Irby, Merseyside
Encyclopedia
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, contributing to a total population of 14,667 for the whole ward.
origin, meaning; "the settlement of the Irish". 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.
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. 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.
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'
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.
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.
) 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'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
(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.
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! 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
|-
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...
, England. The village covers an area of 20 square kilometres. To the north of Irby lies the associated hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Irby Hill. Map It is part of the Greasby, Frankby & Irby Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
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...
and is situated in the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West
Wirral West
Wirral West is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
.
According to 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....
, Irby had a population of 6,110, contributing to a total population of 14,667 for the whole ward.
History
The name Irby is believed to be of VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
origin, meaning; "the settlement of the Irish". Other nearby towns and villages with the Viking "by" suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
in their name include Frankby
Frankby
Frankby is a hamlet on the Wirral Peninsula, England and is located between Greasby and West Kirby. 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...
, Greasby
Greasby
Greasby is a large village on the Wirral Peninsula, England. 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...
and Pensby
Pensby
Pensby is a large village on the Wirral Peninsula, England, located to the north east of Heswall. Historically part of Cheshire, it is within the Pensby & Thingwall Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and is situated within the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West...
.
The village was formerly a township in Woodchurch Parish
Woodchurch
Woodchurch is an area of the Wirral Peninsula, in England, which is sometimes considered a suburb of Birkenhead. Administratively, Woodchurch is within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West...
, Wirral Hundred.
The population was 96 in 1801, 180 in 1851 and 146 in 1901.
A reference to the existence of a mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
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
Post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
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. 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.
The Irby Mill public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, which opened for business in 1980, stands adjacent to the site in a building formerly known as 'Irby Mill Cottage'
On 1 April 1974, 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 England and Wales resulted in most of Wirral, including Irby, transfer from 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...
to Merseyside.
Demographics
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 BoysCalday Grange Grammar School
Calday Grange Grammar School is a non-denominational selective state grammar school, founded in 1636, situated on Caldy Hill above the town of West Kirby on the Wirral . The school admits boys from the ages of 11 through to 18, and girls for the sixth form only...
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
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
and woodland.
Education
Pensby High School for Boys (renamed Pensby Sports CollegePensby Sports College
Pensby Sports College is a single sex boys' secondary school in Pensby. The town is located between Irby and Heswall on the Wirral Peninsula, England....
) 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
Calday Grange Grammar School
Calday Grange Grammar School is a non-denominational selective state grammar school, founded in 1636, situated on Caldy Hill above the town of West Kirby on the Wirral . The school admits boys from the ages of 11 through to 18, and girls for the sixth form only...
, West Kirby Grammar School
West Kirby Grammar School
West Kirby Grammar School is a girls grammar school and sixth form college located in the town of West Kirby on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The school currently has 1182 students on roll of whom most are girls ....
, Birkenhead School
Birkenhead School
Birkenhead School is an independent, selective, co-educational school located on the Wirral Peninsula in the northwest of England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-Overview:The school is subdivided into...
, Birkenhead Preparatory School, Birkenhead High School
Birkenhead High School
Birkenhead High School Academy is an all-ability state funded girls' Academy in Birkenhead, Wirral.-Admissions:It is a member of the Girls' Day School Trust, a national educational charity based in London. Its predecessor school was Birkenhead High School, which was an independent selective school...
to name five.
Sport
Irby has a cricket club situated on Mill Hill Road, which was established in 1948 and promoted to the Cheshire County League in 2001. 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
Transport
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.Rail
The nearest railway station is HeswallHeswall railway station
Heswall railway station is a railway station located on the eastern edge of the town of Heswall on the Wirral Peninsula, England. It is situated on the Borderlands Line. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Arriva Trains Wales...
(formerly Heswall Hills) on the Borderlands Line
Borderlands Line
The Borderlands Line is the railway line between Wrexham, Wales, and Bidston, Wirral, England.Passenger train services are operated by Arriva Trains Wales between Wrexham Central and Bidston. Trains run every hour Monday to Saturday daytime, every two hours after 18:45 and on Sundays...
. 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
West Kirby railway station
West Kirby railway station is situated in the town of West Kirby, Wirral, England. It is situated at the end of one of the branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.The beach can be reached easily from the station....
, which is 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 high-frequency 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.
Bus
Services operating in the Irby area, as of December 2008:{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Number
! Route
! Operator
! Days of Operation
|-
| 22/22A
| Caldy-Chester
| Avon Buses
| Monday-Saturday
|-
| 71
| Heswall-Liverpool
| First Chester & The Wirral
First Chester & The Wirral
First Chester & Wirral is a division of bus operator First Manchester Ltd., running local bus services in and around Chester and the Wirral, north west England. The company is a subsidiary of FirstGroup plc, the largest bus operator in Britain....
| 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
|-
Notable people
- John AldridgeJohn AldridgeJohn William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
, former LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool 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...
and Tranmere Rovers footballer. - Frank LesterFrank LesterFrank Lester VC was an English soldier in the British Army during the First World War, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to British Commonwealth forces.Lester was born on 18 February 1896 in Huyton, near...
, recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
.