Helsby

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Helsby
Helsby shown within Cheshire
Population	4,701 (2001 Census)[1]
OS grid reference	SJ491755
Parish	Helsby
District	Vale Royal
Shire county	Cheshire
Region	North West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	FRODSHAM
Postcode district	WA6
Dialling code	01928
Police	Cheshire
Fire	Cheshire
Ambulance	North West
European Parliament	North West England
UK Parliament	Weaver Vale
List of places: UK • England • Cheshire

Coordinates: 53°16′26″N 2°46′25″W / 53.2738, -2.7736

Helsby is a village and civil parish in Vale Royal, Cheshire, England. At the 2001 Census, Helsby had a population of 4,701^[1]

Map of civil parish of Helsby within borough of Vale Royal

[edit] Geography

It is situated on the A56 main road between Chester and Runcorn. The neighbouring villages are Dunham-On-The-Hill, Frodsham, Elton and Alvanley. Helsby is a semi-rural village, with many dairy and arable farms, but is also in close proximity to a number of industrial plants around the Mersey estuary including the Royal Dutch Shell Stanlow oil refinery, the Quinn Glass manufacturing plant, the Kemira fertiliser plant on Ince marshes and the chemical manufacturing site (previously ICI chemicals, now Ineos Chlor) and power station at Rocksavage. There are few jobs in Helsby itself, due to the larger surrounding cities, Chester and Runcorn offering better prospects and a wider range of careers. The Tesco supermarket is one of the biggest employers there. The village is popular with commuters as a residential area, due to its good transport links to the M56 motorway and rail networks.

[edit] History

There are traces of Stone Age and Iron Age settlements on the hills around Helsby (Helsby Hill is the site of an Iron Age hill-fort called Woodhouses), but the first known settlers of Helsby were the Vikings in the tenth century AD. In fact the name 'Helsby' is derived from the Viking name Hjallr-by, meaning "the village on the edge".

The village was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the Norman name of Hellesbe. The Manor of Helsby was owned by a series of aristocratic landowners, most recently the Marquis of Cholmondeley.

In 1968 Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Welsh Defence Movement), a Welsh republican movement, blew up a water pipe in Helsby. The water pipe was carrying water from Lake Vyrnwy to Liverpool.

[edit] Community

A Methodist Church was established in 1800, 70 years before the Anglican Church was built in 1870. Helsby also has one of the most successful schools in Cheshire: Helsby High School.^{[citation needed]}

The village is home to four pubs, all of which are alongside the A56 road. The 'Horse & Jockey' is nearest to Frodsham, offering cask ales and food. The 'Railway Inn' pub offers Greenalls cask ale (one of the few pubs that still does), and is frequently is host to live music. The 'Robin Hood' offers food and is owned by Marstons, offering a selction of their ales. They are also host to two darts teams. The 'Helsby Arms' was refurbished last year and is reputed for its food and real ales.

[edit] Future

It has been proposed that an incinerator be constructed at Ince Marshes, near Helsby. This is highly controversial with posters being displayed around the local community in protest of these plans.^[2]

[edit] Sport

Helsby F.C., based at the Helsby Sports and Social club, are current holders of the Runcorn Challenge Cup, after beating FC Halton 3-0 in May 2007.

[edit] Events

The Munkyfest music festival was held in Helsby from 2001 to 2004.

[edit] Transport

[edit] Railway Services

The railway came to Helsby in 1850, with the construction of the line between Chester and Warrington. Helsby railway station has won awards as one of the best kept unmanned stations in the UK. The signal box at Helsby Junction is still operated manually.

There are frequent services operated by Arriva Trains Wales to Manchester Picadilly and Chester, with some continuing to Llandudno.

There are also less frequent services to neighbouring Ince & Elton and Stanlow & Thornton with trains terminating at Ellesmere Port.

[edit] Bus Services

There are frequent bus links to Runcorn, Warrington and Chester, with some less frequent services to Ellesmere Port. Most of these run Monday to Saturday only.

[edit] Industry

The factory site at the western end of the village has for many years been the main source of employment in the village. Originally built in the 1880s by the Telegraph Manufacturing Company, as the Britannia Telegraph Works, the factory was used to manufacture cables, and was most recently owned by BICC Electronic Cables. It employed up to 5000 people at its peak (from World War II until 1970), but continued to decline following a series of redundancy initiatives started in 1970, and the site eventually closed in 2002. The site was then redeveloped for retail, light industrial and residential purposes. The first completed development on the site was a Tesco supermarket, which opened in September 2005.

[edit] Landmarks

[edit] Helsby Hill

Helsby has a wooded sandstone hill (height 123 metres), which is a clear landmark on the Cheshire Plain overlooking the Mersey estuary. The woodland on the hill is a National Trust property. It is the site of an ancient British fort. The hill, which has steep cliffs on the northern and western sides which are now popular with climbers, is also a triangulation point, with a concrete pillar trig point at the top.

The hill is often looked on as a bad place for climbing by climbers travelling along the M56 (from which it is clearly visible) on their way to the popular climbing destinations of North Wales. This is mainly due to the large formation of algae on its surface, largely due to the nearby 'Kemira GrowHow' fertiliser plant on the opposite side of the motorway. The hill, however, provides many routes from easy climbs suitable for beginners (some of which do not require ropes), to challenging climbs up to a grade 6c. The cliff is also split into to lateral sections. The main face is easily accessible from the ground. At the top is a large grassy area, followed by an easily accessible 10ft (or thereabouts) cliff to the summit, which is excellent for bouldering. Despite its often slimy appearance, the cliff's sandstone composition means it dries out extremely quickly after rain, and, after several accidents, several large metal spikes are to be found at the top of the main cliff for top-rope climbing that offer extra safety for climbers worried about the sandstone's crumbly nature.

The top of the hill also features an abandoned Royal Observer Corps post, which is to be found some 50ft east of the trig point. The post was abandoned in 1992 and is currently well protected by extensive barbed wire, as it is located in private land in a field used for livestock. Slimmer explorers can slide under the fence at one point, however the post was extensively damaged by fire a few years ago, and the large blast-proof hatch is now permanently open, meaning it is usually flooded, along with large amounts of decaying rubbish and plant matter. Only the foolhardy or those with a chemical warfare suit should brave going down the dangerous and broken metal ladder.

The view from the hill is certainly a far better source of enjoyment. The top is easily accessed by way of the local roads, and the car park of Helsby quarry may be used. To access the summit, climbers proceed up Hill Road South - across the road from the car park - and through a gate and into woodland. Continuing up the path, keeping right, and through a large sandstone cutting, which was the route of a railway in World War II they pass through another gate (and briefly out of National Trust property), turn left back over a stile, follow the path up, over another stile, to gain the summit.

The view is perhaps one of the best in Cheshire, and on a clear day offers commanding views of the Welsh Hills and on exceptionally clear day, Snowdon. The landmarks of Liverpool can clearly be seen beyond the Helsby Marshes, Stanlow oil refinery, Kemira Fertiliser Plant and Manchester Ship Canal. Also on very clear days, visitors can see across Lancashire, past Bolton to Winter Hill, often on mid-mornings (with the sun reflecting off it) visitors may make out the large white section on top of the Winter Hill TV Mast. The view looking back is not as good, but the Peckforton Hills and Beeston Castle can be discerned. Binoculars are recommended to fully take advantage of this view.

[edit] Mountskill Quarry

Sandstone was extracted from a working quarry from the early 1800s until the 1920s. Much of the stone was transported by ferry to Liverpool and Birkenhead, where several buildings, including the customs house near Canning Dock were built of Helsby stone. The quarry had its own dedicated tramway / rail link to Ince Pier. After stone production ceased, it was not until the late 1980s that an alternative use was found for the site, and in the intervening decades the derelict site was used as a tip by local residents. The site was acquired by the Borough Council in 1988, and transformed into a woodland park, which was opened in 1990. The park contains a range of trees- including oak, sycamore, rowan, silver birch, willow and beech - some of which were grew naturally during the sites period of dereliction, and some which were planted specifically in preparing the woodland park. The woodland and grassland are inhabited by many animal and bird species. Aside from the wildlife, the geology of the site is one of its main features and it is designated a Regionally Important Geological site. The site features exposed rock walls and a tunnel, which enable Sandstone formations from the Triassic period (280-250 million years ago) to be viewed.

[edit] See also

• St Paul's Church, Helsby

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Vale Royal Borough Council
• Helsby High School
• Viking Wirral
• Helsby Methodist Church
• Helsby Village Action Group
• Helsby Football Club