Seaforth, Merseyside
Encyclopedia
Seaforth is a district within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside
, England
. It is located to the north of Liverpool
, between Bootle
and Waterloo.
sæ-fjord, sæ-ford, "sea inlet". It was recorded as Safforde "sea ford" in 1128, suggesting Old English name origins. Another theory for the name of the area is that the name was taken from Seaforth House
, named after Lord Seaforth namely Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
whom built the mansion in 1813 for his daughter and her husband sir John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom four times.
Seaforth Dock
opened in 1972 and is the largest dock facility on the River Mersey
. It is part of the Port of Liverpool
and Liverpool Freeport.
part of Lancashire
. Seaforth joined Crosby
Municipal Borough
in 1937 having previously been part of Waterloo with Seaforth
urban district
. The whole of Crosby became part of the new Metropolitan Borough of Sefton on 1 April 1974.
From 1918 until 1950 Seaforth was within the Parliamentary seat known as the Waterloo
constituency, a safe seat for the Conservative Party
. Until 2010 Seaforth was within the boundaries of the Crosby
constituency, whose MP
from 1997 till 2010 was Claire Curtis-Thomas
, a member of the Labour Party
. Prior to her election the Crosby seat was generally considered to be a Conservative Party stronghold, like its predecessor seat, with Tory MPs elected at every election barring the Crosby by-election, 1981
where Shirley Williams of the Social Democratic Party
was elected. As a result of boundary revisions for the 2010 general election the Crosby constituency was abolished and Seaforth was included in the expanded Bootle
constituency represented by the Labour MP Joe Benton
.
For elections to Sefton Council Seaforth is within the Church
electoral ward and is represented by three councillors, all members of the Labour Party
.
in the north, Litherland
to the east, Bootle
to the south, and the River Mersey and the Port of Liverpool to the west. It is mainly an area of Victorian
terraced housing.
branch of Merseyrail
's Northern Line
. Principal roads include the A565
and the A5036
.
.
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 is located to the north 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...
, between Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
and Waterloo.
History
The name of Seaforth is thought to come from the Old NorseOld Norse
Old 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....
sæ-fjord, sæ-ford, "sea inlet". It was recorded as Safforde "sea ford" in 1128, suggesting Old English name origins. Another theory for the name of the area is that the name was taken from Seaforth House
Seaforth House
Seaforth House was a mansion in Seaforth, Merseyside England built in 1813 for Sir John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom four times....
, named after Lord Seaforth namely Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
Francis Humberston Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth FRS was a British politician and general and Chief of the Highland Clan Mackenzie....
whom built the mansion in 1813 for his daughter and her husband sir John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom four times.
Seaforth Dock
Seaforth Dock
Seaforth Dock is a purpose-built dock and container terminal, on the River Mersey, England, at Seaforth, to the north of Liverpool. As part of the Port of Liverpool and Liverpool Freeport, it is operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company...
opened in 1972 and is the largest dock facility on 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....
. It is part of the Port of Liverpool
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river...
and Liverpool Freeport.
Governance
Seaforth is historicallyHistoric counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. Seaforth joined Crosby
Crosby, Merseyside
Crosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
Municipal Borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
in 1937 having previously been part of Waterloo with Seaforth
Waterloo with Seaforth
Waterloo with Seaforth was an Urban District in the administrative county of Lancashire until 1937 when it was annexed to the municipal borough of Crosby, Merseyside. It included the settlements of Seaforth and Waterloo....
urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
. The whole of Crosby became part of the new Metropolitan Borough of Sefton on 1 April 1974.
From 1918 until 1950 Seaforth was within the Parliamentary seat known as the Waterloo
Waterloo (UK Parliament constituency)
Waterloo was a parliamentary constituency centred on the district of Waterloo north of Liverpool in Lancashire. It 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.- History :The constituency was created...
constituency, a safe seat for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. Until 2010 Seaforth was within the boundaries of the Crosby
Crosby (UK Parliament constituency)
Crosby was a constituency in Merseyside, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
constituency, whose MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from 1997 till 2010 was Claire Curtis-Thomas
Claire Curtis-Thomas
Claire Curtis-Thomas is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Crosby from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
, a member of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. Prior to her election the Crosby seat was generally considered to be a Conservative Party stronghold, like its predecessor seat, with Tory MPs elected at every election barring the Crosby by-election, 1981
Crosby by-election, 1981
The Crosby by-election, 1981 was a by-election held in England on 26 November 1981 to elect a new Member of Parliament for the House of Commons constituency of Crosby on Merseyside...
where Shirley Williams of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
was elected. As a result of boundary revisions for the 2010 general election the Crosby constituency was abolished and Seaforth was included in the expanded Bootle
Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)
Bootle is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. Since 1990 the MP has been Joe Benton of the Labour Party...
constituency represented by the Labour MP Joe Benton
Joe Benton
Joseph Edward Benton is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bootle since 1990.-Early life:...
.
For elections to Sefton Council Seaforth is within the Church
Church (Sefton ward)
Church is a Metropolitan Borough of Sefton ward in the Bootle Parliamentary constituency that covers the localities of Seaforth and Waterloo.-Councillors:-Elections of the 2010s:-References:...
electoral ward and is represented by three councillors, all members of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
Geography
Seaforth is situated between WaterlooWaterloo, Sefton
Waterloo is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England.Waterloo is home to The Plaza Community Cinema and three primary schools...
in the north, Litherland
Litherland
Litherland is a suburban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It was formerly an urban district, which included Seaforth and Ford...
to the east, Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
to the south, and the River Mersey and the Port of Liverpool to the west. It is mainly an area of Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
terraced housing.
Transport
Seaforth is served by Seaforth and Litherland railway station on the Liverpool to SouthportSouthport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
branch of 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...
's Northern Line
Northern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
. Principal roads include the A565
A565 road
The A565 is a road in England that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside to Tarleton in Lancashire. It is a primary route linking the town of Southport to Liverpool and to Preston ....
and the A5036
A5036 road
The A5036 is a road in Merseyside, England, which comprises two separate sections separated by a gap of .The northern section is a section of trunk road, travelling from Seaforth through Litherland before terminating at the Switch Island junction in Netherton...
.
.