Bebington
Encyclopedia
Bebington is a small town and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
, in Merseyside
, England
. It lies 5 miles (8 km) south of Liverpool
and 34.5 miles (56 km) west southwest of Manchester
, along the River Mersey
on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsula
. Nearby towns include Birkenhead
and Wallasey
to the north northwest and Heswall
to the west southwest.
It had a total resident population of 13,720 at the 2001 Census
.
The town includes the areas of Port Sunlight
(an early planned factory town), Higher Bebington (which includes the Mount Estate), Lower Bebington, Poulton Lancelyn, Spital
, Storeton
and Woodhey.
Bebington railway station
opened in 1838 and is situated on the Wirral Line
of the Merseyrail
network.
, on a site occupied since Saxon
times, dates from the 14th and 16th centuries.
In 1838, the footprints of an archosaur later called the Chirotherium storetonese
were found in a sandstone bed at Storeton Quarry. Examples can be seen at the Liverpool Museum and at Christ Church within the parish of Higher Bebington. Also a small example can be seen at Higher Bebington Junior School, in their reception area.
Stone quarried at Bebington was used for the construction of Birkenhead Town Hall
, some of the villas around Birkenhead
and Rock
Parks and most famously of all the Empire State Building
in New York City
. The stone is considered to be a high quality sandstone which is creamy in appearance. The Quarries were eventually filled in with debris removed during the construction of the two Mersey Tunnels
.
Mayer Hall, Bebington Village, was formerly an art gallery built by Joseph Mayer, a Liverpool Businessman. It is now a community resource and still boasts many of its original features.
The Brackenwood golf course
was cited in 2004 as a likely site for the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.
, Wirral Grammar School for Girls
, St. John Plessington Catholic College, Higher Bebington Junior School, Bebington High Sports College, Brackenwood Junior School, Stanton Road Primary School, St Andrew's Primary School, Town Lane Infants School.
, to portray the 1924 Colombes
Olympic Stadium in Paris
.
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby. The city of...
, in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies 5 miles (8 km) south of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and 34.5 miles (56 km) west southwest of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, along the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
. Nearby towns include Birkenhead
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...
and Wallasey
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
to the north northwest and Heswall
Heswall
Heswall is a town in Wirral, in the county of 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 , which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton...
to the west southwest.
It had a total resident population of 13,720 at the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
The town includes the areas of Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is a model village, suburb and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is located between Lower Bebington and New Ferry, on the Wirral Peninsula. Between 1894 and 1974 it formed part of Bebington urban district within the county of Cheshire...
(an early planned factory town), Higher Bebington (which includes the Mount Estate), Lower Bebington, Poulton Lancelyn, Spital
Spital, Merseyside
Spital is a suburban area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It is located mid-way on the Wirral Peninsula, and is mostly incorporated into the town of Bebington and the most westerly point of Spital forms the most northern edge of Bromborough.Spital is primarily a...
, Storeton
Storeton
Storeton is a small village on the Wirral Peninsula, England. It is situated to the west of the town of Bebington and is made up of Great Storeton and Little Storeton, which is classified as a hamlet...
and Woodhey.
Bebington railway station
Bebington railway station
Bebington railway station serves the town of Bebington on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The station is situated on the Chester and Ellesmere Port branches of the Wirral Line, forming part of the Merseyrail network.- History :...
opened in 1838 and is situated on the Wirral Line
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
of the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
network.
History
The Church of St. AndrewSt Andrew's Church, Bebington
St Andrew's Church, Bebington is in the town of Bebington, Wirral, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The architectural historian Raymond Richards considers it to be the finest old parish church in Wirral...
, on a site occupied since Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, dates from the 14th and 16th centuries.
In 1838, the footprints of an archosaur later called the Chirotherium storetonese
Chirotherium
Chirotherium, also known as Cheirotherium , is the name of a Triassic archosaur known only from fossil imprints of its tracks...
were found in a sandstone bed at Storeton Quarry. Examples can be seen at the Liverpool Museum and at Christ Church within the parish of Higher Bebington. Also a small example can be seen at Higher Bebington Junior School, in their reception area.
Stone quarried at Bebington was used for the construction of Birkenhead Town Hall
Birkenhead Town Hall
Birkenhead Town Hall is a town hall and former civic building in Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The building was the former administrative headquarters of the County Borough of Birkenhead, and more recently, council offices for the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Birkenhead Town Hall...
, some of the villas around Birkenhead
Birkenhead Park
Birkenhead Park is a public park in the centre of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847...
and Rock
Rock Ferry
Rock Ferry is an area of Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974, it was part of the county of Cheshire...
Parks and most famously of all the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The stone is considered to be a high quality sandstone which is creamy in appearance. The Quarries were eventually filled in with debris removed during the construction of the two Mersey Tunnels
Mersey Tunnels
The Mersey Tunnels connect Liverpool with the Wirral Peninsula, under the River Mersey. There are three tunnels: the Mersey Railway Tunnel , and two road tunnels, the Queensway Tunnel and the Kingsway Tunnel...
.
Mayer Hall, Bebington Village, was formerly an art gallery built by Joseph Mayer, a Liverpool Businessman. It is now a community resource and still boasts many of its original features.
The Brackenwood golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
was cited in 2004 as a likely site for the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.
Education
Bebington contains eight main schools; Wirral Grammar School for BoysWirral Grammar School for Boys
Wirral Grammar School for Boys, founded in 1931, is situated on Cross Lane, Bebington, on the Wirral Peninsula in England.-Admissions:It is a foundation school, located within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and requires all potential pupils to take, and pass, the eleven plus exam exam prior to...
, Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Wirral Grammar School for Girls is an all-girls grammar school located on the Wirral Peninsula, United Kingdom.-Admissions:It is situated on Heath Road, Bebington, on the Wirral Peninsula, England, next door to Wirral Grammar School for Boys. The school consists of lower school and Sixth Form ,...
, St. John Plessington Catholic College, Higher Bebington Junior School, Bebington High Sports College, Brackenwood Junior School, Stanton Road Primary School, St Andrew's Primary School, Town Lane Infants School.
Cultural references
The Oval Sports Centre was used in the film, Chariots of FireChariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
, to portray the 1924 Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
Olympic Stadium in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Notable people
- Singer Pete BurnsPete BurnsPete Burns is an English singer-songwriter, author and television personality who founded the band Dead or Alive in 1980, for which he acted as the vocalist and songwriter, and which rose to mainstream success with their 1985 single "You Spin Me Round "...
, born 1959 in Port Sunlight, Bebington. - Film director Alex CoxAlex CoxAlexander Cox is a British film director, screenwriter, nonfiction author and sometime actor, notable for his idiosyncratic style and approach to scripts...
was born in Bebington in 1954. - The historian and antiquarian Hilda R. Ellis Davidson (1914-2006) was born in Bebington.
- Professional footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er Dixie DeanDixie DeanWilliam Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
(1907-1980), lived in Higher Bebington. - Lottie DodLottie DodCharlotte "Lottie" Dod was an English sportswoman best known as a tennis player. She won the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Championship five times, the first one when she was only fifteen, in the summer of 1887...
(1871-1960), "the most versatile female athlete of all time" and five times WimbledonThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
tennis champion, was born in Bebington. - Michael GoodliffeMichael GoodliffeLawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe was an English actor best known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working class parts....
(1914-1976), film and television actor was born in Bebington. - The authors Roger Lancelyn Green (1918-1987) and Richard Lancelyn GreenRichard Lancelyn GreenRichard Lancelyn Green was a British scholar of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, generally considered the world's foremost scholar of these topics.-Background:...
(1953-2004) lived in Poulton Lancelyn, Bebington. - Kenneth HalliwellKenneth HalliwellKenneth Halliwell was a British actor and writer. He was the mentor, boyfriend and eventual murderer of playwright Joe Orton.- Childhood :...
, partner and murderer of playwright Joe OrtonJoe OrtonJohn Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
, was born in Heath Road and attended Wirral Grammar SchoolWirral Grammar School for BoysWirral Grammar School for Boys, founded in 1931, is situated on Cross Lane, Bebington, on the Wirral Peninsula in England.-Admissions:It is a foundation school, located within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and requires all potential pupils to take, and pass, the eleven plus exam exam prior to...
. - Professional footballer Brian HarrisBrian Harris (footballer)Brian Lake , born Brian Harris, is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League ....
(1935-2008), was born in Bebington. - Frances JacsonFrances JacsonFrances Margaretta Jacson was an English novelist.-Family commitments:...
, novelist (1754-1842), was born in Bebington. - Phil LiggettPhil LiggettPhil Liggett, MBE is a British commentator and journalist who covers professional cycling. He currently commentates on the Tour de France and bike races for Versus, ITV and SBS...
, cycling commentator, was born in Bebington. - Chris MalkinChris MalkinChristopher Gregory Malkin is a former English professional football player. He played as a centre-forward....
, former professional footballer, was born 1967 in Bebington. - Jan RavensJan RavensJanet "Jan" Ravens is an English actress and impressionist, famous for her voices on Spitting Image and Dead Ringers.-Early life:...
, impressionist and actress, born in Bebington in 1958. - Carl ReesCarl ReesCarl Rees is the head coach of the Fairfield Stags men's soccer team where he was the 1998 NSCAA New England Coach of the Year and the 1998 and 2011 MAAC Coach of the Year. Rees is the Director of Coaching for Everton America, an official partner of Everton FC of the English Premier League...
, head coach of American Fairfield Stags men's soccerFairfield Stags men's soccerThe Fairfield Stags men's soccer team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games at Lessing Field on the campus of Fairfield University...
team - The writer Anthony PeakeAnthony PeakeAnthony Peake is a British writer whose work focuses on near-death experience, deja vu and the nature of reality.Peake has suggested a different explanation as to what happens to human consciousness at the point of death. This theory, which he terms Cheating the Ferryman was first published in the...
, was born in Bebington in 1954 and now lives in Spital. - Ted RobbinsTed RobbinsTed Robbins is an English comedian, actor, broadcaster, radio DJ, radio personality, voice-over artist and television personalityRobbins currently presents a morning show on BBC Radio Lancashire from 9am - 11am on weekdays....
, entertainer and actor, was a resident of the town. - Chris SharrockChris SharrockChris Sharrock is an English drummer from Bebington, Merseyside, England who has a long history of being an official member of many noted British bands, including The Icicle Works, The La's, The Wild Swans, World Party, The Lightning Seeds, The Robbie Williams Band, Oasis, and Beady...
, ex Icicle WorksIcicle WorksThe Icicle Works were an English alternative rock band of the 1980s. Named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl, The Icicle Works joined Liverpool's early 1980s 'neo-psychedelia' wave, which also propelled Echo & the Bunnymen and The...
, OasisOasis (band)Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and current Beady EyeBeady EyeBeady Eye are an English rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of vocalist Liam Gallagher, guitarist Gem Archer and guitarist Andy Bell, all former members of Oasis, rounded by drummer and percussionist Chris Sharrock who substituted for Oasis during their last tour in 2008/2009, before Oasis...
drummer, born in Bebington in 1964. - Harold WilsonHarold WilsonJames Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
(1916-1995), British Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, lived in the area from the age of 16 and was head boy at Wirral Grammar SchoolWirral Grammar School for BoysWirral Grammar School for Boys, founded in 1931, is situated on Cross Lane, Bebington, on the Wirral Peninsula in England.-Admissions:It is a foundation school, located within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and requires all potential pupils to take, and pass, the eleven plus exam exam prior to...
. - Professional rugby player Matt CairnsMatt CairnsMatt Cairns is a rugby union footballer who plays at hooker for Harlequins and has been capped for the England national side as well as representing England in the Saxons and Sevens teams as well as at several age group levels...
was brought up in Spital and attended Wirral Grammar School for boys.
See also
- Bebington parliamentary constituencyBebington (UK Parliament constituency)Bebington was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1950 to 1974. The constituency was centred on the town of Bebington on the Wirral Peninsula, England.-History:...
(1950United Kingdom general election, 1950The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
– Feb 1974United Kingdom general election, February 1974The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
) - Bebington and Ellesmere Port parliamentary constituencyBebington and Ellesmere Port (UK Parliament constituency)Bebington and Ellesmere Port was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system...
(Feb 1974United Kingdom general election, February 1974The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
– 1983United Kingdom general election, 1983The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
) - :Category:People from Bebington