Ravenhead
Encyclopedia
Ravenhead is an area of St Helens
in the North West of England
. It is bordered by Thatto Heath
, Sutton Heath, Eccleston and the Town Centre. The area is thought to take its name from a farm once located nearby (Ravenhead Farm), while the 'head' portion of the name represents its location at one of the higher points of the town. In this respect, Ravenhead joins other local placenames such as Burtonhead, Micklehead and Eltonhead.
local store. There is also a laundry and a 'Fives Football Centre', opened by BBC
television pundit and former England
footballer Alan Shearer
.
The St. Johns Centre operates out of St. Johns parish church and runs various community activities. Alexandra Court is a residential housing care home, run by Arena Options Ltd for the over 65s.
The presence of the retail park means Ravenhead boasts popular food outlets such as Burger King, Frankie and Bennys, Subway and a nearby McDonalds.
of Ravenhead is a Church of England
parish, formed on 19 August 1870 by Order of Council
. Though there have been some subsequent boundary changes to the parish, it still encompasses some of the neighbouring areas of Thatto Heath, Sutton Heath and Nutgrove.
Ravenhead is served by the Church of England
parish church
of St. John the Evangelist
. St. Johns has a smaller, sister church, Emmanuel in neighbouring Thatto Heath. The church is also the home to St. John's Centre - a community outreach project which hosts youth activities, community lunches and various other organised events.
The church is part of the Eccleston Team, which partners St. Johns & Emmanuel with St. Matthew, Thatto Heath; St. Luke, Eccleston; St. James, Eccleston and Christ Church, Eccleston. This means the benefice
that the churches fall within are significantly wider than the parish
boundary.
There is an Independent Methodist presence in Ravenhead, run out of West Street Independent Methodist Church.
Head Office. and the Ravenhead Glass
factory. Ravenhead Glass has since closed down, indicative of the decline in the glass industry in the town. Pilkington's Head Office remains, but the company is now owned by Asahi Glass and areas of the building are used by various companies, including Helena Housing.
Pilkington's Head Office was formerly the home of Pilkington's Glass Museum, however it has now closed and been incorporated into The World Of Glass museum in the Town Centre.
Formerly Ravenhead was home to Ravenhead Coal Mine. It along with numerous small pits were served by private rail lines running off from the main branch line of the Liverpool line, feeding down to the canal and direct to the city centre.
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
in the North West of 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...
. It is bordered by Thatto Heath
Thatto Heath
Thatto Heath is an area of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies approximately north-northwest of Widnes and about east of Liverpool city centre...
, Sutton Heath, Eccleston and the Town Centre. The area is thought to take its name from a farm once located nearby (Ravenhead Farm), while the 'head' portion of the name represents its location at one of the higher points of the town. In this respect, Ravenhead joins other local placenames such as Burtonhead, Micklehead and Eltonhead.
Local Facilities
Shops in the main residential area of Ravenhead are limited to a newsagent, computer repair store and a SparSpar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
local store. There is also a laundry and a 'Fives Football Centre', opened by BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television pundit and former 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...
footballer Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
.
The St. Johns Centre operates out of St. Johns parish church and runs various community activities. Alexandra Court is a residential housing care home, run by Arena Options Ltd for the over 65s.
Ravenhead Retail Park
The Ravenhead Retail Park, to the north of Ravenhead near the Town Centre, is an out of town shopping area featuring a number of high-street outlets. Amongst these are B&Q and Currys, both of which at the time of building were the largest of the chain's stores in the country. Since the initial build, the retail park has been extended and now includes stores such as Bath Store, Pets At Home and Boots Pharmacy. It is rated amongst the top 20 retail parks in the country.The presence of the retail park means Ravenhead boasts popular food outlets such as Burger King, Frankie and Bennys, Subway and a nearby McDonalds.
Religion & The Ecclesiastical Parish
The Ecclesiastical ParishParish
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...
of Ravenhead is a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish, formed on 19 August 1870 by Order of Council
Order of Council
An Order of Council is a form of legislation in the United Kingdom. It is made by the Lords of the Privy Council ....
. Though there have been some subsequent boundary changes to the parish, it still encompasses some of the neighbouring areas of Thatto Heath, Sutton Heath and Nutgrove.
Ravenhead is served by the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. John the Evangelist
St. John the Evangelist, Ravenhead
St. John the Evangelist, Ravenhead is a Church of England parish church which serves the parish of Ravenhead in St. Helens, England. It is one of the over 200 parishes which together form the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool.- Centres of Worship :...
. St. Johns has a smaller, sister church, Emmanuel in neighbouring Thatto Heath. The church is also the home to St. John's Centre - a community outreach project which hosts youth activities, community lunches and various other organised events.
The church is part of the Eccleston Team, which partners St. Johns & Emmanuel with St. Matthew, Thatto Heath; St. Luke, Eccleston; St. James, Eccleston and Christ Church, Eccleston. This means the benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
that the churches fall within are significantly wider than the 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...
boundary.
There is an Independent Methodist presence in Ravenhead, run out of West Street Independent Methodist Church.
Industry
Ravenhead played a significant part in the development of St Helens' glass industry, as the base for Pilkington'sPilkington
Pilkington Group Limited is a multinational glass manufacturing company headquartered in St Helens, United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of the Japan-based NSG Group...
Head Office. and the Ravenhead Glass
Ravenhead glass
Ravenhead Glass was a glassworks near Ravenhead Colliery, Lancashire, North West England. It was founded in 1850 by Frances Dixon and John Merson after a move from their earlier factory at Thatto Heath near St Helens...
factory. Ravenhead Glass has since closed down, indicative of the decline in the glass industry in the town. Pilkington's Head Office remains, but the company is now owned by Asahi Glass and areas of the building are used by various companies, including Helena Housing.
Pilkington's Head Office was formerly the home of Pilkington's Glass Museum, however it has now closed and been incorporated into The World Of Glass museum in the Town Centre.
Formerly Ravenhead was home to Ravenhead Coal Mine. It along with numerous small pits were served by private rail lines running off from the main branch line of the Liverpool line, feeding down to the canal and direct to the city centre.