West Kirby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| West Kirby | |
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| Population | 12,869 (Total), 6,097 (Male), 6,772 (Female)[1] |
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| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | Metropolitan Borough of Wirral |
| Metropolitan county | Merseyside |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIRRAL |
| Postcode district | CH48 |
| Dial code | 0151 6** |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | Wirral West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| List of places: UK • England • Merseyside | |
West Kirby is a town located on the north west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. West Kirby is, also, situated at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. Its name derives from the fact that it is the most westerly of the English towns known as Kirkby. The second "K" was dropped from the name to disassociate the town from Kirkby in Knowsley, Merseyside. Formerly, West Kirby was in the county of Cheshire. Since 1974, it is in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. As of the 2001 Census, the population of West Kirby, as part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward, was 12,869.
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[edit] History
The old village was located around St Bridget's Church, but the town as it is today is centred on West Kirby railway station, which is about 1km away. The town has an elegant Victorian promenade, flanked by the West Kirby Marine Lake that permits boats to sail even at low tide. The original marine lake was opened in 1905 but suffered a catastrophic leak in the early 1980s. A new lake was constructed on the site which was wider than previous & allows better sporting opportunities.
[edit] Sport
Windsurfing, sailing and sea kayaking are all popular local sports.
In October 1991, the World Windsurfing Speed Record was set on the West Kirby Marine Lake at 42.16 knots. It was held for 2 years until it was beaten in Australia.
Water sports fans are reminded to wear appropriate footwear whilst using the marine lake due to the presence of weaver fish with sharp poisonous barbs. There is also an RNLI Lifeboat Station near West Kirby Sailing Club.
The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, a links course sited between West Kirby and Hoylake, hosted the 2006 British Open.
Tennis tournaments have been held in Ashton Park. Here, players including John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Monica Seles and Pete Sampras have played in competition.[2]
[edit] Parkland & Beach
The town itself contains such delights as Ashton Park and the start of the Wirral Way, which follows the trackbed of a former railway line to Hooton. Sandlea Park is situated in the centre of the town, a short walk from the railway station. Another popular activity is to walk out to the islands of Little Eye, Middle Eye and Hilbre Island at low tide. The promenade & beach allow an excellent panoramic view of part of the North Wales coastline.
[edit] Notable people
- George Mallory, mountaineer, was schooled in West Kirby.
- Olaf Stapledon, science fiction author and philosopher, is a former resident.
- Philip Sheppard and Sir Cyril Clarke, lepidopterists, worked in West Kirby.
- Shirley Hughes, writer and illustrator, was brought up in West Kirby.
- Denys Rayner, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, was brought up in West Kirby.
- Daniel Craig, actor who played James Bond in the 2006 version of Casino Royale, attended Hilbre High School in West Kirby.
- Selwyn Lloyd, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and Speaker of the House of Commons, lived in West Kirby.
- Glenda Jackson, actress and politician, attended West Kirby Girls High School.
In addition to the above, the rock bands The Coral and The Seal Cub Clubbing Club are both from West Kirby.
[edit] See also
- Calday Grange Grammar School
- Hilbre High School
- Kirby Park railway station
- West Kirby Grammar School
- WestWirralWorks CLC
[edit] External links
[edit] References
| Districts of North West England |  |
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Allerdale | Barrow-in-Furness | Blackburn with Darwen | Blackpool | Bolton | Burnley | Bury | Carlisle | Chester | Chorley | Congleton | Copeland | Crewe and Nantwich | Eden | Ellesmere Port and Neston | Fylde | Halton | Hyndburn | Knowsley | Lancaster | Liverpool | Macclesfield | Manchester | Oldham | Pendle | Preston | Ribble Valley | Rochdale | Rossendale | St Helens | Salford | Sefton | South Lakeland | South Ribble | Stockport | Tameside | Trafford | Vale Royal | Warrington | West Lancashire | Wigan | Wirral | Wyre |
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Counties with multiple districts: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside |
