Thurstaston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Thurstaston | |
  Thurstaston shown within Merseyside |
|
| Population | 160 (2001 Census)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Wirral |
| Shire county | Merseyside |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIRRAL |
| Postcode district | CH61 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Wirral West |
| List of places: UK • England • Merseyside | |
Thurstaston is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside, England. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. The village lies on the A540 road between Heswall and Caldy, although it stretches some distance down Station Road to the bank of the Dee estuary where there is a large caravan park.
At the time of the 2001 Census, the village itself had only 160 inhabitants,[1] although the national census included Caldy and parts of Irby, bringing the total population to 15,548.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Etymology
Thurstaston means "village of a man called Thorsteinn / Þorsteinn", from the Old Norse personal name Thorsteinn / Þorsteinn and Old English tún "farm, village". A record of the name as Torstestiune in 1048 proves this origin. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book as Turstanetone.[3]
[edit] Recent history
Thurstaston, including the hamlet of Dawpool, was a parish within the Wirral Hundred, in the county of Cheshire. The population was 112 in 1801, 98 in 1851, 141 in 1901 and 151 in 1951.[4]
The village is centred on the church of St Bartholomew, and Thurstaston Hall, of which parts date from 1350, although most of the current building dates from between 1680 and 1835. A ghostly "white lady" is said to haunt the Hall.
In 1882 the Liverpool shipowner Thomas Ismay, founder of White Star Line built his mansion 'Dawpool' at Thurstaston; Ismay is said to have used his influence to ensure that the West Kirby - Hooton railway be routed a mile away along the Dee Estuary, rather than closer to the village. He was also successful in moving the main Heswall to West Kirby road, which came too close to the doorstep of his mansion, via a cutting through Thurstaston Hill.[3] Ismay is buried in the nearby St Bartholomew's churchyard. The solidly-built 'Dawpool', designed by Richard Norman Shaw, was demolished by explosives in 1927.[5] Still standing in the village is the original building of Dawpool Primary School, now a private house.
Between 1894 and 1933, Thurstaston was part of Wirral Rural District, then subsequently Wirral Urban District. On 1 April 1974, local government reorganisation in England and Wales resulted in most of Wirral, including Thurstaston, transfer from the county of Cheshire to Merseyside.
[edit] Geography
Thurstaston is notable for the large areas of parkland and heathland. Thurstaston Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a local nature reserve. Nearby is Thurstaston Hill, a 298 ft Triassic sandstone ridge and one of the highest points on the Wirral. The offices and a visitor centre of Wirral Country Park are situated near the site of what was Thurstaston railway station. The former trackbed of the Chester and Birkenhead Railway has been converted into a public path - the 'Wirral Way'. The visitor centre contains displays relevant to the local ecology.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wirral 2001 Census: Thurstaston. Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Retrieved on 16 July 2007.
- ^ 2001 Census: Thurstaston. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved on 16 July 2007.
- ^ a b History of the Parish. Martin Amlot. Retrieved on 16 July 2007.
- ^ Cheshire Towns & Parishes: Thurstaston. GENUKI UK & Ireland Genealogy. Retrieved on 16 July 2007.
- ^ Dawpool. Lost Heritage. Retrieved on 14 January 2007.
