Bidston
Bidston | ||
---|---|---|
Village | ||
Metropolitan county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | PRENTON | |
Postcode district | CH43 | |
Dialling code | 0151 | |
ISO 3166 code | GB-WRL | |
Police | Merseyside | |
Fire | Merseyside | |
Ambulance | North West | |
UK Parliament | ||
Bidston is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England.
Administratively, it is a
History
Bidston has been occupied since the
The original parish of Bidston comprised Bidston,
The residential buildings in the village core date from between the 16th and 18th century. Typically, these are former farmhouses, farm buildings and cottages, constructed from local red
Early modern
The
In the 19th century, Bidston underwent industrial expansion. The greatest effect was possibly the drainage of Bidston Moss, during the construction of
20th century
A goods
The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory's Joseph Proudman building was opened in Bidston in 1975,[16] surviving until 2013.
Geography
Bidston is in the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula, 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the Irish Sea at Leasowe, approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) east-north-east of the Dee Estuary at West Kirby and 4.2 km (2.6 mi) west of the River Mersey at Seacombe. The village of Bidston is situated on the north-western side of Bidston Hill, with the centre of the village at an elevation of approximately 16 m (52 ft) above sea level.[17]
The Birket passes between Bidston Village and Bidston Moss, before discharging into West Float and then into the River Mersey.
Government
Bidston is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. The village is part of the parliamentary constituency of Birkenhead. The current Member of Parliament is Mick Whitley, a Labour representative. He has been the MP since 2019 and currently holds a majority of 17,705.
The area is also part of a
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Julie MCMANUS | 1702 | 69.2 | -7.7 | |
UKIP
|
Debbie CAPLIN | 329 | 13.4 | +13.4 | |
Conservative | Nick HANNA | 190 | 7.72 | -2.98 | |
Green | Jayne Louise Stephanie CLOUGH | 107 | 4.35 | -1.36 | |
Liberal Democrats | Brian Downing GILL | 82 | 3.33 | +0.17 | |
TUSC | Benjamin HALLIGAN | 51 | 2.07 | -1.53 |
The electorate numbered 9,985, there was a turnout of 24.6% and the majority is 1,373.[20]
Economy
Retail
The major employers in Bidston are a 24-hour
Industrial estate
The Valley Road Industrial Estate includes the premises of
Bidston Moss also has one of the main waste and recycling centres for Wirral, which is operated by Veolia.[26] Originally part of the same site, the former Bidston tip was in operation from the 1930s, closing around 1997,[27] and then landscaped as part of the Bidston Moss Nature Reserve.
Community
Schools
Bidston Village Church of England Primary School is located in Ballantyne Drive, close to the centre of the village, and accommodates around 300 pupils.[28] Holy Cross Catholic Primary School is located on Gautby Road. The Observatory School, located on Bidston Village Road, is a community special school serving pupils aged 11–16.[29]
Churches
Leisure
A play and community centre is situated on Gautby Road, and a model boating lake is opposite.[33][34]
Public houses
The only operational public house, within the vicinity of the village, is The Bidston on Hoylake Road.[35] Bidston has had a couple of public houses closer to the centre of the village. The Ring 'o Bells Inn closed in 1868, and is now a residential property.[36] The Corsair closed prior to 2009, and the site was approved for a residential construction in 2015.[37]
Parks, commons and other green spaces
Bidston Hill comprises 100 acres (0.40 km2) of heathland and woodland maintained by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council as a nature reserve and public park. The land was purchased in stages from 1894 to 1908 by Birkenhead Corporation from local landowner Lord Vyner. It is the site of Bidston Windmill, built around 1800 and Bidston Observatory, owned by the Natural Environment Research Council.
Adjacent to Bidston Hill is Tam O'Shanter Cottage, which is believed to have been built about 300 years ago. Its name derives from a stone carving of the poem
Opposite the cottage is
Bidston Moss was originally low-lying wetland marsh at the head of Wallasey Pool. In 1936 most of the land was given over to residential, commercial and industrial landfill. Since the cessation of waste disposal operations in 1995, Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority and the charitable trust Groundwork Wirral have undertaken environmental restoration works to landscape the site.[40] The former landfill sites are now part of a nature reserve, which has several sections surrounding Bidston Moss Retail Park and Junction 1 of the M53.[41]
Bidston Village has won title of Best Small Village several times at the Northwest In Bloom awards.[42]
Sport
Bidston
Transport
Road
The village is nearest to the northern end of the
Rail
The locality is served by
Cycling
National Cycle Route 56 passes through the centre of the village, along Bidston Village Road and School Lane. The route continues alongside the A554 and turns off before Bidston Moss Retail Park, travelling between the retail park and the nature reserve and then beneath the M53 motorway. This route goes from Chester to Liverpool via Leasowe and Seacombe and includes part of the Wirral Way, along its course.
Notable people
- Lewis Collins, English actor, born in Bidston
- Elsie Kelly, English actress, lives in Bidston
- Harry B. Neilson, illustrator, lived at Meadowbank, 36 School Lane, Bidston[46]
See also
References
- ^ "Coordinate Distance Calculator". boulter.com. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ 2001 Census: Bidston, Office for National Statistics, archived from the original on 25 May 2011, retrieved 2 July 2007
- ^ "Bidston and St James". MapIt. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Ward population 2011". Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Wirral Historic Settlement Study" (PDF). Museum of Liverpool. pp. 8–10. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Bidston Hill", Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, archived from the original on 28 June 2008, retrieved 16 July 2010
- ^ a b c Randall 1984, pp. 60–66
- ^ "Bidston Village Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan" (PDF). Wirral Council. pp. 12–26. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Liverpool - Holyhead Semaphore Telegraph". History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ a b "Railways at Bidston". Disused Stations. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Bidston Aerodrome". History of the Wirral Peninsula. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Bidston Memories" (PDF). Tam O'Shanter Times. Summer 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ISSN 1360-2098.
- ^ "Bidston Hill, Wirral". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ Hughes, Lorna (22 November 2015). "Step inside Tranmere's hidden WWII tunnels". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "From Astronomy to Oceanography - A brief history of Bidston Observatory" (PDF). National Oceanography Centre. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "SRTM & Ordnance Survey Elevation Data in PHP". Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Wirral Borough Council, Your Councillors by Ward", archived from the original on 7 February 2014, retrieved 15 January 2017
- ^ "Election Result for 6 May 2016", Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, 5 May 2016, retrieved 15 January 2017
- ^ "Wirral Borough Council, Election Result for Bidston and St. James ward on 6 May 2016", 5 May 2016, retrieved 15 January 2017
- ^ "Design and Access Statement" (PDF). wirral.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Murphy, Liam (24 September 2015). "Aldi reveal plans for new Wirral store". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Hughes, Lorna (1 June 2016). "Step inside the new M&S food hall at Bidston Moss". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Lally, Kate (21 April 2016). "Hundreds queue for Aldi store launch in Wirral". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Park Group increases its coverage of the retail sector". Wirral Chamber of Commerce. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Household Waste Recycling Centres". Veolia. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ Bell, Tony (7 March 1995). "Survival on the Wirral". Independent. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Bidston Village CofE (Controlled) Primary School". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "The Observatory School". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Birkenhead Holy Cross". Taking Stock. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Church of the Holy Cross". Historic England. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Bidston Village Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan" (PDF). Wirral Council. p. 25. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Gautby Road Play & Community Centre". Ofsted. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ Barnes, Geoff (19 April 2011). "No steam ahead at Wirral boat lakes". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Bidston". WhatPub. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Bidston Village Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan" (PDF). Wirral Council. p. 6. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ Manning, Craig (18 September 2015). "Plans for flats on site of Bidston pub are approved". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ "Tam O'Shanter Urban Farm", Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, archived from the original on 9 January 2008, retrieved 16 July 2010
- ^ "Flaybrick Memorial Gardens: History", retrieved 18 March 2008
- ^ "Bidston Moss Vision Plan", Groundwork Wirral, retrieved 16 July 2010[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Site Context Plan - Bidston Moss" (PDF). Newlands Project. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ Manning, Craig (2 November 2015). "Bloomin' marvellous awards for Bidston village". Wirral Globe. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
- ^ "Course Tour". Bidston Golf Club. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "About Us". Bidston Golf Club. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ "Wirral Tennis and Leisure Centre". Wirral Council. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- ^ Christopher Proudlove, Life and times of a Comic Genius at writeantiques.blogspot.com, accessed 5 March 2019
Sources
- Randall, David (1984). The Search for Old Wirral. Countryvise. OCLC 263480984.
Bibliography
- Mortimer, William Williams (1847). The History of the Hundred of Wirral. London: Whittaker & Co. pp201-205.
- OCLC 521341.