Parkgate, Cheshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Parkgate | |
  Parkgate shown within Cheshire |
|
| Population | 3,702 (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 | ELLESMERE PORT |
| 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 | |
Parkgate is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, in the part that remains in Cheshire, in the North West of England. It is situated on the coastline of the River Dee, adjoining 100 square kilometres of salt marsh, separated by a sandstone former sea wall.[2] Administratively, the village is within the borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston. At the 2001 Census Parkgate had a population of 3,702.[1]
[edit] History
Parkgate was an important port from the start of the eighteenth century, in particular as an embarkation point for Ireland. The River Dee, which served as a shipping lane to the city of Chester, had silted up, creating a need for a port further downstream. A quay was built near the small town of Neston but further silting required yet another re-siting slightly further downstream near the gate of Neston's hunting park. Hence the settlement of Parkgate was born.[3] However the inevitable happened, the Dee silted up even further, and Parkgate became unusable as a port, to be superseded by the Port of Liverpool, on the nearby River Mersey.[4]
During the years when the port existed, two distinguished guests stayed in the local hostelries. One was Lord Nelson's mistress, (Lady) Emma Hamilton, who was born in nearby Ness and who used to bathe at Parkgate, apparently as a cure for a skin complaint.[5][6] The other was Handel who stayed in Parkgate before sailing to Dublin in April 1742 for the first performance of Messiah. He had finished Messiah in the summer of 1741 and at most he could only have added minor touches to the work in Parkgate.
Towards the end of the eighteenth century Parkgate was popular as a seaside resort with baths. But this diminished as the sands of the estuary were consumed with grass. With no beach and no direct access to the sea, Parkgate could manage only small subsistence from fishing.
Mostyn House School, a striking black and white building, was opened in Parkgate in 1855. Since 1862 it has been run by the Grenfell family, currently as a co-educational day school. Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940), famous medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador, was born in Parkgate and was a pupil at the school.[7]
During the Second World War two of Parkgate's houses which both contained cellars were converted into shelters and used for public protection from the bombs. Small lights were placed on the marsh to trick the German bombers into thinking settlements were below.
After the war, Parkgate flourished as a highly desirable residential area. It became a conservation area in 1973.
[edit] Community
Still popular with tourists, it boasts world-class bird watching, regionally famous homemade ice cream, world-class sunsets and fresh local seafood, including shrimps and cockles.
During seasonal high tides the water reaches the sea wall, and visitors arrive at the village to witness the unusual sight. Bird watchers also come at this time to watch the birds usually hidden in the grasses of the marshland.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Population Data, 2001 Census: Parkgate. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 3 July 2007.
- ^ Neston website: About Parkgate. The Neston Market Town Initiative. Retrieved on 21 October 2007.
- ^ Neston website: Parkgate History. The Neston Market Town Initiative. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ Historical information about the River Dee. The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ The Wirral: Parkgate, Neston, Willaston and Burton. Allerton Oak. Retrieved on 20 February 2008.
- ^ Lady Hamilton and Parkgate. Cheshire Magazine. C.C. Publishing. Retrieved on 26 July 2007.
- ^ History of the School. Mostyn House School. Retrieved on 20 February 2008.
- ^ Discover Parkgate.... Parkgate Guide website. Retrieved on 20 August 2007.
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