Freshfield

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Freshfield is an area of Formby in Merseyside, England, situated at the northern end of the town.

It has no local political distinction or representation and is included as part of the two council wards which make up Formby (Harrington Ward and Ravenmeols Ward) nor is it separated in any physical sense from the town.

It has a railway station on the Liverpool to Southport line.

[edit] History

The name did not exist until Formby's second railway station, Freshfield, was built in the 19th century and the name was chosen, as the local landowner, a certain Mr Fresh, owned the adjacent field^{[citation needed]}. In fact, the same farmer used the new station stop to bring in human manure from nearby Liverpool to fertilise his field^{[citation needed]}, a principal reason for why the station was built^{[citation needed]}.

A process of reverse naming seems to have occurred with some people referring to the area of Formby around this station as "Freshfield". Freshfield is commonly perceived to be the more affluent area of Formby^{[citation needed]} simply due to a number of large private residences in the area. In actual fact much of its area is indistinguishable from the rest of Formby in property styles and environment. It exists from Freshfield beach, situated beyond the pinewoods, to Long Lane "Ditch" (as it is commonly referred to. Actual name, Dobb's Brook). Freshfield contains: a section of the Mersey Forest, known for being a habitat of rare red squirrels, the Railway Station from which it gets its name, the Freshfield Pub, the Grapes Pub, Victoria Road (a long avenue on which several famous English sportsmen have lived) and Victoria Hall.