Neston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Neston | |
  Neston shown within Cheshire |
|
| Population | 3,521 (2001 Census)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Ellesmere Port and Neston |
| Shire county | Cheshire |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NESTON |
| Postcode district | CH64 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Cheshire |
| Fire | Cheshire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Ellesmere Port and Neston |
| List of places: UK • England • Cheshire | |
Neston is a small residential town in the district of Ellesmere Port and Neston. It is situated on the Wirral Peninsula, in the part that remains in Cheshire, England.[2] Parkgate is located to the north west and the villages of Little Neston and Ness to the south of the town.
Contents |
[edit] History
The name is of Viking origin, deriving from the Old Norse Nes-tún, meaning 'farmstead at/near the promontory'.[3] It is also mentioned in the Domesday Book as Nestone under the ownership of a William Fitznigel.[4]
A Royal Charter was granted to Neston in 1728 in support of its status as a market town.[5]
Historically, the current town was known as Great Neston, in order to be distinct from the smaller nearby hamlet of Little Neston. Before the rise of Birkenhead in the 1820s, it was the largest town in the Wirral Hundred. Great Neston included the hamlets of Clayhill, Hinderton, Moorside and part of Parkgate. The population of Great Neston was 1,486 in 1801 and 1,524 in 1851. In 1894, both Great Neston and Little Neston were combined to create Neston-cum-Parkgate and by 1901, the population had risen to 2,201.[6]
[edit] Port
Neston was a major port before the River Dee silted up. The port was then shifted further downstream to the nearby town of Parkgate,[7] although by early nineteenth century, most traffic had ultimately transferred to Liverpool.
[edit] Mining
Neston is also a former mining town, with a colliery located at the nearby hamlet of Denhall. Opened in 1760 by Sir John Stanley, the coal mine consisted of numerous shafts, some of which were dug out underneath the river. Due to the silting up of the River Dee, coal shipments to Ireland and North Wales ended. Alternative custom was secured from the railways, brought about by the building of a link to the recently constructed Chester & Birkenhead Railway's branch to Parkgate.[8]
The Wirral Colliery at Neston was taken over by the British government during the First World War. The pit subsequently returned to private ownership after the war, but increasing competition from larger mines precipitated in its closure in 1928.[8]
[edit] Transport
Neston railway station is situated on the Borderlands Line, providing direct services southbound to Wrexham, Flintshire and northbound to Bidston in Birkenhead, with connecting services to the Merseyrail network.[7] Recently, Merseytravel have been investigating the possibility of linking up the Bidston - Wrexham line to the electrified Merseyrail system.[9]
Neston also benefits from bus services to:
- West Kirby/Chester (22/22A Avon Coaches)
- Liverpool via Birkenhead (487/488 Arriva)
- Ellesmere Port (59/59A Arriva)
- Arrowe Park Hospital/Hooton railway station (272/273 Helms of Eastham/Eazibus)
[edit] Community
One of the main local attractions is Ness Botanic Gardens, opened in 1898 and administered by the University of Liverpool.[10]
On the first Thursday of June, Neston annually celebrates Ladies Day. This is a unique marching day that has links to the Neston Female Friendly Society during the Napoleonic War.[7]
Neston has a Cricket Club located in Parkgate that plays in the Right Move Abroad Cheshire County Cricket ECB Premier League.[11] Members of Neston Cricket Club also play bowls, hockey,[12] squash and tennis.[13]
[edit] Neston Market Town Initiative
Recently, Neston has undergone an assessment to attract more income and tourists, in the form of the Neston Market Town Initiative (NMTI).[14] The project also included the launch of a new town website. The NMTI involved improving the 'look' of the town centre (which included new shop fronts) and controversial plans regarding a new supermarket[15] on the site of Brook Street car park, subject to planning permission acceptance.
On 31 March 2008 the Market Town Initiative project was officially completed. The community regeneration work will be continued by a new local community association, ch64inc, and by the establishment of a Town Council in 2009.[14] In March 2008, ch64inc organised a 'Citizens' Week' to bring the community closer together.
[edit] References
- ^ 2001 Census: Neston. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ Neston website. The Neston Market Town Initiative. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ Sulley, Philip (1889). The Hundred Of Wirral.
- ^ Cheshire L-Z. Domesday Book Online. Retrieved on 4 January 2008.
- ^ Neston website: History. The Neston Market Town Initiative. Retrieved on 4 January 2008.
- ^ Cheshire Towns & Parishes: Great Neston. GENUKI UK & Ireland Genealogy. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ a b c Wirral 360: Neston. www.wirralwebsite.co.uk. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ a b Young, Derek and Marian. Pictures From The Past: Book 3.
- ^ Merseytravel bosses pledge a further £600k to investigate electrification of rail line on Wrexham-Wirral-Liverpool route. Liverpool Daily Post (6 March 2008). Retrieved on 28 March 2008.
- ^ Ness Botanic Gardens. University of Liverpool. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ Neston Cricket Club. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ Neston South Wirral Hockey Club. Neston Cricket Club. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ Tennis section. Neston Cricket Club. Retrieved on 16 October 2007.
- ^ a b Neston Market Town Initiative. Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough Council. Retrieved on 28 March 2008.
- ^ Planning Application for Neston Supermarket and Town Square. Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough Council. Retrieved on 28 March 2008.
[edit] See also
|
|||||||||||||||||
