Lydiate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lydiate | |
  Lydiate shown within Merseyside |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan borough | Sefton |
| Metropolitan county | Merseyside |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LIVERPOOL |
| Postcode district | L31 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Knowsley North and Sefton East |
| List of places: UK • England • Merseyside | |
Lydiate is a village in Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is located to the north of Maghull, with which it has a common history.
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[edit] History
There is evidence that the settlement of the area dates back to at least the middle of the 10th century. Indeed, one possible root of the name is the Old English hlid-geat meaning 'swing gate', which would have an association with animal farming. Lydiate is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and is described as having a "wood a mile long", and there is evidence of the existence of extensive forests at that time, particularly of oak and elm.
The Scotch Piper Inn, located today on the A5147, Southport Road, is reputed to be the oldest inn in Lancashire (though it is now in Merseyside) and dates from the 14th century. Originally called "The Royal Oak", the inn was built around an oak tree which can be seen in both the tap room and the front bar to the left of the fire place. The inn is now a Grade II listed building.
The Ireland family were very influential in the area in the early 15th century, and Lydiate Hall was built by Lawrence Ireland sometime around 1470. The eastern part of the Hall was destroyed about 1780, and the Hall was abandoned completely by the late 1800s. Only ruins exist today.
The nearby St Catherine's Chapel, commonly known as Lydiate Abbey, appears to date from the same period, with the initials of Lawrence Ireland and his wife, Catherine Blundell, located on the porch. The abbey appears to have been abandoned when the practice of the Catholic religion was prohibited. Local legend holds that a tunnel exists between the Abbey and the Hall to allow the escape of a priest. Another local legend states that the tunnel was between the Abbey and the Scotch Piper in order to allow monks to escape the public house. However, there is no documented evidence of this. The adjacent graveyard was used by local Catholic families into the later 1800s.
[edit] Geography
The south of the village is suburban in nature with residences and some light industry. The remainder of the village, especially to the north and west, is more rural, consisting largely of flat arable land.
The Parish Church of St Thomas and the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady are situated at the very north of Lydiate.
The Weld Blundell (pronounced "Well Blundell") pub is opposite Lydiate's village green, which is little more than a few square metres in area and has a bus stop. The Weld Blundell in Lydiate is sometimes confused with an establishment of the same name in Ince Blundell.
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through the village on its way to the Liverpool Pier Head. The A59 road and A5147 road also run through the village. Until 1952 Lydiate was served by the Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway, with a railway station on Station Road in the far north of the village. The old railway is now part of the Trans Pennine Trail.
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Great Altcar | Downholland Cross | Aughton |
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| Ince Blundell |  |
Bowker's Green | |||||
 Lydiate  |
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| Lunt, Sefton | Maghull | Melling |
[edit] Famous connections
- Ian Callaghan, former professional footballer, owned an insurance agency near the Weld Blundell.
- Bill Hartley, a British athlete, was raised in Lydiate and now runs a local florist business.
- Brian Labone, former professional footballer, lived in Lydiate.
- Gerard Manley Hopkins, poet, lived in Lydiate at Rose Hill House, Pygons Hill Lane, between 1880 and 1881, during the 19th century a school of painters inhabitited the area.
- Northerdaze, the well respected duo originated from Pygons Hill Lane, Lydiate. A breath of fresh air on myspace.
- Kent Riley, a British actor best known for his role as Zak Ramsey in TV soap Hollyoaks lives in Lydiate.
[edit] External links
