Bromborough
Encyclopedia
Bromborough is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
, in Merseyside
, England. It is situated on the Wirral Peninsula
, to the south of Bebington
and to the north of Eastham
. In the 2001 Census
, the population of the township was 12,630 (6,050 males, 6,580 females),
although the total number of people within the larger Bromborough Ward was 13,963.
Before local government reorganisation
in 1 April 1974, it was part of the urban district
of Bebington, within the county of Cheshire
.
, which confirmed England as an Anglo-Saxon
kingdom.
Reconstructed from fragments, an Anglo Saxon cross is in the churchyard of local parish
church St Barnabas.
A charter
for a market to be held each Monday was granted by Edward I
in 1278 to the monks of St. Werburgh's Abbey. It was hoped that in establishing the market in the vicinity of Bromborough Cross would promote honest dealing. The market cross was the traditional centre of the village and also an assembly point for local farm labourers available for hire. The steps of the cross are from the original 13th century monument. The cross itself is a more recent reproduction, presented to the town by the Bromborough Society.
With a watermill
having been recorded at Bromborough at the time of the Domesday Survey
, Bromborough watermill was likely to have been the oldest mill site on the Wirral.
Located at what was known as Spital Dam, it was worked until 1940 and demolished in 1949. The site is now childrens nursery. A windmill
, built in 1787, existed on higher ground also at the same location. Having fallen into disuse and much deteriorated, it was destroyed by gunpowder
in about 1878.
An increase in vehicular traffic passing through the area precipitated in Bromborough undergoing extensive redevelopment in the 1930s. Bromborough Hall, built in 1617, was demolished in 1932 to make way for a by-pass and a number of farmhouses and cottages in the area of Bromborough Cross were replaced with shops.
is Acre Lane.
To the west of the A41 New Chester Road
, Bromborough is mainly residential development started in the 1930s, centred around the original village centre with its market cross.
East of the A41 road, towards the River Mersey
, is industrial development and includes Bromborough Pool, an early industrial village built in 1854 by Price's Candles
. Part of the industry is connected to the former Bromborough Dock
and includes a controversial ammonium nitrate warehouse and the main landfill
site for the Wirral. Cereal Partners
employ 340 people and produces Cheerios
and Corn Flakes
, among other breakfast cereals in a factory formerly owned by Viota. Rank Hovis McDougall briefly owned the business in the 1990s.
The Croft Retail & Leisure Park is located off the A41 and contains an eleven-screen Odeon
cinema, a Gala Bingo, a 24 hour Asda
supermarket and a Tesco Homeplus store. Other major retailers in the area include Comet, Smyths, Outfit, Brantano, Argos
, Boots, Currys
, Halfords
,and Next
. Bromborough also contains the Fitness First
and a DW (formerly JJB Sports
) fitness club.
There are a number of pubs in Bromborough: 'The Bromborough', 'The Archers', 'Royal Oak' and the local British Legion social club are situated in Bromborough Village. On the outskirts, bordering Eastham, is the 'Merebrook'.
The local newspapers are the Bromborough and Bebington News and the Wirral Globe.
and Bromborough Rake
railway stations are both situated on the Wirral Line
of the Merseyrail
network. Trains run every 15 minutes to , every 30 minutes to , and there are six trains per hour to .
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby. The city of...
, in 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...
, England. It is situated on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, to the south of Bebington
Bebington
Bebington is a small town and electoral ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It lies south of Liverpool and west southwest of Manchester, along the River Mersey on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsula...
and to the north of Eastham
Eastham, Merseyside
Eastham is a village and an electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the Wirral Peninsula, to the south of Bromborough...
. In the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the population of the township was 12,630 (6,050 males, 6,580 females),
although the total number of people within the larger Bromborough Ward was 13,963.
Before local government reorganisation
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
in 1 April 1974, it was part of the urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of Bebington, within the county of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
.
History
Bromborough is a contender for the site of an epic battle in the year 937, the Battle of BrunanburhBattle of Brunanburh
The Battle of Brunanburh was an English victory in 937 by the army of Æthelstan, King of England, and his brother Edmund over the combined armies of Olaf III Guthfrithson, the Norse-Gael King of Dublin, Constantine II, King of Scots, and Owen I, King of Strathclyde...
, which confirmed England as an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
kingdom.
Reconstructed from fragments, an Anglo Saxon cross is in the churchyard of local parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church St Barnabas.
A charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
for a market to be held each Monday was granted by Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1278 to the monks of St. Werburgh's Abbey. It was hoped that in establishing the market in the vicinity of Bromborough Cross would promote honest dealing. The market cross was the traditional centre of the village and also an assembly point for local farm labourers available for hire. The steps of the cross are from the original 13th century monument. The cross itself is a more recent reproduction, presented to the town by the Bromborough Society.
With a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
having been recorded at Bromborough at the time of the Domesday Survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, Bromborough watermill was likely to have been the oldest mill site on the Wirral.
Located at what was known as Spital Dam, it was worked until 1940 and demolished in 1949. The site is now childrens nursery. A windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
, built in 1787, existed on higher ground also at the same location. Having fallen into disuse and much deteriorated, it was destroyed by gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
in about 1878.
An increase in vehicular traffic passing through the area precipitated in Bromborough undergoing extensive redevelopment in the 1930s. Bromborough Hall, built in 1617, was demolished in 1932 to make way for a by-pass and a number of farmhouses and cottages in the area of Bromborough Cross were replaced with shops.
Community
The boundary between the council wards of Bromborough and EasthamEastham
-People:*Ashley Eastham , English footballer*George R. Eastham , English footballer*George E. Eastham , English footballer and son of the George R. Eastham*Harry Eastham , English footballer and brother of George R...
is Acre Lane.
To the west of the A41 New Chester Road
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
, Bromborough is mainly residential development started in the 1930s, centred around the original village centre with its market cross.
East of the A41 road, towards the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
, is industrial development and includes Bromborough Pool, an early industrial village built in 1854 by Price's Candles
Price's Candles
Price's Candles, founded in 1830, is a United Kingdom manufacturer and retailer of candles. Its full name is Price's Patent Candles Ltd. The firm is headquartered in Bedford and holds the Royal Warrant for the supply of candles....
. Part of the industry is connected to the former Bromborough Dock
Bromborough Dock
Bromborough Dock was situated on the River Mersey at Bromborough, on the Wirral Peninsula, England.Owned by the manufacturer Lever Brothers , it served the company's factory at Port Sunlight. The facility was once the largest private dock in the world.Consent for its construction was given by the...
and includes a controversial ammonium nitrate warehouse and the main landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
site for the Wirral. Cereal Partners
Cereal Partners Worldwide
Cereal Partners Worldwide S.A. is a joint venture between General Mills and Nestlé, established in 1991 to produce breakfast cereals. The company is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and markets cereals in more than 130 countries Cereal Partners Worldwide S.A. is a joint venture between...
employ 340 people and produces Cheerios
Cheerios
Cheerios is a brand of breakfast cereal by General Mills introduced on May 1, 1941 as the first oat-based, ready-to-eat cold cereal. Originally named CheeriOats, the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945 because of a trade name dispute with Quaker Oats. The name fit the "O" shape of the cereal pieces...
and Corn Flakes
Corn flakes
Corn flakes are a popular breakfast cereal originally manufactured by Kellogg's through the treatment of maize. A patent for the product was filed on May 31, 1895, and issued on April 14, 1896.-History:...
, among other breakfast cereals in a factory formerly owned by Viota. Rank Hovis McDougall briefly owned the business in the 1990s.
The Croft Retail & Leisure Park is located off the A41 and contains an eleven-screen Odeon
Odeon Cinemas
Odeon Cinemas is a British chain of cinemas, one of the largest in Europe. It is owned by Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group whose ultimate parent is Terra Firma Capital Partners.-History:Odeon Cinemas was created in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch...
cinema, a Gala Bingo, a 24 hour Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket and a Tesco Homeplus store. Other major retailers in the area include Comet, Smyths, Outfit, Brantano, Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
, Boots, Currys
Currys
Currys is an electrical retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is owned by Dixons Retail plc. It specialises in selling home electronics and household appliances, with 295 superstores and 73 high street stores...
, Halfords
Halfords
Halfords Group plc is a leading retailer of car parts, car enhancements and bicycles operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Czech Republic and more recently in Poland, although it is currently pulling out of the latter two countries...
,and Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
. Bromborough also contains the Fitness First
Fitness First
Fitness First is the largest privately owned health club group in the world with over 540 Fitness First clubs worldwide reaching over 1.7 million members in 21 countries...
and a DW (formerly JJB Sports
JJB Sports
JJB Sports plc is a United Kingdom sports retailer. It currently operates 251 stores in the UK and Ireland.- History :The sportshop chain was founded in 1971, when ex-footballer Dave Whelan acquired a single sports shop in Wigan. The original store was established by JJ Broughton in the early...
) fitness club.
There are a number of pubs in Bromborough: 'The Bromborough', 'The Archers', 'Royal Oak' and the local British Legion social club are situated in Bromborough Village. On the outskirts, bordering Eastham, is the 'Merebrook'.
The local newspapers are the Bromborough and Bebington News and the Wirral Globe.
Transport
BromboroughBromborough railway station
Bromborough railway station is one of two stations serving the Bromborough area of the Wirral, England. The station is situated on the Chester and Ellesmere Port branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.- History :...
and Bromborough Rake
Bromborough Rake railway station
Bromborough Rake railway station is one of two stations serving the Bromborough area of the Wirral, England. The station is situated on the Chester and Ellesmere Port branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.- History :...
railway stations are both situated on the Wirral Line
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
of 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...
network. Trains run every 15 minutes to , every 30 minutes to , and there are six trains per hour to .