Map showing the location of the Wirral at grid reference SJ285850

Wirral or The Wirral (IPA: [wɪɹəɫ]) is a peninsula in the north west of England, bounded by the River Dee to the west and the River Mersey to the east. Both terms "Wirral" and "The Wirral" are used locally, although the merits of each form are the subject of local debate. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 11 KB) Summary Description: A blank map of the United Kingdom, with country outline and coastline; contact the author for help with modifications or add-ons Source: Reference map provided by Demis Mapper 6 Date: 2006-21-06 Author: User... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... A peninsula in Croatia A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered on three or more sides by water. ... North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is God Save the Queen. See also Proposed English National Anthems. ... For other Rivers Dee in the UK, see River Dee. ... Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005 The River Mersey is a river in north-western England. ...

The roughly rectangular peninsula is about 10 miles (16.1 km) long and 7 miles (11.3 km) wide. The northern part constitutes the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, and the southern part the borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston in Cheshire. Wirral's boundary with the rest of Cheshire was officially 'Two arrow falls from Chester City Walls', as mentioned in the Domesday Book. Historically, some places within the Chester District (such as Ledsham, Puddington and even Saughall) have also been considered part of Wirral. The peninsula used to be entirely in Cheshire as a hundred. Wirral is a metropolitan borough in Merseyside, North West England, which occupies the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula, more commonly known as The Wirral. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. ... Ellesmere Port and Neston is a local government district, borough and parliamentary constituency in Cheshire, England. ... Cheshire (or, archaically, the County of Chester)[1] is a county in North West England. ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Chester is a local government district in Cheshire, North West England, with the status of a city. ... Ledsham is the name of more than one place in the United Kingdom: Ledsham, Cheshire Ledsham, West Yorkshire This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Puddington is a town on the Wirral Peninsula in England. ... Saughall is a civil parish and village in Cheshire, England. ... Cheshire (or, archaically, the County of Chester)[1] is a county in North West England. ... A hundred is an administrative division, frequently used in Europe and New England, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller geographical units. ...

History

Wirral was once an independent Viking mini-state with its parliament at Thingwall. Ancient Irish annals record the population of Wirral by Norsemen led by Ingimund expelled from Ireland and getting agreement from Aethelflaed or "Ethelfleda", Queen of the Mercian English to settle there peacefully. This can still be seen from place name evidence - such as the common '-by' (meaning 'town' in Danish) suffixes and names such as Tranmere, which comes from trani melr ("cranebird sandbank"). Similarly, archaeological finds (such as two hogback tombstones) corroborate this.^[1] For other uses, see Viking (disambiguation). ... Thingwall is a village on Wirral, Merseyside,England Originally a village in Woodchurch Parish, Wirral Hundred. ... Ethelfleda (alternative spelling Aethelfled, Æthelfleda or Æthelflæd) (872/879?-918) was the eldest daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and his wife Ealhswith. ... Mercia, sometimes spelled Mierce, was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy, in what is now England, in the region of the Midlands, with its heart in the valley of the River Trent and its tributary streams. ... It has been suggested that Ending (linguistics) be merged into this article or section. ... Tranmere may refer to: Tranmere, Merseyside is an area in Birkenhead. ...

Bromborough on the Wirral is also the probable site of an epic battle in 937, the Battle Of Brunanburh, which confirmed England as an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. This is the first battle where England came together as one country and thus historians consider it the birthplace of England. It is thought that the battlesite was so large that it covered a large area of Wirral. Egil's Saga, a story which tells of the battle, may have referred to Wirral as Wen Heath, Vínheíþr in Icelandic.^[1][2] Bromborough is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. ... The Battle of Brunanburh was a West Saxon victory in 937 by the army of king Athelstan and his brother Edmund over the combined armies of Olaf III Guthfrithson, Viking king of Dublin, Constantine, king of Scotland and King Owain of Strathclyde. ... The Anglo-Saxons refers collectively to the groups of Germanic tribes who achieved dominance in southern Britain from the mid-5th century, forming the basis for the modern English nation. ... Egill Skallagrímsson in a 17th century manuscript of Egils Saga Egils saga is an epic Icelandic saga attributed to Snorri Sturluson about Egill Skallagrímsson, an Icelandic viking and skald. ...

At the end of the twelfth century, Birchen Head Priory stood on a lonely headland of birch trees by the Mersey. It was from here, Merseyside's oldest building, that Benedictine monks operated the first Mersey ferry in 1330, having been granted a passage to Liverpool by a charter from Edward III. Birkenhead, the largest town on Wirral, received its name from the Priory. Birkenhead meaning 'headland with birch trees'. (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Birkenhead Priory Stained Glass at Birkenhead Priory Birkenhead Priory, Priory Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, England was founded about 1150 for the Benedictines, the parts that remain are open to the public. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... The River Mersey is a river in the north west of England. ... Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. ... For the college, see Benedictine College. ... The River Mersey is a river in the north west of England. ... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, circa 1945. ... Location within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region North West England Ceremonial county Historic county Merseyside Lancashire Admin HQ Liverpool City Centre Founded 1207 City Status 1880 Government  - Type Metropolitan borough, City  - Governing body Liverpool City Council Area  - Borough & City 43. ... This article is about the King of England. ... Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ...

The original ferry service, now famous throughout the world, put Wirral on the map as part of the King's highway, yet for centuries the peninsula remained a cluster of small holdings and hamlets. It wasn't until the 1820s that steam-powered boats improved communication and opened up Wirral's Mersey coast for industrialisation. The River Mersey is a river in the north west of England. ...

During the 14th century, a charter confirming the disafforestation of Wirral was issued by King Edward III. This took place on July 20, 1376.^[3] A royal forest has been a concept of land management England since the late eleventh century. ... This article is about the King of England. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events March – The treaty between England and France is extended until April of 1377. ...

The 1820s saw the birth of the renowned shipbuilding tradition when John Laird opened his Cammell Laird yard in Birkenhead. Cammell Laird logo Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. ...

Wirral's first railway was built in 1840 planned by George Stephenson and connected Birkenhead with Chester. This encouraged the growth of Wirral; Birkenhead and Wallasey grew into large towns. In 1847, Birkenhead's first docks and its municipal park, the first in Britain and the inspiration for New York's Central Park, were opened. George Stephenson George Stephenson For the British politician, see George Stevenson. ... Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ... For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ... Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ... Wallasey is a large town on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral. ... Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ... “NY” redirects here. ... Central Park is a large public, urban park (843 acres, 3. ...

The tunnel under the River Mersey for the Mersey Railway led to increased development after 1886. The first tunnel was supplemented by a vehicle tunnel in 1934 (Queensway) and a third in 1971 (Kingsway). Sign from the Water Street entrance to James Street. ... The Queensway Tunnel is a road tunnel under the River Mersey in Merseyside, in the north west of England, between Liverpool and Birkenhead. ... The Kingsway Tunnel is a road tunnel under the River Mersey in Merseyside, northwest England, between Liverpool and Wallasey. ...

During the Second World War it held two RAF airfield, RAF West Kirby and RAF Hooton Park (now the site of Vauxhall Motors Ellesmere Port factory) and a number of Anti Aircraft sites in order to protect the Birkenhead and Liverpool docks. Sunset over the Marine Lake West Kirby is a town located on the north west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For information about the football team see Vauxhall Motors F.C. Vauxhall Motors is a UK car company. ...

In 1929, the 3rd World Scout Jamboree was held at Arrowe Park and this celebrated the 21st Anniversary of the publication of Scouting for Boys. Thirty-five countries were represented by 30,000 Scouts, plus another 10,000 British Scouts who took the opportunity to camp in the vicinity. This was certainly the greatest assembly of international youth the world had ever seen up to that time.^{[citation needed]} Two things stand out from the Arrowe Park Jamboree - the numbers and the mud! During the occasion, it rained so much that the clay soil could not absorb the water and the site soon resembled a sea of mud! Cartoon in Punch, published in 1929 for the 3rd World Scout Jamboree The 3rd World Scout Jamboree was held in 1929 at Arrowe Park in Birkenhead, United Kingdom. ... Arrowe Park is an area of parklands, wood, heath & leisure facilities on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. ... Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship Through Woodcraft is the first book on Scouting. ... Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, so that they may play constructive roles in society. ...

Wirral's dockland areas of Wallasey and Birkenhead continued to develop and prosper. A host of other port-related industries then came into existence, such as flour milling, tanning, edible oil refining and the manufacture of paint and rubber-based products. A large chemical and oil refining complex is still in Ellesmere Port. Wallasey is a large town on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral. ... Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ... For other uses, see Flour (disambiguation). ... Synthetic motor oil An oil is any substance that is in a viscous liquid state (oily) at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer, and is both hydrophobic (immiscible with water, literally water fearing) and lipophilic (miscible with other oils, literally fat loving). This general definition includes compound classes with otherwise unrelated... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Another important development was the building, in 1888, of the now famous industrial village of Port Sunlight. This was designed to house employees at the original firm of Lever Brothers, now part of the Unilever group. The village, which turned Lord Leverhulme's philanthropic dream into reality provided workers with a benign environment. Port Sunlight Port Sunlight is a village on the Wirral (in the North West of England). ... Unilever is a widely listed [1] [2] multi-national corporation, formed of Anglo-Dutch parentage, that owns many of the worlds consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. ... Philanthropy is the act of donating money, goods, time, or effort to support a charitable cause, usually over an extended period of time and in regard to a defined objective. ...

Geography

Map of the Wirral

Wirral can be defined as both a geographical peninsula and socio-cultural area. . The current Metropolitan Borough of Wirral has a population of 312,293 people (according to the 2001 census) ^[4], and covers an area of 60.35 square miles, bounded by the Cheshire Plain, the River Dee and the River Mersey. The Irish Sea lies to its north west side.^[5] The Shropshire Union Canal joins the River Mersey at Ellesmere Port and the River Dee at Chester. This makes the geographical peninsula, as a technicality, an island. However, it has been noted that 'it is difficult to find any work in which there is a written description of the exact area defining The Wirral Peninsula.'^[6] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (804x619, 68 KB) Constructed from public domain data for digital map of the world I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (804x619, 68 KB) Constructed from public domain data for digital map of the world I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Wirral is a metropolitan borough in Merseyside, North West England, which occupies the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula, more commonly known as The Wirral. ... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... The Cheshire Plain bounds the Wirral Peninsula in England. ... River Dee may refer to: River Dee, Wales (Afon Dyfrdwy), mostly in North Wales, flowing from Snowdonia to Chester. ... Ferry across the Mersey, June 2005 The River Mersey is a river in north-western England. ... Relief map of the Irish Sea. ... The Shropshire Union Canal near Norbury Junction The Shropshire Union Canal is a canal linking Wolverhampton with the River Mersey. ...

In the north of the peninsula, the River Fender, Arrowe Brook and Greasby Brook drain into the River Birket, which itself flows into the River Mersey via Wallasey Pool (Birkenhead Docks). Further south, the River Clatter and River Dibbin drain into the Mersey at Bromborough Pool. ^[7] Wallasey Pool is a natural inlet of water and separates the towns of Wallasey and Birkenhead on the Wirral, Merseyside, England. ... Bromborough is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. ...

Two approximately parallel Triassic sandstone ridges run down the length of the peninsula. The western ridge is made up of Grange & Caldy Hills at 256 feet in height, then Thurstaston Hill (298 ft), Poll Hill in Heswall (350 ft, the highest point on the Wirral) and Burton (222 ft). The less continuous eastern ridge consists of Bidston Hill (231ft), Prenton (259ft) and Storeton Hill (229ft). ^[7] The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 ± 0. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Thurstaston is a village on The Wirral Peninsula and in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. ... , Heswall is a town on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. ... Burton is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, in the district of Ellesmere Port and Neston in Cheshire, England. ... Bidston Hill is 100 acres of heathland and woodland that contains historic buildings and mysterious rock carvings. ... Prenton is a suburb of Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula. ... Storeton is a town on the Wirral Peninsula in England. ...

The major urban centres of Wirral are to its east; these include Birkenhead and Wallasey. To the west and south, Wirral is more rural. Two thirds of the population of Wirral live on one third of the land - in Birkenhead and Wallasey, according to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Other towns to the south and west of this area are usually considered part of Wirral; notably, Ellesmere Port is often described as one of its 'border towns'.^[8] Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ... Wallasey is a large town on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Places on Wirral

The towns and villages on the Wirral are in one of three local authorities:

• The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral: Category:Towns and villages in Wirral
• The Borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston: Category:Ellesmere Port and Neston
• The following places on the Wirral are in Chester District: Capenhurst, Ledsham, Puddington, Saughall, and Shotwick.

Wirral is a metropolitan borough in Merseyside, North West England, which occupies the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula, more commonly known as The Wirral. ... Ellesmere Port and Neston is a local government district, borough and parliamentary constituency in Cheshire, England. ... Chester is a local government district in Cheshire, North West England, with the status of a city. ... Capenhurst is a village and civil parishes in Cheshire, England on The Wirral Peninsula. ... Ledsham is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, Cheshire, England. ... Puddington is a town on the Wirral Peninsula in England. ... Saughall is a civil parish and village in Cheshire, England. ... Shotwick is a town on the Wirral Peninsula in England. ...

Landmarks

Despite containing urban and industrial areas, Wirral still has picturesque villages, sandy beaches, large areas of land owned by the National Trust as well as views across the two estuaries and out into the Irish Sea.^[9] Many villages of Wirral are well preserved with their characteristic red sandstone buildings and walls. Sights or places of interest include: The standard of the National Trust The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as The National Trust, is a British preservation organization. ... Relief map of the Irish Sea. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ...

• Bidston Hill
• Caldy Hill
• Hilbre Island
• Lady Lever Art Gallery
• Thurstaston Common and Thor's Stone
• "The Thing" - site of Wirral's Viking parliament
• Mersey Ferry
• Ness Gardens
• North Wirral Coastal Park and Leasowe Lighthouse
• Port Sunlight
• Victorian Pleasure Gardens at Eastham Country Park
• Williamson Art Gallery
• Wirral Way and Hadlow Road railway station

Bidston Hill is 100 acres of heathland and woodland that contains historic buildings and mysterious rock carvings. ... Caldy Hill is an area of heath and woodland on a sandstone outcrop on the Wirral Peninsula. ... The Hilbre Group of islands in the estuary of the River Dee, and are part of the estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. ... Sunlight Soap magnate William Hesketh Lever, the first Lord Leverhulme, founded the Lady Lever Art Gallery in 1922 and dedicated it to the memory of his wife. ... Royden Park and Thurstaston Common comprise an area of almost 250 acres of parklands, wood and heath on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. ... Thingwall is a village on Wirral, Merseyside,England Originally a village in Woodchurch Parish, Wirral Hundred. ... The Mersey Ferry is a ferry operating on the River Mersey in England. ... Ness Botanic Gardens has evelved since Arthur Kilpin Bulley began to create a garden in 1898. ... The North Wirral Coastal Park in England is a coastal park including public open space, common land, natural foreshore and sand-dunes. ... Leasowe Lighthouse is a lighthouse at Leasowe, Wirral, Merseyside in the north west of England, and within the North Wirral Coastal Park, a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). ... Port Sunlight Port Sunlight is a village on the Wirral (in the North West of England). ... Eastham is a small town, located on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. ... The Williamson Art Gallery is on the Wirral Peninsula in England and houses Birkenheads collection of art. ... The Wirral Country Park is a Country Park on the Wirral Peninsula, England, lying both in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and the county of Cheshire. ... Hadlow Road railway station was a station on the Hooton to West Kirby line which served the village of Willaston. ...

Accents and dialects

The peninsula has a range of accents, though the proximity of the accents of Liverpool and Cheshire means that many people's are between the two. In Birkenhead, Wallasey and Moreton the influence of Liverpool is particularly strong, though the residents are sometimes disparagingly called Plastic Scousers. Accents in the South and West Wirral areas are not as strong, however. Neston once had a distinctive dialect derived from the migrant workers at the Denhall Colliery but this is now all but extinct.^[10] This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Moreton is the name of a number of settlements: In the United Kingdom Moreton, Dorset Moreton, Merseyside This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Neston is the name of more than one place in the United Kingdom: Neston, Cheshire Neston, Wiltshire This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος, dialektos) is a variety of a language characteristic of a particular group of the languages speakers. ...

Wirral in literature

• Sir Gawain spent Christmas on Wirral before his confrontation with the Green Knight.

The wilderness of Wirral:

few lived there

Who loved with a good heart

either God or man

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Wilfred Owen, one of the greatest poets of the First World War, grew up in Tranmere.
• Olaf Stapledon, a writer, spent much of his life in West Kirby and Caldy, and many landscapes mentioned in his works can be identified.
• Roger Lancelyn Green, the children's writer, lived at Poulton Hall in Poulton Lancelyn, Bebington.

In Arthurian legend, Sir Gawain (Gawan, Gawein) features as a knight of the Round Table. ... The original Gawain Manuscript, Cotton Nero A.x. ... Wilfred Edward Salter Owen, MC (March 18, 1893 – November 4, 1918) was a British poet and soldier, regarded by many as the leading poet of the First World War. ... Tranmere is an area in Birkenhead on the Wirral. ... William Olaf Stapledon (May 10, 1886 – September 6, 1950) was a British philosopher and author of several influential works of science fiction. ... Sunset over the Marine Lake West Kirby is a town located on the north west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. ... Caldy is a picturesque village on the Wirral Peninsula. ... Roger (Gilbert) Lancelyn Green (2 November 1918 – 8 October 1987) was a British biographer and childrens writer. ... Arms of Bebington Borough Council Location within the British Isles Bebington is a town in Merseyside, England. ...

Notable people

• Elvis Costello (Singer/songwriter lived in Birkenhead)
• Chris Boardman (cyclist)
• Ian Botham (cricketer)
• Adrian Boult (conductor)
• Pete Burns (singer/songwriter)
• Daniel Craig (actor) (Spent his teenage years on the Wirral)
• Lewis Collins (actor)
• Matt Dawson (rugby player and TV personality)
• Dixie Dean (footballer)
• Lottie Dod (Wimbledon tennis champion, "most versatile female athlete of all time")
• Michael Farnworth(British Columbia politician born in Bromborough)
• Wilfred Grenfell ("Grenfell of Labrador")
• Emma Hamilton (mistress of Horatio Nelson)
• Nathaniel Hawthorne (American writer; lived in Rock Ferry as US Consul)
• Austin Healey (rugby player)
• Paul Heaton (singer and song writer for the Beautiful South)
• Adrian Henri (poet and artist)
• Stephen Hough (pianist)
• Geoffrey Hughes (actor)
• Shirley Hughes (children's author and illustrator)
• Paul Humphreys (musician)
• Rita Hunter (Wagnerian soprano)
• Andrew Irvine (Everest climber)
• Glenda Jackson (actress and politician)
• Megs Jenkins (actress)
• Phil Liggett (cycling commentator)
• Jason McAteer (footballer)
• Andy McCluskey (musician)
• Paul O'Grady (comedian and TV personality)
• John Peel (disc jockey and radio presenter)
• Jan Ravens (actress and impressionist)
• Patricia Routledge (actress)
• Ted Robbins (comedian)
• Alan Rouse (famous climber)
• Cyril Scott (composer)
• FE Smith (Lord Chancellor)
• Ralph Steadman (artist)
• Philip Wilson Steer (impressionist painter)
• Ray Stubbs (sports commentator)
• Philip Toosey (hero of the Bridge on the River Kwai)
• Harold Wilson (Prime Minister - Head Boy of Wirral Grammar School)
• Marty Willson-Piper (guitarist for The Church)

Prose is writing distinguished from poetry by its greater variety of rhythm and its closer resemblance to the patterns of everyday speech. ... Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus August 25, 1954 in London) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. ... Chris Boardman (born August 26, 1968) is a former English racing cyclist who won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. ... Ian Terence Botham OBE, (born November 24, 1955 in Heswall, Cheshire) (nicknamed Both, Beefy, Beef or Guy the Gorilla) is a retired England Test cricketer. ... Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH (April 8, 1889 – February 22, 1983) was an English conductor. ... Peter Pete Burns (b. ... Daniel Wroughton Craig[1] (born 2 March 1968[2]) is a BAFTA-nominated English actor best known as the sixth actor to portray secret agent James Bond in the official film series from EON Productions. ... Lewis Collins (born 27 May 1946 in Bidston, Birkenhead, Merseyside) is a British actor. ... Matthew James Sutherland Daws Dawson MBE (born 31 October 1972 in Birkenhead) is a now retired English rugby union footballer who played scrum half for Wasps having played most of his career for Northampton Saints. ... William Ralph Dean (January 22, 1907 - March 1, 1980), popularly known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player and the most prolific goal-scorer in English football history,[1] best known for his legendary exploits at Everton. ... Charlotte Lottie Dod (24 September 1871–27 June 1960) was a British athlete best known as a tennis player. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mike Farnworth. ... Sir Wilfred Grenfell Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell (February 28, 1865-October 9, 1940) was a medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador. ... Emma Hamilton, in one of dozens of portraits by George Romney, at the height of her beauty in the 1780s Emma Hamilton (Lady Hamilton) (April 26, 1765 - January 16, 1815) is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson. ... Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. ... Austin Sean Healey (born 26th October, 1973 in Wallasey) is a rugby union footballer, who plays as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented England and the British Lions. ... Paul David Heaton (born May 9, 1962) is an English singer-songwriter. ... The Beautiful South are a British pop group formed at the end of the 1980s, from the ashes of Hull group The Housemartins. ... Adrian Henri (April 10, 1932 – December 21, 2000) was a British poet and painter. ... Stephen Hough (born November 22, 1961) is a British-born classical pianist and composer. ... Geoffrey Hughes as his character Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances. ... Shirley Hughes (born 16 July 1927, Liverpool, United Kingdom) is a English writer and illustrator. ... Paul Humphreys, is a British musician, born in London on 27th February 1960. ... Rita Hunter (August 15, 1933 – April 29, 2001) was a British operatic dramatic soprano, She was born in Wallasey, Cheshire. ... Andrew Sandy Irvine (April 8, 1902 – 8-9 June 1924) was an English mountaineer who took part in the third British Expedition to Mount Everest in 1924. ... Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson, CBE, (born 9 May 1936) is a two-time Academy Award-winning British actress and politician, currently Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hampstead and Highgate in the London Borough of Camden. ... Megs Jenkins (April 21, 1917 - October 5, 1998), was a British character actress who appeared in a huge number of British films and television programmes. ... Phil Liggett MBE (born 1943) is a sports journalist and commentator on the Outdoor Life Network for the Tour de France and other bike races. ... Jason Wynn McAteer (born on 18 June 1971 in Birkenhead, England) is a former Irish international football player. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Peel Sessions” redirects here. ... Jan Ravens (born May 14, 1958 in Bebington, Wirral) is an English actress and impressionist, famous for her voices on Spitting Image and Dead Ringers. ... Katherine Patricia Routledge CBE (born 17 February 1929) is a Tony Award-winning English actress who is best known to television audiences for her role of Hyacinth Bucket in the television comedy series Keeping Up Appearances. ... Ted Robbins (born in Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English comedian and actor. ... Alan Paul Rouse (b. ... Cyril Scott (1879–1970) was an English romanticist composer with some impressionist qualities. ... Time magazine, August 20, 1923 Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead, commonly known as F.E. Smith (July 12, 1872 - September 30, 1930) was a British Conservative statesman and lawyer of the early Twentieth Century. ... Ralph Steadman (born Wallasey, May 15, 1936) is a British cartoonist and caricaturist. ... Philip Wilson Steer OM (28 Dec 1860-18 March 1942) was an English artist. ... Ray Stubbs (born Wallasey, Merseyside, 1956) is a broadcaster and former footballer. ... Brigadier Sir Philip John Denton Toosey (12 August 1904 - 22 December 1975) was (as a Lieutenant-Colonel) the senior Allied officer in the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp at Tamarkan in Thailand during World War II. The men under his command built the Bridge on the River Kwai which was... The Bridge over the River Kwai taken in June 2004. ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... Marty Willson-Piper is a guitarist and member of Australian independent rock band The Church. ... The Church are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. ...

Popular Music

• Half Man Half Biscuit
• The Boo Radleys
• The Coral
• Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
• Scouse house

Nigel Blackwell, singer, guitarist and songwriter Half Man Half Biscuit, often abbreviated to HMHB, are a UK rock band from Birkenhead, active sporadically since the mid-1980s, known for their satirical, sardonic and sometimes surreal songs. ... The Boo Radleys were a British guitar band of the 1990s who made experimental indie music, and were briefly associated with the Britpop movement. ... The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool. ... Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (often abbreviated to OMD) are a synth pop group whose founder members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, UK. OMD record for Virgin Records (originally for Virgins DinDisc subsidiary). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Television and Film

• The television sitcom Watching, produced by Granada Television between 1987 and 1993, was partly set and filmed at various Wirral locations, particularly Meols. ^[11]
• The Lime Pictures production Hollyoaks films occasionally, on location, on the Wirral.
• The film Chariots of Fire was filmed at various locations on the Wirral including the Oval Sports Centre, Bebington and the Woodside Ferry Terminal.
• Although ostensibly set in Liverpool, the film The 51st State was partly filmed around the docks, in Birkenhead, on the Wirral.
• The 2006 TV series Mike Bassett: Manager, starring Ricky Tomlinson was a follow-up to the film Mike Bassett: England Manager, and featured a fictional football club called Wirral County, a parody of Tranmere Rovers who Bassett (Tomlinson) managed after bring sacked from the England job.

A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Watching is a television comedy written by Jim Hitchmough and starred Paul Bown and Emma Wray as mismatched couple Malcolm and Brenda. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... British Railways London Midland Region totem sign for Meols railway station. ... Lime Pictures, formerly known as Mersey Television, is a British television production company, founded by renowned producer and writer Phil Redmond in the early 1980s. ... Hollyoaks is a British television soap opera, first broadcast on 23 October 1995, on Channel 4. ... Chariots of Fire is a British film released in 1981. ... Arms of Bebington Borough Council Location within the British Isles Bebington is a town in Merseyside, England. ... Woodside is a locality in Birkenhead, Wirral in England. ... The 51st State is a 2001 film directed by Ronny Yu, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle and Emily Mortimer. ... Map sources for Birkenhead at grid reference SJ3088 Birkenhead is a town on The Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, on the left bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. ... Ricky Tomlinson (born September 26, 1939) is an English actor. ... Mike Basset:England Manager Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) is a satirical comedy, following the fortunes of the manager of Division One football club Norwich City F.C., Mike Bassett, who having led his side to the Mr Clutch Cup, is appointed England manager. ...

Transport

The M53 motorway runs along the length of Wirral, from near Chester. At the north eastern end, Wirral is joined to Liverpool by three tunnels under the River Mersey: two road tunnels Mersey Tunnels, one from Wallasey (Kingsway) and one from Birkenhead (Queensway) and the Mersey Railway tunnel. The M53 motorway is a major road in England, running from Wallasey on the opposite bank of the River Mersey to Liverpool, along the Wirral peninsula past Birkenhead and Ellesmere Port to just east of Chester, upon which motorway regulations end and it seamlessly becomes the A55 road, which continues... For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ... Location within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region North West England Ceremonial county Historic county Merseyside Lancashire Admin HQ Liverpool City Centre Founded 1207 City Status 1880 Government  - Type Metropolitan borough, City  - Governing body Liverpool City Council Area  - Borough & City 43. ... mers ... Sign from the Water Street entrance to James Street. ...

The Wirral Line of the electrified Merseyrail network links West Kirby, New Brighton, Chester and Ellesmere Port via many other suburbs to Liverpool Lime Street station through the underground Liverpool Loop line. Another National Rail line (known recently as the Borderlands Line or "Mid-Wirral line") offers hourly diesel services from Bidston (on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line) to Wrexham in North Wales. A Wirral Line train at Liverpool Central. ... Merseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter train network centred on Liverpool. ... The main entrance to Liverpool Lime Street Station Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. ... The Borderlands Line is the name given to the railway line between Wrexham, North Wales, and Bidston, Wirral, England. ... , Wrexham (Welsh: Wrecsam) is a large (former industrial) town, conurbation and principal area of Wales lying in north-eastern part of the country. ...

The Mersey Ferry regularly crosses to Liverpool from both Woodside and Seacombe, providing both a commuter shuttle service and pleasure cruises. The Mersey Ferry is a ferry operating on the River Mersey in England. ...

The nearest airports are Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport. Liverpool John Lennon Airport (IATA: LPL, ICAO: EGGP) is an airport serving the English city of Liverpool. ... For the United States airport, see Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. ...

Sports

• Tranmere Rovers Football Club is Wirral's principal football club and play at Prenton Park, Birkenhead. They currently play in Coca Cola League 1.

• The Open Championship took place at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake in 1897, 1902, 1907, 1913, 1924, 1930, 1936, 1947, 1956, 1967 and 2006.

• Vauxhall Motors F.C. are the leading non-league football club on the Wirral. They play in the Blue Square North Division (formerly Conference North) and play their home games at Rivacre Park.

• Cammell Laird F.C. are a non-league football club on the Wirral and play in the Northern Premier League at Kirklands, Rock Ferry.

• Hoylake, in north west Wirral is one of the premier European Land Sailing or Sand Yachting sites, and is host to the week-long European Championships in September 2007.^[12]

• West Kirby, in north west Wirral, is home to the Marine Lake which is used for windsurfing, sailing and sea kayaking and hosts the international Wilson Trophy sailing competition.

Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English football club, based in Birkenhead, Merseyside. ... “Soccer” redirects here. ... The Football League is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales, and is the oldest such competition in world football. ... “British Open” redirects here. ... The Royal Liverpool Golf Club is a leading golf club in North West England. ... Vauxhall Motors F.C. are an English football team based at Rivacre Park, Rivacre Road, in Hooton, sandwiched in between Eastham and Ellesmere Port, Wirral, who play in the Conference North. ... The Football Conferences logo Conference North (often referred to as Nationwide North for sponsorship reasons) is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. ... Official club logo. ... The Northern Premier League logo. ... Error creating thumbnail: convert: Corrupt image `/mnt/upload3/wikipedia/en/7/71/Hoylake_-_Wirral_dot. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Land yacht. ... Sunset over the Marine Lake West Kirby is a town located on the north west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. ... A windsurfer with modern gear tilts the rig and carves the board to perform a planing gybe (downwind turn) close to shore in Maui, Hawaii, one of the popular destinations for windsurfing. ... For either of the songs named Sailing, see Sailing (song). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

• The Wirral Hundred

The Hundred of Wirral is the ancient administrative area for The Wirral Peninsula. ...

References

Coordinates: 53.35702° N 3.07574° W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...