Kirkby

For other uses, see Kirkby (disambiguation).

File:Arms-kirkby-udc.jpg

Arms of the former Kirkby Urban District Council

Kirkby (pronounced [ˈkɜːbi] - the second k is silent) is a new town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England.

History

Middle Ages

Traditionally, Kirkby is believed to have been founded circa 800 AD. The first direct evidence of a settlement dates from 1086 and the Domesday Book, with a reference to Cherchebi - population 70. [1] Ownership of the land containing modern-day Kirkby - known as the "West Derby Hundred" - passed through many hands, until the 16th century

Modern Era

In the 16th century the Molyneux family purchased the entirety of the West Derby Hundred. After a brief loss of patronage in 1747, as a result of the head of the family taking holy orders, in 1771 the Molyneux family were made Earls of Sefton and regained their lands. Largely farmland, the area saw industrial development with the establishment of a Royal Ordnance Factory in 1939. At its peak, the factory employed over 20,000 workers.

New Town

After the end of the Second World War, the Liverpool Corporation bought the factory, with plans to develop a trading estate on the site. In 1947, the Earl of Sefton sold the Kirkby land to the Corporation, who intended to develop the area around the city in an attempt to alleviate the housing shortage caused by the Blitz, and to provide housing for workers on the burgeoning industrial estate. The town was officially designated a New Town in 1949. Large-scale development began in the 1950s, and continued in phases until the late 1970s.

Local Government Changes

In 1974 the Kirkby Urban District was abolished and its former area was combined with that of Huyton with Roby Urban District, Prescot Urban District, parts of Whiston Rural District and parts of West Lancashire Rural District to form the present-day Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley.

Today

The town is divided into 4 districts; namely, Southdene, Westvale, Northwood, and Tower Hill(shite hole). Situated within the Westvale district is the Kirkby Sports Centre, which provides one of the main athletic and cycling tracks in the region. The stadium and buildings, opened in 1964, are scheduled to be replaced by a new facility in Autumn 2006.

The current population of Kirkby stands at 36,400, somewhat down from its peak in 1961 of 52,207, largely due to falling birth rates and the slow decline of the industrial estate forcing workers to look elsewhere. However, housing demand has increased in recent years, with significant developments being built across the town. This demand can somewhat be attributed to the demolition of high-rise flats and maisonettes on a town-wide basis.

The town's industrial heritage has largely faded away, with service industries moving in to replace the factories. Major employers in the town included QVC and Barclaycard, with several other call centre companies also based in Kirkby.

Transport links

The M57 motorway runs adjacent to Kirkby, and the M58 connects just to the north of the town. The town is well served by public transport, with train connections from Kirkby railway station to Liverpool (on the Merseyrail network) and Manchester (via Wigan), and multiple bus routes connecting Kirkby with several nearby towns. The town was planned to be the terminus of the first line of the Merseytram tram service until the scheme's termination by the Government. (See also: Kirkby Branch Line)

Press attention

Following the 1993 murder of local toddler James Bulger, UK tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, most notably The Sun, attacked Kirkby, Bulger's hometown, and Liverpool in general, accusing them of false grief ('self pity city') and blaming the town's decrepit state for his death – much in a similar vein as their attacks following the Hillsborough disaster. (This was despite the fact that the boy's killers were not from Kirkby, but from the Walton district of Liverpool.)

Famous people

Many professional footballers hail from Kirkby. Amongst the more notable are:

• Leighton Baines - current Wigan Athletic player
• Phil Boersma - former Liverpool player
• Tommy Caton - former Manchester City player
• Paul Cook - current Southport Manager, former Wigan Athletic and Tranmere Rovers player
• Terry McDermott - former Liverpool player, current Newcastle Utd. First Team Coach
• Dennis Mortimer - former Aston Villa player
• Kevin Nolan - current Bolton Wanderers player
• Alan Stubbs - current Everton player (formerly Celtic and Bolton player)
• Ryan Taylor - current Wigan player (formerly of Tranmere Rovers)
• Phil Thompson - former Liverpool player and deputy manager.

Other notable Kirkby-born people include:

• Alan Bleasdale - playwright
• Margi Clarke - actress
• John Conteh - boxer
• Adam Foy - Tv Presenter (France)
• Stephen Graham - actor
• Paul Hodgkinson - boxer
• Sharon Maughan - actress
• Tricia Penrose- actress
• Jake Ross - Radio Presenter and Producer - KCC Live
• Kev Willow - music producer

External links

• Knowsley Local History - Kirkby
• St. Chad's Church website
• All Saints RC High School