| Irby | |
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Irby
Irby shown within Merseyside |
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| Population | 6,110 (2001 Census)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SJ256845 |
| Metropolitan borough | Wirral |
| Metropolitan county | Merseyside |
| Region | North West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIRRAL |
| Postcode district | CH61 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Wirral West |
| List of places: UK • England • Merseyside | |
Irby is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The village covers an area of 20 square kilometres. To the north of Irby lies the associated hamlet of Irby Hill. Map It is part of the Greasby, Frankby & Irby Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and is situated in the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West. According to the 2001 Census, Irby had a population of 6,110,[1] contributing to a total population of 14,667 for the whole ward.[2]
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The name Irby is believed to be of Viking origin, meaning; "the settlement of the Irish".[3] Other nearby towns and villages with the Viking "by" suffix in their name include Frankby, Greasby and Pensby.
The village was formerly a township in Woodchurch Parish, Wirral Hundred. The population was 96 in 1801, 180 in 1851 and 146 in 1901. [4]
A reference to the existence of a mill at Irby was made in a rental agreement of 1431, whereby tenants were expected to "...grind at Irby Mill to the 16th measure." This referred to the miller receiving this amount in flour as a toll. This original wooden structure was replaced by a post mill in the early 18th century. After being disused since about 1878 and in a very dilapidated condition, the mill was demolished in 1898. Along with a similar structure in Burton, it was one of the last post mills of its kind on the Wirral.[5] The demolition work was carried out by unskilled labour hired by the miller. They removed the brick base first, resulting in the whole structure becoming dangerously unsafe and crashing to the ground, narrowly avoiding injury or loss of life.[6] The Irby Mill public house, which opened for business in 1980, stands adjacent to the site in a building formerly known as 'Irby Mill Cottage'[7]
On 1 April 1974, local government reorganisation in England and Wales resulted in most of Wirral, including Irby, transfer from the county of Cheshire to Merseyside.
Whilst not being diverse in terms of ethnicity, Irby is an economically diverse neighbourhood, possessing a mixture of large 1930s built private houses together with an estate of 1970s built homes of in a range of sizes and an element of 1950s built council housing all in close proximity. In this respect it is regarded locally as a very desirable place to live. Irby is within the catchment area for two local grammar schools: Calday Grange Grammar School for Boys and West Kirby Grammar School for Girls. Despite the typically suburban character of most of its neighbourhoods, Irby is surrounded on all sides by a large amount of green belt and woodland.
Pensby High School for Boys (renamed Pensby Sports College) and Pensby High School for Girls are the nearest state secondary schools. Irby Primary School and Dawpool Primary School are the local state primary schools. However children from the area attend many other schools on Wirral; Calday Grange Grammar School, West Kirby Grammar School, Birkenhead School, Birkenhead Preparatory School, Birkenhead High School to name five.
Irby has a cricket club situated on Mill Hill Road, which was established in 1948 and promoted to the Cheshire County League in 2001.[8] The club operates four teams every Saturday. In the 2008 season, the 1st team, 2nd team and 3rd team were all promoted. For many years the 3rd and 4th XI's played their home games at the Seaview Lane cricket field until an adjacent field was obtained at the Mill Hill ground.
Irby's local football club has teams ranging from under 8's to mens. Inaugurated in 1992, the senior team won the local league in the 2008/09 season. The team motto reads Semper Paratus meaning 'Always Ready'.
Irby also has its own Taekwon-Do School based at Irby Village Hall with separate adult and children's classes[9]
A variety of public transport is eligible for the use of a 'Saveaway' which entitles the holder to use the public transport at a one of cost for this ticket. Prices are determined by Adult and Child status and will only last one day. Most notable use of this ticket is using it to cross the River Mersey on the Mersey Ferry. However these tickets do not allow transport at rush hour times.
The nearest railway station is Heswall (formerly Heswall Hills) on the Borderlands Line. From Irby, accessing the station is difficult via other public transport, it is approximately a 30 minute walk away and offers only hourly services. Alternatively, locals can either use buses exclusively or travel to West Kirby station, which is on the Wirral Line of the high-frequency Merseyrail network.
Services operating in the Irby area, as of December 2008:
| Number | Route | Operator | Days of Operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/22A | Caldy-Chester | Avon Buses | Monday-Saturday |
| 71 | Heswall-Liverpool | First Chester & The Wirral | Monday-Sunday |
| 171 | Heswall-Birkenhead | A2B Travel | Sunday evenings |
| 175 | Heswall-Irby | Eazibus (M-F) and A2B Travel (Sat) | Monday-Saturday |
| 186 | Eastham Ferry-Leasowe | Avon Buses | Evenings and Sundays |