Prenton
Encyclopedia
Prenton is a suburb of Birkenhead
on the Wirral Peninsula
, England
and a 'post town
' in the CH postcode area
. Administratively, it is also a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
. Before local government reorganisation
on 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough
of Birkenhead, within the county of Cheshire
. At the 2001 Census
, the population of Prenton was 14,429, consisting of 6,787 males and 7,642 females.
of 1086, with the name Pren- ton persisting despite the Norman-French
accented spelling. Domesday describes Prenton as having a one-league square woodland - which is nine square miles, if the 'League' is taken in its Old English measurement of x3 miles. The size and importance of the wood may reflect the name of the settlement. Pren is Welsh
(British) for the material 'wood' and in the name Prenton there is the Saxon
suffix tún for a settlement, which suggests a settlement in a wood. The Welsh/British name for Prenton would thus be Prentre which could easily have changed into Prenton following Anglian
penetration of the area in the early seventh century. Note that Landican
(one mile distant from Prenton) retained its Welsh/British name even through Anglian and subsequent Norse
occupation. Domesday also records the presence of a water mill at Prenton, and this has been provisionally identified at Prenton Dell.
Previously a township in Woodchurch Parish
, Wirral Hundred, Prenton was added to Birkenhead civil parish
in 1933. The population was 81 in 1801, 99 in 1851 and 412 in 1901.
In August 1940, during the Second World War, a house maid working in Prenton became the first fatality of a bombing raid
on the Merseyside area.
In October 2009, two of the buildings on Woodchurch Road were demolished due to an arson attack, these were David Pluck bookmakers and Bradshaw, Farnham and Lea estate agents, both of which have now re-opened: David Pluck across the road from its original location, the latter further along the road.
properties nearer Birkenhead, to large detached villas
in the Mountwood conservation area
. The major roads were mostly laid out in the early part of the 20th century. Much of the housing is from the Edwardian era and the 1930s, though there are some late Victorian
buildings and some modern property.
The main shopping area is on Woodchurch Road (A552), which includes the Sainsbury's, Aldi
, Home Bargains
and Rightway supermarkets. However there are many small shops in other locations such as The Dell housing estate or in nearby Oxton
. Sited on the junction of Woodchurch Road and Storeton Road is the 'Halfway House' public house
, dating back to at least 1879
when the area was a rural hamlet
.
Prenton's main claim to fame is Prenton Park
, which is the ground of Tranmere Rovers Football Club
.
and the mixed primary Prenton Primary School.
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and a 'post town
Post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system. Including the correct post town in the address increases the chances of a letter or parcel being delivered on time. Post towns are usually based upon the location of...
' in the CH postcode area
CH postcode area
The CH postcode area, also known as the Chester postcode area, is a group of postcode districts near the England/Wales border. Having previously roughly covered the former Chester district and present-day Flintshire county, postcodes for the Wirral Peninsula were transferred to it in 1999 from...
. Administratively, it is also a 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...
. 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....
on 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Birkenhead, 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...
. At 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 Prenton was 14,429, consisting of 6,787 males and 7,642 females.
History
Prenton appears as Prestune in the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
of 1086, with the name Pren- ton persisting despite the Norman-French
Norman language
Norman is a Romance language and one of the Oïl languages. Norman can be classified as one of the northern Oïl languages along with Picard and Walloon...
accented spelling. Domesday describes Prenton as having a one-league square woodland - which is nine square miles, if the 'League' is taken in its Old English measurement of x3 miles. The size and importance of the wood may reflect the name of the settlement. Pren is Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
(British) for the material 'wood' and in the name Prenton there is the 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...
suffix tún for a settlement, which suggests a settlement in a wood. The Welsh/British name for Prenton would thus be Prentre which could easily have changed into Prenton following Anglian
Angles
The Angles is a modern English term for a Germanic people who took their name from the ancestral cultural region of Angeln, a district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
penetration of the area in the early seventh century. Note that Landican
Landican
Landican is a hamlet on the Wirral Peninsula, England. It is situated on the outskirts of Birkenhead, near to Woodchurch and the M53 motorway. Landican consists of a small group of cottages and farm buildings. At the 2001 Census the community had a population of only 20.In 1085, Landican was...
(one mile distant from Prenton) retained its Welsh/British name even through Anglian and subsequent Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
occupation. Domesday also records the presence of a water mill at Prenton, and this has been provisionally identified at Prenton Dell.
Previously 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, Prenton was added to Birkenhead civil parish
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 1933. The population was 81 in 1801, 99 in 1851 and 412 in 1901.
In August 1940, during the Second World War, a house maid working in Prenton became the first fatality of a bombing raid
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
on the Merseyside area.
In October 2009, two of the buildings on Woodchurch Road were demolished due to an arson attack, these were David Pluck bookmakers and Bradshaw, Farnham and Lea estate agents, both of which have now re-opened: David Pluck across the road from its original location, the latter further along the road.
Community
Housing is mostly private, and ranges from terracedTerraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
properties nearer Birkenhead, to large detached villas
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
in the Mountwood conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
. The major roads were mostly laid out in the early part of the 20th century. Much of the housing is from the Edwardian era and the 1930s, though there are some late Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
buildings and some modern property.
The main shopping area is on Woodchurch Road (A552), which includes the Sainsbury's, Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, Home Bargains
Home Bargains
Home Bargains is a chain of discount stores, offering home bargains, operating throughout the United Kingdom, founded by Tom Morris in Liverpool, England approximately 30 years ago...
and Rightway supermarkets. However there are many small shops in other locations such as The Dell housing estate or in nearby Oxton
Oxton, Merseyside
Oxton is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Originally a village in its own right, it became part of the Municipal Borough of Birkenhead upon its creation in 1877...
. Sited on the junction of Woodchurch Road and Storeton Road is the 'Halfway House' 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...
, dating back to at least 1879
when the area was a rural 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...
.
Prenton's main claim to fame is Prenton Park
Prenton Park
Prenton Park is an association football stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is the home ground of Tranmere Rovers F.C. The club moved to the current Prenton Park in 1912. The ground has had several rebuilds, with the most recent occurring in 1995 in response to the requirement of the Taylor Report...
, which is the ground of Tranmere Rovers Football Club
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
.
Education
Prenton includes the all-girls' secondary Prenton High School for GirlsPrenton High School for Girls
Prenton High School for Girls is a Comprehensive school for girls between the ages of 11 and 16 in Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, Wirral, England.-Overview:...
and the mixed primary Prenton Primary School.