Edge Hill, Liverpool
Encyclopedia
Edge Hill is a district of Liverpool
, England
. It is located to the south east of Liverpool city centre
, bordered by the city centre, Kensington
, Wavertree
and Toxteth
. Edge Hill University
was founded here, but moved to Ormskirk
in the 1930s.
). Only a few of the Georgian
houses of the time still survive. The later terraces, of the Victorian era
, have also largely been demolished. Although some modern housing has been built, the area still has a depopulated appearance, with many vacant lots and derelict pubs and shops.
A notable resident was Joseph Williamson
(1769–1840) a tobacco
magnate who was responsible for much of the building in the area during the early 19th century. He is remembered as the "Mole of Edge Hill" due to his employing hundreds of men to construct a network of tunnels beneath the Edge Hill area. Part of the tunnel network is now open to the public as a tourist attraction.
In the early 19th century, it was the site of two railway works
. Both the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
and the Grand Junction Railway
initially set up workshops there, but with little room to expand as business grew, the Grand Junction Railway moved its main locomotive production to Crewe in 1843. The Liverpool and Manchester was absorbed by the Grand Junction in 1845, which in turn became part of the London and North Western Railway
in 1846, but locomotives continued to be built at Edge Hill until 1851.
The first Edge Hill station was built in 1830 on a site about 150m from its present location. Of this little remains. There was a "Moorish Arch" with a stationary engine hauling trains up and down from Crown Street Station until locomotive-hauled trains were able to cope with the gradient. The current station dates from 1836 when the main city railway terminus was moved to Lime Street. The station retains its original buildings but is very quiet owing to the sheer lack of population or industry in the area. These buildings are the oldest in the world still open to the public at a working railway station.
Formerly all trains stopped at Edge Hill at the entrance to the tunnel to Lime Street station
, giving rise to "getting off at Edge Hill" as a euphemism for coitus interruptus
.
Edge Hill was the site of huge railway marshalling yards until the 1960s, sorting trains to and from the docks via the Victoria Tunnel
and Wapping Tunnel
to Park Lane and Waterloo goods stations on the dockside.
The Old Stableyard
on Smithdown Lane once housed Roy Rogers
' horse Trigger
during a visit to Liverpool..
The Liverpool writer Tom Slemen, author of the bestselling Haunted Liverpool books, was born and raised in Edge Hill.
Crown Street Resource Centre is a mental health
resource centre in Edge Hill opened in 1982 and run by Liverpool social services
and Merseycare for people living in the Liverpool city area.
Groove Armada
wrote a song entitled "Edge Hill" during a period in which they lived in a homeless shelter in the neighbourhood.
Edge Hill University
began work in the area in 1885 as a teacher training college, though it moved to its current Ormskirk
site in 1933.
Liverpool
Liverpool 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...
, 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 located to the south east of Liverpool city centre
Liverpool City Centre
Liverpool city centre is the commercial, cultural, financial and historical heart of Liverpool, England.Unlike many other cities in the United Kingdom, a ring road doesn't distinguish the city centre from the remainder of Liverpool, although an inner ring road of sorts does exist, with the recent...
, bordered by the city centre, Kensington
Kensington, Liverpool
Kensington is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. It is located immediately to the east of Liverpool city centre, and is bordered by Everton to the north, Fairfield to the east and Edge Hill to the south....
, Wavertree
Wavertree
Wavertree is an area of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England, and is a Liverpool City Council ward. It is bordered by a number of districts to the south and east of Liverpool city centre from Toxteth, Edge Hill, Fairfield, Old Swan, Childwall and Mossley Hill....
and Toxteth
Toxteth
Toxteth is an inner city area of Liverpool, England. Located to the south of the city, Toxteth is bordered by Liverpool City Centre, Dingle, Edge Hill, Wavertree and Aigburth.-Description:...
. Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. It has three faculties: Education, Health and Social Care, and Arts and Sciences.- History :...
was founded here, but moved to Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
in the 1930s.
History
The area was first developed in the late 18th/early 19th century (Georgian eraGeorgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
). Only a few of the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
houses of the time still survive. The later terraces, of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, have also largely been demolished. Although some modern housing has been built, the area still has a depopulated appearance, with many vacant lots and derelict pubs and shops.
A notable resident was Joseph Williamson
Joseph Williamson (philanthropist)
Joseph Williamson was an eccentric, businessman, property owner, and a philanthropist who is best known for the tunnels which were constructed under his direction in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool, England...
(1769–1840) a tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
magnate who was responsible for much of the building in the area during the early 19th century. He is remembered as the "Mole of Edge Hill" due to his employing hundreds of men to construct a network of tunnels beneath the Edge Hill area. Part of the tunnel network is now open to the public as a tourist attraction.
In the early 19th century, it was the site of two railway works
Edge Hill railway works
Edge Hill railway works was built by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway around 1830 at Edge Hill, Liverpool. A second was built in 1839 by the Grand Junction Railway adjacent to it...
. Both the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
and the Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
initially set up workshops there, but with little room to expand as business grew, the Grand Junction Railway moved its main locomotive production to Crewe in 1843. The Liverpool and Manchester was absorbed by the Grand Junction in 1845, which in turn became part of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
in 1846, but locomotives continued to be built at Edge Hill until 1851.
The first Edge Hill station was built in 1830 on a site about 150m from its present location. Of this little remains. There was a "Moorish Arch" with a stationary engine hauling trains up and down from Crown Street Station until locomotive-hauled trains were able to cope with the gradient. The current station dates from 1836 when the main city railway terminus was moved to Lime Street. The station retains its original buildings but is very quiet owing to the sheer lack of population or industry in the area. These buildings are the oldest in the world still open to the public at a working railway station.
Formerly all trains stopped at Edge Hill at the entrance to the tunnel to Lime Street station
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
, giving rise to "getting off at Edge Hill" as a euphemism for coitus interruptus
Coitus interruptus
Coitus interruptus, also known as the rejected sexual intercourse, withdrawal or pull-out method, is a method of birth-control in which a man, during intercourse withdraws his penis from a woman's vagina prior to ejaculation...
.
Edge Hill was the site of huge railway marshalling yards until the 1960s, sorting trains to and from the docks via the Victoria Tunnel
Victoria Tunnel (Liverpool)
-History:The Victoria Tunnel in Liverpool, England is a 2,475 metre long rail tunnel. Opened in 1849, its eastern portal is adjacent to Edge Hill station. The western end opens into a short cutting, between Byrom Street and Fontenoy Street, the short Waterloo Tunnel exits the cutting terminating...
and Wapping Tunnel
Wapping Tunnel
Wapping or Edge Hill Tunnel in Liverpool, England, was constructed to enable goods services to operate between Liverpool docks and Manchester, and all points between, as part of the planned Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It was the first tunnel in the world to be bored under a metropolis...
to Park Lane and Waterloo goods stations on the dockside.
The Old Stableyard
The Old Stableyard, Liverpool
The Old Stableyard is a brownfield site located on Smithdown Lane in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool, England. It was once one of the main stableyards for Liverpool Corporation, but is now a development site and party redeveloped as the location of The Williamson Tunnels Heritage...
on Smithdown Lane once housed Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
' horse Trigger
Trigger (horse)
Trigger was a palomino horse, made famous in American Western films with his owner/rider, cowboy star Roy Rogers.-Pedigree:...
during a visit to Liverpool..
The Liverpool writer Tom Slemen, author of the bestselling Haunted Liverpool books, was born and raised in Edge Hill.
Crown Street Resource Centre is a mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
resource centre in Edge Hill opened in 1982 and run by Liverpool social services
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
and Merseycare for people living in the Liverpool city area.
Groove Armada
Groove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
wrote a song entitled "Edge Hill" during a period in which they lived in a homeless shelter in the neighbourhood.
Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. It has three faculties: Education, Health and Social Care, and Arts and Sciences.- History :...
began work in the area in 1885 as a teacher training college, though it moved to its current Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
site in 1933.