Whiston, Merseyside

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Map sources for Whiston, Merseyside at grid reference SJ4791
Map sources for Whiston, Merseyside at grid reference SJ4791

Whiston is a town in Knowsley, Merseyside, England. It is to the east of Liverpool lying approximately 8 miles from the city centre. Lying south of the road linking Liverpool and Warrington, and crossed by the Liverpool to Manchester railway. For more than 450 years it was known for its coal mines. Its recorded history begins in the 13th century but its roots are much older. A polished stone hand-axe, a relic of the Neolithic Age, was discovered there in 1941 and in 1986 fragments of flint tools were found on a local farm.

The church of St. Nicholas on Windy Arbor Road hosts a war memorial, (damaged by lightning) designed by Gilbert Scott.

See "A history of Whiston: From the Stone Age to the Plastic Age" by William K Blinkhorn ISBN 1-901253-38-4

[edit] Famous Whistonians

  • Melanie C - Spice Girls´ singer
  • Steven Gerrard - Famous footballer and current captain of Liverpool FC played for whiston juniors as a child.

[edit] Employers

Probably the biggest employer in Whiston is Whiston hospital, which is part of the St. Helens & Knowsley trust. The trust employs approximately 4500 people, the majority based at Whiston. The hospital itself is a general hospital, with almost 900 beds, specialising in burns & plastic treatment. A PFI (Privately Financed Initiative) project has started, which will see the completion of a brand new state of the art hospital, due for completion in 2010. The rebuild cost is estimated to be £343 million.

Another employer is Whiston is the Stoves factory, now named after it's current owners Dimplex. It produces general kitchen appliances, employing approximately 1000 people.


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