Prescot
Prescot | ||
---|---|---|
Town | ||
Metropolitan county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | PRESCOT | |
Postcode district | L34/L35 | |
Dialling code | 0151 | |
Police | Merseyside | |
Fire | Merseyside | |
Ambulance | North West | |
UK Parliament | ||
Prescot is a town and
Prescot marks the beginning of the A58 road which runs through to Wetherby, near Leeds in West Yorkshire. The town is served by Prescot railway station and Eccleston Park railway station in neighbouring Eccleston.History
Prescot's name is believed to be derived from the
In the 14th century,
In 1593, the English political philosopher Gerrard Winstanley's parents, Edward and Isabell Winstanley, originally from Wigan, were married in Prescot.
From the mid-1590s to 1609, Prescot was home to the
During the 18th and 19th centuries it was at the centre of the watch- and clock-making industry. This ended with the failure of the Lancashire Watch Company in 1910. In later years the BICC company was the primary industrial employer in the town. BICC ceased operations in Prescot in the early 1990s before the site was demolished and later cleared. The land remained desolate until 2000 when it was then regenerated into what is now known as Cables Retail Park, the name of which is a reference to the BICC and the history of the site on which it was built.[8]
Governance
Prescot has historically lain within the historic county of Lancashire. The town was contained in the Prescot Urban District in the administrative county of Lancashire from 1894. When the administrative counties were abolished in 1974 the district became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. It is currently served by Prescot Town Council. The current iteration of Prescot Town Hall is a converted public house: the conversion works were completed in 2014.[9]
Churches
The centre of Prescot has seven churches. Dominating the skyline is the 17th-century
Places of worship shut down or moved over the past 20 years include the United Reformed church, the Kingdom Hall (Jehovah's Witnesses) and an independent charismatic church called simply Prescot Christian Fellowship.
Tourism, leisure and places of interest
Prescot
On the edge of the town is the famous estate of Lord Derby, which includes Knowsley Safari Park.
In recent years, a number of cultural and arts events have been established in the town, including the annual 10-day Prescot Festival of Music and the Arts and an annual
The Shakespeare North Trust promotes
Stone Street,(53°25′45″N 2°48′17″W / 53.42917°N 2.80472°W) running between High Street and Eccleston Street, is just 26 inches wide at its southern end and is one of the narrowest streets in Britain.
Sport
The area's local football team Prescot Cables currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One at Valerie Park. Prescot & Odyssey Cricket Club is located near Knowsley Safari Park.
Historic estates
The estate of Parr
Notable residents
- Screenwriter Peter Briggs who wrote the film Hellboy, was born in neighbouring Whiston and grew up in Prescot.
- Actor Daniel Craig (James Bond 007), spent at least part of his childhood growing up in Prescot.
- Former Hollyoaks actress Stephanie Davis.
- Frederick Griffith (1877–1941) bacteriologist, was born in Prescot
- Former Bolton Wanderers.
- Actress
- Actress Christine Kavanagh (Seaforth, The Glass Virgin); was born in Prescot.
- Actor Sam Kelly (Porridge, The Two Ronnies, All or Nothing, 'Allo 'Allo!).
- Shakespearean actor John Philip Kemble was born in Prescot.[10] His house has since been demolished, but the road has been renamed Kemble Street. The John Kemble Pub (later renamed ‘The Bath Springs’) stood in his honour.
- Electrical engineer, scientist and entrepreneur Professor Peter Lawrenson was born in Prescot.
- Nonsense-poet and artist Edward Lear.
- Classical pianist Prescot Grammar School..
- Former Prescot Cablesand won 2 First Division titles and appeared in an FA Cup final for Huddersfield Town.
- Former Everton manager Dick Molyneux; who won Everton's first League Title was born in Prescot.
- Dave McCabe – Lead singer of the Merseyside band the Zutons.
- Danny McCall, former Brookside actor and star of West-End hit The Sound of Fury, based on the life of Billy Fury.
- Australian politician Jeanette Powell; born in Prescot, emigrated as a child.[13]
- Reverend St Mary's Church from 1927 to 1931.[14]
- Prescot Grammar School.
- Singer/songwriter Lally Stott most famous for the hit single Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.
- Prescot Grammar School.
- Organist Professor Ian Tracey of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
- Professor neurosurgeon who served twenty-six years as the FIA Formula OneSafety Delegate and Medical Delegate, head of the Formula One on-track medical team, and first responder in case of a crash.
- Former Mark Ward; lived in Prescot at time of arrest.
- Philosopher Peter Critchley was born in Prescot on August 31, 1965.
- Comedian Paul Smith attended Prescot Grammar School and resides in Prescot.
- Oliver Quick (Fictional) in the movie Saltburn is from Prescot
See also
- Listed buildings in Prescot
- Prescot reservoir
- The Prescot School
References
- ^ a b 2001 Census: Prescot, Office for National Statistics, archived from the original on 29 June 2011, retrieved 26 May 2008
- ^ "Prescot East Ward population 2011". Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ "Prescot West Ward population 2011". Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ^ Prescot Origins and History (PDF), Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, retrieved 5 November 2023
- ^ Edward Baines, William Robert Whatton, Brooke Herford, James Croston, The history of the county palatine and duchy of Lancaster, vol. 5 (J. Heywood, 1893), p. 2
- ISBN 1-4438-2964-1.
- ISBN 0 902593 48 X.
- ^ BICC was Prescot, Prescot was BICC, archived from the original on 21 July 2006, retrieved 9 June 2006
- ^ "History – Prescot". Archives Resource for Knowsley. Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Paton, Maureen (26 March 2007), "Shakespeare's Globe goes North", The Daily Telegraph, London, retrieved 26 April 2016
- ^ Snow, Georgia (22 April 2016). "£19m Merseyside Shakespeare theatre gets green light". The Stage. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- ^ G. E. Cokayne, The Complete Peerage, n.s., Vol.IX, p. 669
- ^ biographic detail at vic.gov.au
- ^ Crockfords Clerical Directory for 1931 OUP (1931) p1059
External links
- Liverpool Street Gallery – Liverpool 34
- Arts in Prescot News about arts and entertainment in the area, including the Annual Prescot Festival of Music and the Arts
- Historical Archives Local government collection of pictures, photos and information about the town
- The Prescotian Site for alumni of the historic Prescot Grammar School
- Prescot Parish Church
- Prescot Roll of Honour Web site dedicated to the commemoration of the men of Prescot who gave their lives in the Great War 1914–1919
- Prescot History in Films A collection of Films Old & New depicting Prescot through the ages.