils of Birkenhead School are listed above.

Twin towns

Birkenhead is twinned, as a part of Wirral, with Gennevilliers in France, Lorient in France & Latina in Italy. Birkenhead also has a Sister City Agreement with Midland, Texas.^[19]

Future

The major redevelopment project under consideration is Peel Holdings' 'Wirral Waters'. This would allow for a £4.5bn of investment in the regeneration of the dockland area. This equates with an investment of over £14,000 for each of the 320,000 population of Wirral. At the East Float & Vittoria Dock, the development would include several 50-storey skyscrapers, 5 million square feet of new office space & 11 million square feet for new residential apartments. A retail & leisure quarter at the former Bidston Dock site would encompass another 571,000 square feet of space. The whole project would create more than 27,000 permanent new jobs, aside from the employment required for construction & other peripheral employment. An outline planning application is expected to be submitted during the summer of 2007.^[20] The development would be expected to take up to 30 years.

References

1.
★ Birkenhead population, 2001 Census, ONS
2.
★ Birkenhead Priory

3. Birkenhead history
4.
★ Laird Shipbuilders
5.
★ Birkenhead Parish History
6. Yesterday's Wirral Ian & Marilyn Boumphrey
7.
★ Michael Marks
8.
★ Birkenhead Park
9. Grade 1 listed status of Hamilton Square
10.
★ Chariots of Fire - Where Did They Film That?
11. Birkenhead - An Illustrated History Ralph T Brocklebank
12. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/ed/birkenhead_tramway.htm
13.
★ Birkenhead School
14.
★ Birkenhead Library
15. Theatres in Birkenhead
16.
★ Birkenhead Park Rugby Club
17.
★ Birkenhead North End Cycling Club Olympians
18.
★ Birkenhead Victoria Cycling Club history
19.
★ Twin Towns, Wirral Borough Council
20.
★ Wirral Waters details & planning application date

External links

★ Wirral Waters