-
- This article is about the village on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded to the west by the River Dee, which forms the boundary with Wales, and to the east by the River Mersey. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the merits of each form are the subject of local...
. See also Meols CopMeols Cop is an area of Southport, Merseyside in north-western England. It is not to be confused with Meols on the Wirral Peninsula. The two can be differentiated by pronunciation — Meols Cop is pronounced Meels, but Meols, Wirral is pronounced Mells.The area is served by trains to Southport...
for the SouthportSouthport is a seaside town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the north of Liverpool and west-southwest of Preston...
suburb.
Meols is a
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
on the northern coast of the
Wirral PeninsulaWirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded to the west by the River Dee, which forms the boundary with Wales, and to the east by the River Mersey. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the merits of each form are the subject of local...
,
MerseysideMerseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. Taking its name from the River Mersey, Merseyside came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974, after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, and the county consists of five metropolitan...
,
EnglandEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is generally paired with its neighbour, the larger town of
HoylakeHoylake is a seaside town on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. It is located at the north western corner of the peninsula, near to the town of West Kirby and where the River Dee estuary meets the Irish Sea...
, situated immediately to the west. Formerly, Meols was in the county of
CheshireCheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...
. Since 1 April 1974 it has been in the
Metropolitan Borough of WirralThe Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, North West England, which occupies the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula....
. The
2001 CensusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
recorded the population of Meols as 5,110 (2,380 males, 2,730 females).
Meols was named as such by the Vikings; its original name from the
Old NorseOld Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
for 'sand dunes' was
melr,
becoming
melas by the time of the Domesday Survey.
Impressive archaeological finds dating back to the
NeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BCE in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age...
period suggest that the site was an important centre in antiquity.
-
- This article is about the village on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded to the west by the River Dee, which forms the boundary with Wales, and to the east by the River Mersey. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the merits of each form are the subject of local...
. See also Meols CopMeols Cop is an area of Southport, Merseyside in north-western England. It is not to be confused with Meols on the Wirral Peninsula. The two can be differentiated by pronunciation — Meols Cop is pronounced Meels, but Meols, Wirral is pronounced Mells.The area is served by trains to Southport...
for the SouthportSouthport is a seaside town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the north of Liverpool and west-southwest of Preston...
suburb.
Meols is a
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
on the northern coast of the
Wirral PeninsulaWirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded to the west by the River Dee, which forms the boundary with Wales, and to the east by the River Mersey. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the merits of each form are the subject of local...
,
MerseysideMerseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. Taking its name from the River Mersey, Merseyside came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974, after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, and the county consists of five metropolitan...
,
EnglandEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is generally paired with its neighbour, the larger town of
HoylakeHoylake is a seaside town on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. It is located at the north western corner of the peninsula, near to the town of West Kirby and where the River Dee estuary meets the Irish Sea...
, situated immediately to the west. Formerly, Meols was in the county of
CheshireCheshire ; also known, archaically, as the County of Chester) is a ceremonial county in North West England. The traditional county town is the city of Chester, although Cheshire's largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Widnes, Runcorn, Macclesfield,...
. Since 1 April 1974 it has been in the
Metropolitan Borough of WirralThe Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, North West England, which occupies the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula....
. The
2001 CensusA nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
recorded the population of Meols as 5,110 (2,380 males, 2,730 females).
History
Meols was named as such by the Vikings; its original name from the
Old NorseOld Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
for 'sand dunes' was
melr,
becoming
melas by the time of the Domesday Survey.
Impressive archaeological finds dating back to the
NeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BCE in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age...
period suggest that the site was an important centre in antiquity. Since about 1810, a large number of artefacts have been found relating to pre-Roman
CarthageCarthage refers both to an ancient city in present-day Tunisia, and a modern-day suburb of Tunis. The civilization that developed within the city's sphere of influence is referred to as Punic or Carthaginian...
, the
Iron AgeIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
, the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
, the
Anglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading Germanic tribes in the south and east of Great Britain from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, to the Norman conquest of 1066...
and the Vikings. These include items as varied as coins, tokens, brooches, pins, knives, glass beads, keys, pottery, flint tools, mounts, pilgrim badges, pieces of leather, worked wood and iron tools. They came to be discovered after the beginning of large-scale dredging (to accommodate the needs of the nearby growing seaport of
LiverpoolLiverpool 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...
) started to cause notable sand erosion along the coastline near Meols. These finds suggest that the site was used as a port as far back as the
Iron AgeIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
some 2400 years ago, and was once the most important seaport in the present-day northwest of England. Thus trading connections are believed to have reached far across Europe.
Many of the present day inhabitants of Meols show Viking ancestry. In 2002,
University of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university in the city of Nottingham, England, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
researchers began investigating the degree of Viking blood still extant in the village.
Meols is an amalgam of the two former villages of Great Meols and Little Meols. Both were townships in West Kirby Parish of the Wirral Hundred, becoming part of Hoylake cum West Kirby
civil parishIn England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and in some places the lowest tier of local government, below districts and counties. A civil parish can alternatively be known as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council; and in a limited number of...
in 1894. Great Meols had a population of 140 in 1801, 170 in 1851 and 821 in 1901.
The name Little Meols fell out of use in
VictorianThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
times, having been absorbed by Hoylake. From 123 inhabitants in 1801 and 170 in 1851, by 1901 at 2,850, its population had outstripped Great Meols.
The name Great Meols was still in use up to the 1960s, for instance in postal addresses and on the destination indicators of buses from
ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, but not as the name of the
railway stationMeols railway station is situated in Meols, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.-History:Meols was one of the original stations on the Hoylake Railway, opening in 1866...
. Little Meols was situated to the west (towards Hoylake), in the area served by
Manor Road railway stationManor Road railway station is situated between Hoylake and Meols on the Wirral, Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.-History:...
.
Meols was known to be spelt as
Meolse up until when the railway station was placed. The error came about at the time of the station's construction, when rail managers took the spelling of Meols from the Southport suburb of
Meols CopMeols Cop is an area of Southport, Merseyside in north-western England. It is not to be confused with Meols on the Wirral Peninsula. The two can be differentiated by pronunciation — Meols Cop is pronounced Meels, but Meols, Wirral is pronounced Mells.The area is served by trains to Southport...
and used it for new signage.
Description
Meols is mainly residential with a small yacht and fishing community on its
Irish SeaThe Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Britain. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean in the south by St George's Channel, and in the north by the North Channel...
shore line. The centre has a small row of shops adjacent to
Meols railway stationMeols railway station is situated in Meols, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.-History:Meols was one of the original stations on the Hoylake Railway, opening in 1866...
. There is a local community park known as
Meols Park Recreation GroundMeols Park and Recreation Ground is located in Meols, Wirral, Merseyside, England. Nearest village to Meols is Hoylake. Meols Park consists of a small playground area and a larger grassed area with a football kickabout area. The park straddles School Lane and is bordered by Mumfords Lane, Greenwood...
and a Meols
bowling greenA bowling green is a finely-laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of flat lawn for playing the game of lawn bowls.Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on them...
. The Friends of Meols Park are a community group set up in 2007 to help maintain and improve the Recreation Ground.
It was home to the cyclist
Chris BoardmanChris Boardman is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times as well as wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France. He is known as a specialist in the individual...
, winner of a gold medal for Great Britain at the
1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain in 1992.-Host city selection:...
, before he moved to Hoylake.
In the 1930s a clinker-built boat was discovered in rebuilding the Railway Inn
public houseA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises in countries and regions of British influence. Although the terms often have different connotations, there is little definitive difference between pubs, bars,...
.
Ground-penetrating radarGround-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This non-destructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
equipment was used in September 2007 to confirm the existence of the boat. The vessel is believed to be lying beneath approximately 6ft to 10ft (2m to 3m) of
clayClay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, which show plasticity through a variable range of water content, and which can be hardened when dried and/or fired...
.
Professor Stephen Harding, of the University of Nottingham, is seeking funds for an excavation and removal to a museum.
Cultural references
Andy McCluskeyAndy McCluskey is the lead singer, bass guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark...
of the 1980s
electronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England. OMD record for Virgin Records ....
(OMD) is from Meols. OMD had a track called
Red Frame/White Light"Red Frame/White Light" is the second single of the synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The song is about the red telephone box in Meols that was used by the band to make calls to organise their gigs.-Telephone box:...
which referred to the public telephone box between the church and the Railway Inn in Meols. Hidden within the lyrics was the telephone number of the telephone box (6323003). It is claimed that fans would call that telephone number from all over the world.
The television sitcom
WatchingWatching is a British television sitcom, produced by Granada Television for the ITV network and broadcast for seven series and four specials between 1987 and 1993....
, produced by
Granada TelevisionGranada Television is the United Kingdom ITV contractor for North West England and the Isle of Man.It is the only one of the original four ITA franchisees from 1954 that survived as a franchise holder into the twenty-first century. Broadcasting began on 3 May 1956, with the company originally...
between 1987 and 1993, utilised Meols as a filming location. This was likely due to the fact that the characters Malcolm & Mrs Stoneway lived in the village.
Transport
Rail
| Station |
Operator |
Route |
Days of Operation |
MeolsMeols railway station is situated in Meols, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.-History:Meols was one of the original stations on the Hoylake Railway, opening in 1866...
|
MerseyrailMerseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter rail network, centred on Liverpool in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The system has 67 stations spread across 75 miles of track, and runs underground and overground, carrying over 100,000 passengers each day...
|
Wirral LineThe Wirral Line is one of the two commuter lines operated by Merseyrail on Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line . It connects Liverpool with the Wirral Peninsula, with branches to New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester and Ellesmere Port...
(West Kirby-Liverpool Central) |
Monday-Sunday |
Bus
| Number |
Route |
Operator |
Days of Operation |
| 38 |
West Kirby-New Ferry |
First Chester & The Wirral First Chester & The Wirral is a division of bus operator First Potteries Ltd., running local bus services in and around Chester and the Wirral, north west England. The company is a subsidiary of FirstGroup plc, the largest bus operator in Britain....
|
Monday-Saturday |
| 83/83A |
West Kirby-Birkenhead |
Avon Buses |
Monday-Friday |
| 138 |
Newton-Meols |
A1A Travel |
Monday-Saturday |
| 186 |
Eastham Ferry-Leasowe |
Avon Buses |
Evenings and Sundays |
External links