North Meols
Encyclopedia
North Meols is a civil parish
in the West Lancashire
district of Lancashire
, England. The parish covers the village of Banks
and the hamlet of Hundred End
. Historically the parish covered a wider area including much of what is now Southport
.
and Lancashire
. North Meols included Crossens
, Marshside
and Churchtown
in the north of Southport
, and then extended east towards Preston to encompass the rural villages of Banks
, Far Banks and Hundred End
, Mere Brow
and Holmes
in West Lancashire
. It was bounded to the south by the Martin Mere
wetland.
pronounced as "mells", on the nearby Wirral
.
Historically, North Meols has been centred around St. Cuthbert's Church in Churchtown, although there were vicarages in Crossens, Banks and Birkdale. Parts of the parish were almost completely surrounded by water until large scale drainage of Martin Mere and other marshland in the 19th Century. This left behind a legacy of fine agricultural soil, which is still exploited to this day - the primary industry in the area is farming, especially of flowers and vegetables.
To this day, the northern part of the district retains a lot of its rural character, with the only large-scale development being the construction of a large number of new homes in Banks. The southern districts, although now fully incorporated into Southport have also not been fully urbanised; Churchtown retains its attractive centre and extensive botanic gardens, and the marshes to the west of Crossens and Marshside have been preserved for their wildlife.
, fully opened in 1878, which ran between Southport and Preston. Low passenger numbers later led to its decline and its closure was assured by the Beeching Axe
in 1964.
The main transport link through the area is now the A565 road
Southport New Road, which runs from Southport north-east to Preston.
The main community centre for the district is the Banks Leisure Centre, located just off Southport New Road in Banks.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the West Lancashire
West Lancashire
West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....
district of Lancashire
Lancashire
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...
, England. The parish covers the village of Banks
Banks, Lancashire
Banks is a large coastal village in Lancashire, England. It lies just south of the Ribble estuary and four miles north-east of the town of Southport. The village is administered by West Lancashire Borough Council, and by North Meols parish council for parochial matters. It falls in the South...
and the hamlet of Hundred End
Hundred End
There is an enclosed salt marsh that is used for grazing cattle and the marshes are managed by the RSPB.-Religion:Hesketh Moss Methodist Church is a small chapel which was built by the local farmers of the hamlet, the nearest Church of England Church are in Tarleton and Banks.-Education:The hamlet...
. Historically the parish covered a wider area including much of what is now 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...
.
Ancient parish
The civil parish is based on an ancient parish located to the north and east of the town of Southport, which straddled what is now the border between the counties of MerseysideMerseyside
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...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
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...
. North Meols included Crossens
Crossens
Crossens is the northernmost district of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England and part of the ancient parish of North Meols. Whilst most of the village is now within Merseyside, part of northern Crossens known as Fiddlers Ferry, is in West Lancashire...
, Marshside
Marshside, Sefton
Marshside is a suburb of the town of Southport, Merseyside, England, ranked by the UN as the 4th most desirable area of the European Union in which to live...
and Churchtown
Churchtown, Sefton
- Education :Churchtown has one primary school which is situated on St Cuthbert's Road and access is also available via Botanic Gardens The school is a "community school" but is closely associated with St Cuthbert's Church...
in the north of 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...
, and then extended east towards Preston to encompass the rural villages of Banks
Banks, Lancashire
Banks is a large coastal village in Lancashire, England. It lies just south of the Ribble estuary and four miles north-east of the town of Southport. The village is administered by West Lancashire Borough Council, and by North Meols parish council for parochial matters. It falls in the South...
, Far Banks and Hundred End
Hundred End
There is an enclosed salt marsh that is used for grazing cattle and the marshes are managed by the RSPB.-Religion:Hesketh Moss Methodist Church is a small chapel which was built by the local farmers of the hamlet, the nearest Church of England Church are in Tarleton and Banks.-Education:The hamlet...
, Mere Brow
Mere Brow
Mere Brow is a small village in Lancashire, England, situated between Tarleton and Banks, just off the A565 road. It is 6 miles east of Southport and 10 miles south west of Preston. It is administered by the West Lancashire District Council and the Tarleton parish council...
and Holmes
Holmes, Lancashire
Holmes is a hamlet in West Lancashire, England. It is adjacent to the larger village of Mere Brow, which is between the much larger villages of Banks to the west and Tarleton to the east...
in West Lancashire
West Lancashire
West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....
. It was bounded to the south by the Martin Mere
Martin Mere
Martin Mere is a mere near Burscough, Lancashire, England on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain. The mere is a vast marsh, around that, until it was drained, was the largest body of fresh water in England.-History:...
wetland.
History
Dating from before the Norman Conquest, this area of small farming and fishing villages was originally known as Otegrimeles, from the Norse word "melr", meaning sand-dunes.The present pronunciation "mee-als" stems from Old Norse influences on the local dialect.This is also found in other dialects with strong Norse connections, especially the dialect of Shetland. Compare, however with MeolsMeols
Meols is a village on the northern coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England. It is contiguous with the larger town of Hoylake, situated immediately to the west. Formerly, Meols was in the county of Cheshire, although since 1 April 1974 it has been a part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in the...
pronounced as "mells", on the nearby Wirral
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...
.
Historically, North Meols has been centred around St. Cuthbert's Church in Churchtown, although there were vicarages in Crossens, Banks and Birkdale. Parts of the parish were almost completely surrounded by water until large scale drainage of Martin Mere and other marshland in the 19th Century. This left behind a legacy of fine agricultural soil, which is still exploited to this day - the primary industry in the area is farming, especially of flowers and vegetables.
To this day, the northern part of the district retains a lot of its rural character, with the only large-scale development being the construction of a large number of new homes in Banks. The southern districts, although now fully incorporated into Southport have also not been fully urbanised; Churchtown retains its attractive centre and extensive botanic gardens, and the marshes to the west of Crossens and Marshside have been preserved for their wildlife.
Transport
North Meols was previously home to the West Lancashire RailwayWest Lancashire Railway
The West Lancashire Railway ran northeast from Southport to Preston in northwest England.-History:Construction was started by Samuel Swire the Mayor of Southport, on 19 April 1873....
, fully opened in 1878, which ran between Southport and Preston. Low passenger numbers later led to its decline and its closure was assured by the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in 1964.
The main transport link through the area is now the A565 road
A565 road
The A565 is a road in England that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside to Tarleton in Lancashire. It is a primary route linking the town of Southport to Liverpool and to Preston ....
Southport New Road, which runs from Southport north-east to Preston.
Community
North Meols is administered for public services by both Sefton borough council and West Lancashire District Council. For more local matters, there is also the North Southport Area Committee and the North Meols Parish Council.The main community centre for the district is the Banks Leisure Centre, located just off Southport New Road in Banks.
External links
- http://www.northmeols.com/index.html
- http://www.northmeols.merseyside.org/index.htm
- http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/North-Meols/
- http://mario.lancashire.gov.uk/lccbasemap/?tools=yes&box=335294:416754:342453:422878
- http://www.westlancsdc.gov.uk/Leisure/index.cfm?ccs=273