Wavertree

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wavertree
Wavertree (Merseyside)
Wavertree

Wavertree shown within Merseyside
OS grid reference SJ3889
Metropolitan borough Liverpool
Metropolitan county Merseyside
Region North West
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LIVERPOOL
Postcode district L15
Dialling code 0151
Police Merseyside
Fire Merseyside
Ambulance North West
European Parliament North West England
UK Parliament Liverpool Wavertree
List of places: UK • England • Merseyside

Coordinates: 53°23′53″N 2°56′01″W / 53.398, -2.9337

Wavertree is an area of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England and is a Liverpool City Council Ward.

Contents

[edit] Toponymy

The name derives from the Old English words wæfre and treow, meaning "wavering tree", possibly in reference to aspen trees common locally.[1] It has also been variously described as "a clearing in a wood" or "the place by the common pond".[2]

In the past the name has been spelt Watry, Wartre, Waurtree, Wavertre and Wavertree, locals however referred to it as Wa'tree, until the 19th century.

[edit] History

The earliest settlement of Wavertree is attested to by the discovery of Bronze Age burial urns in Victoria Park in the mid 1880s.[2] The Domesday Book reference is "Leving held Wauretreu. There are 2 carucates of land. It was worth 64 pence".

Wavertree was part of the parish of Childwall in the West Derby hundred.

Wavertree also boasts a village lock-up, commonly known as The Roundhouse, despite being octagonal in shape. Built in 1796, and later modified by prominent local resident and architect Sir James Picton, it was once used to detain local drunks. The lock-up was made a listed building in 1952.[3] A similar structure, known as Prince Rupert's Tower, survives in Everton. The village green, on which Wavertree's lock-up was built, is officially the only surviving piece of common land in Liverpool.[3]

A town hall was built in 1872 to house the local health board. The motto on the town hall is sub umbra floresco or "I flourish in the shade". Rescued from demolition in 1979,[4] the town hall is now a pub.

In 1895, the village of Wavertree was incorporated into the city of Liverpool.

WPC Lesley Harrison (29) suffered a stab wound to the heart while tackling a house burglary in the Wavertree area during December 1992. She was seriously injured as spent several weeks in the Royal Liverpool Hospital, but made a full recovery from her injuries. Local man Stephen Doyle was later found guilty of attempting to murder WPC Harrison, as well as attempting to wound four other police officers and a taxi driver.[1]

[edit] Description

Wavertree is around 30 minutes walk from Liverpool city centre. The area is highly populated by students of Liverpool's three universities, especially the Smithdown Road area. This road is famous for "The Smithdown Ten" pub crawl even though the number of pubs in business varies year to year.

Holy Trinity Church was built in 1794 and is situated on Church Road close to the famous Blue Coat School.

[edit] Education

There are a number of both primary and secondary schools in this densely populated area of Liverpool. King David which is situated in the area has a primary and senior school. The Liverpool Blue Coat School is also situated in Wavertree, having been built originally in 1708 for fifty poor boys. It is currently a mixed grammar school. Wavertree C of E which was renamed from Trinity District in the 1990s, is situated on Prince Alfred Road. The school celebrated it's 140th Birthday in September 2007. There is another primary school on West Drive called Our Lady Of Good Help.

[edit] Wavertree Playground - "The Mystery"

Main article: Wavertree Playground

The Mystery was one of the first purpose-built public playgrounds in the UK, opened in 1895. It is based on land donated to Liverpool Corporation by an anonymous donor, to be a venue for organised sports, and a place for children from the city's schools to run about in, not a park for 'promenading' in the Victorian tradition.[5]

The donor expressed the hope that the City Council "might approve of giving it a fair trial for this purpose... before appropriating it for any other use". The land is currently home to a playground, Wavertree Athletics Centre, with many sports facilities including tennis courts, all weather pitch, bowling green and athletic track with grandstand. Liverpool Harriers & A.C. have based their headquarters at this centre since 1990.

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] Transport

[edit] References

  1. ^ Placenames: Wavertree. National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
  2. ^ a b Wavertree History. Wavertree Cricket Club. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
  3. ^ a b The Village Green and Lock-up. Discovering Historic Wavertree. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
  4. ^ Wavertree Town Hall. Discovering Historic Wavertree. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.
  5. ^ Wavertree Playground ('The Mystery'). Discovering Historic Wavertree. Retrieved on 19 March 2008.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
City of Liverpool
Districts
City Council Wards
Languages