Aintree
Encyclopedia
Aintree is a village
and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside
. It lies between Walton
and Maghull
on the A59 road
, about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north of Liverpool city centre
, in North West England
.
It is best known as the site of Aintree Racecourse
, which since the 19th century has staged the Grand National
horserace. During the 1950s and '60s, there was also a three-mile-long motor racing circuit on the site, which used the same grandstands as the horserace. A shorter form of the racing circuit is still used for various events, although car racing ceased in 1982.
, the name Aintree, thought to be of Saxon
origin, means "one tree" or "tree standing alone." In 1999, the parish council decided to revert to its original name of Aintree Village; this request was granted by Sefton Council
. Local legend held that a tree on Bull Bridge Lane, one of the oldest parts of the village, was "the Ain tree". The tree had to be cut down in 2004 because it had become diseased and started to lean into the road.
), the Village Inn (formerly the Valentine, named after a fence on the racecourse), and the Old Roan, which gives its name to a railway station in the village. The village also has a public library. A retail park
along Ormskirk Road on former industrial land has brought a significant number of major out-of-town shops to the area.
Aintree Davenhill Primary School has a large field with a metal building that was built in the 1950s. The building was going to be a hospital building, but was turned into a school. The classrooms are along corridors that were originally going to be hospital wards.
Holy Rosary Primary School was a split-site school until 2008 with an approximate ½ mile between the schools. The reception and infant classes were based at a site at the Old Roan end of the village between Altway and Aintree Lane, and the junior classes based at the Village Inn (ex-Valentine) end of the village in the Oriel Drive site. After substantial building work to extend the Oriel Drive school, the Aintree Lane/Altway site was closed as a school at the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year, was taken over by Old Roan Baptist Church and is now called the Hope Centre, providing various services for the local community. The school has a large field used for events such as their sports day and an all-weather sports pitch. The original building was built in the 1970s and '80s.
is split by Melling Road; Grand Prix cars (and Grand National horses) have to cross the (closed) public road twice on each trip.
to Aintree is the A59
(known as Ormskirk Road
as it passes through Aintree). The M57
, M58
, A59, and A5036
meet at a complex junction called Switch Island
, between Aintree and Maghull
.
The village is closer to Old Roan railway station
, although Aintree railway station
is convenient for the racecourse, both on the Merseyrail
Northern Line
's Ormskirk branch, with regular service between Liverpool Central
and Ormskirk
.
In the past, it was also served by Aintree Central railway station
on the North Liverpool Extension Line
, located behind Aintree railway station. The North Mersey Branch
also runs through, close to the station, and had Aintree Racecourse railway station
.
Bus services through the village itself are regular: a bus every 20 minutes to Liverpool
runs through the village, while various other routes to Liverpool and destinations to the north—including Maghull
, Ormskirk, and Southport
—stop near the Old Roan.
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal
runs through the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
. It lies between Walton
Walton, Merseyside
Walton, originally known as Walton-on-the-Hill, in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, is an area situated to the north of Anfield and the east of Bootle and Orrell Park. It is largely residential, with a diverse population.-History:...
and Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
on the A59 road
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
, about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north of Liverpool city centre
Liverpool City Centre
Liverpool city centre is the commercial, cultural, financial and historical heart of Liverpool, England.Unlike many other cities in the United Kingdom, a ring road doesn't distinguish the city centre from the remainder of Liverpool, although an inner ring road of sorts does exist, with the recent...
, in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
.
It is best known as the site of Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
, which since the 19th century has staged the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
horserace. During the 1950s and '60s, there was also a three-mile-long motor racing circuit on the site, which used the same grandstands as the horserace. A shorter form of the racing circuit is still used for various events, although car racing ceased in 1982.
History
Historically part of LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the name Aintree, thought to be of Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
origin, means "one tree" or "tree standing alone." In 1999, the parish council decided to revert to its original name of Aintree Village; this request was granted by Sefton Council
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Sefton Council is the governing body for the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, north-western England. The council has been under no overall control since the 1980s and is run as an all party coalition of the Liberal Democrats, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, It consists of...
. Local legend held that a tree on Bull Bridge Lane, one of the oldest parts of the village, was "the Ain tree". The tree had to be cut down in 2004 because it had become diseased and started to lean into the road.
Today
The village itself has two primary schools, Aintree Davenhill and Holy Rosary and a Music School; five churches, St. Giles (Anglican), Holy Rosary (Roman Catholic), Old Roan Methodist Church, Old Roan Baptist Church (which met in Davenhill Primary School until recently)now meet at the former site of Holy Rosary Infants School at the rear of the Old Roan shops, and Aintree Village Family Church (a Baptist church, meeting at Old Roan Methodist Church Hall, Altway); two small local shopping areas (on Altway and at the Old Roan); and three public houses, the Blue Anchor (which backs onto the Leeds and Liverpool CanalLeeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
), the Village Inn (formerly the Valentine, named after a fence on the racecourse), and the Old Roan, which gives its name to a railway station in the village. The village also has a public library. A retail park
Retail park
In the United Kingdom, a retail park is a grouping of many retail warehouses and superstores with associated car parking. Its North American equivalent is a power centre. Retail parks are found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in highly accessible locations and are aimed at households...
along Ormskirk Road on former industrial land has brought a significant number of major out-of-town shops to the area.
Aintree Davenhill Primary School has a large field with a metal building that was built in the 1950s. The building was going to be a hospital building, but was turned into a school. The classrooms are along corridors that were originally going to be hospital wards.
Holy Rosary Primary School was a split-site school until 2008 with an approximate ½ mile between the schools. The reception and infant classes were based at a site at the Old Roan end of the village between Altway and Aintree Lane, and the junior classes based at the Village Inn (ex-Valentine) end of the village in the Oriel Drive site. After substantial building work to extend the Oriel Drive school, the Aintree Lane/Altway site was closed as a school at the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year, was taken over by Old Roan Baptist Church and is now called the Hope Centre, providing various services for the local community. The school has a large field used for events such as their sports day and an all-weather sports pitch. The original building was built in the 1970s and '80s.
The racecourse
Unusual for racecourses or circuits, the site of Aintree RacecourseAintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
is split by Melling Road; Grand Prix cars (and Grand National horses) have to cross the (closed) public road twice on each trip.
Transport
The main road from LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to Aintree is the A59
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
(known as Ormskirk Road
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
as it passes through Aintree). The M57
M57 motorway
The M57 motorway, also known as the Liverpool Outer Ring Road, is a road in England. Designed as a bypass road for Liverpool, it is long and links various towns east of the city, as well as the M62 and M58 motorways.-Route:...
, M58
M58 motorway
The M58 is a motorway passing through Merseyside and Lancashire, terminating in Greater Manchester, England. It is 12 miles long and provides a link between the M6 motorway and the area north of Liverpool.-Route:...
, A59, and A5036
A5036 road
The A5036 is a road in Merseyside, England, which comprises two separate sections separated by a gap of .The northern section is a section of trunk road, travelling from Seaforth through Litherland before terminating at the Switch Island junction in Netherton...
meet at a complex junction called Switch Island
Switch Island
Switch Island is a road junction south of Maghull and near Aintree in Merseyside, England on the Liverpool rural-urban fringe. The junction is at the western terminus of both the M57 and M58 motorways, which converge on the A59 trunk road, the north-south route from Liverpool...
, between Aintree and Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
.
The village is closer to Old Roan railway station
Old Roan railway station
Old Roan railway station is a railway station in Aintree village, Merseyside, England, about seven miles north-east of Liverpool, on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network.-Location:...
, although Aintree railway station
Aintree railway station
Aintree railway station is a railway station in Aintree, Merseyside, England. It is on the Ormskirk branch of the Merseyrail network's Northern Line...
is convenient for the racecourse, both on the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
Northern Line
Northern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
's Ormskirk branch, with regular service between Liverpool Central
Liverpool Central railway station
Liverpool Central railway station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, and forms the central hub of the Merseyrail network, being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. In the years 2008/09, Liverpool Central station was shown to be the busiest station in Liverpool, despite being...
and Ormskirk
Ormskirk railway station
Ormskirk railway station is situated in the town of Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. The station is an interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Rail services from Preston...
.
In the past, it was also served by Aintree Central railway station
Aintree Central railway station
For a guide to the various Aintree stations that have existed and their relationship to each other see Aintree Stations.Aintree Central railway station was a station located on the North Liverpool Extension Line on Park Lane, Aintree, Merseyside, across Park Lane from the current Aintree station.It...
on the North Liverpool Extension Line
North Liverpool Extension Line
The North Liverpool Extension Line is a now-disused railway line in Liverpool, England. The line was to be the eastern section of the Merseyrail Outer Loop...
, located behind Aintree railway station. The North Mersey Branch
North Mersey Branch
The North Mersey Branch is a railway line that connected the Liverpool and Bury Railway at Fazakerley Junction with the Gladstone Dock. It was opened in 1867 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.- Usage :...
also runs through, close to the station, and had Aintree Racecourse railway station
Aintree Racecourse railway station
Aintree Racecourse railway station was a station located on the North Mersey Branch. It originally opened as Aintree Cinder Lane around 1890 as the only station on the line at the time, only opening for race days at Aintree Racecourse.-History:...
.
Bus services through the village itself are regular: a bus every 20 minutes to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
runs through the village, while various other routes to Liverpool and destinations to the north—including Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
, Ormskirk, and Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
—stop near the Old Roan.
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
runs through the village.
External links
- Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 9
- Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 10
- Aintree Racecourse
- Aintree Village Parish Council Local History
- St. Giles Parish Church
- Aintree Circuit Club - founded by the owners of Aintree Racecourse in 1954
- Liverpool Motor Club
- Multimap.com Aerial photograph Get-a-Map from Ordnance Survey