Greasby
Encyclopedia
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
. At the 2001 Census
, Greasby had 9,830 inhabitants, with the total population of the ward at 14,667.
. A rectangular floor of sandstone
slabs and pebbles suggests regular use by the nomadic hunters of that period.
National Museums Liverpool archaeologists excavated the site between 1987 and 1990.
Greasby was an Anglo Saxon settlement, as witnessed by the form of the name, Gravesberie, in the Domesday Book
.
Gravesberie derives from the Old English gräf and burh, recorded as meaning a "stronghold by a grove, trench, canal or wood". The name was Scandinavianised to Greasby, under the influence of Old Norse speakers in Wirral (gräf and býr,
with býr meaning "settlement" or "farmstead").
Prior to the Norman conquest of England
in 1066, Greasby was owned by a man named Dunning. He was an official (bailiff or steward) for the earls of Mercia
. After the invasion, all land in the area passed to Hugh d'Avranches
.
By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Greasby was under the ownership of Nigel de Burcy.
After the Second World War the area expanded considerably, with significant residential development across previously agricultural land. This has resulted in Greasby becoming contiguous with the nearby settlements of Moreton
, Upton
and Woodchurch
.
, Wirral Hundred. The population was 123 in 1801, 177 in 1851, 290 in 1901 and 4,367 in 1951.
From 1866 Greasby was part of Wirral Rural Sanitary District, which was replaced in 1894 by Wirral Rural District
. In 1933 the village transferred to Hoylake Urban District.
, Our Lady Of Pity Catholic Church, and Greasby Methodist Church).
There are five public houses (The Greave Dunning, The Cat, The Coach and Horses, The Twelfth Man and Ellies Wine Bar). The 4 public houses in the main village (The Cat, The Greave Dunning, The Coach and Horses and Ellies Wine Bar) have come to be known as the Greasby Rhombus.
The village also consists of a post office and a number of small shops including a butchers, estate agents, Disco Pete's video shop and a number of fast food take aways.
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. 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 :...
. 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....
, Greasby had 9,830 inhabitants, with the total population of the ward at 14,667.
History
The earliest known human settlement in Merseyside has been found at Greasby, dating from approximately 7000 BCAnno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. A rectangular floor of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
slabs and pebbles suggests regular use by the nomadic hunters of that period.
National Museums Liverpool archaeologists excavated the site between 1987 and 1990.
Greasby was an Anglo Saxon settlement, as witnessed by the form of the name, Gravesberie, in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
.
Gravesberie derives from the Old English gräf and burh, recorded as meaning a "stronghold by a grove, trench, canal or wood". The name was Scandinavianised to Greasby, under the influence of Old Norse speakers in Wirral (gräf and býr,
with býr meaning "settlement" or "farmstead").
Prior to the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066, Greasby was owned by a man named Dunning. He was an official (bailiff or steward) for the earls of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
. After the invasion, all land in the area passed to Hugh d'Avranches
Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester
Hugh d'Avranches , also known as le Gros and Lupus was the first Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England.-Early career:...
.
By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Greasby was under the ownership of Nigel de Burcy.
After the Second World War the area expanded considerably, with significant residential development across previously agricultural land. This has resulted in Greasby becoming contiguous with the nearby settlements of Moreton
Moreton, Merseyside
Moreton is a town on the north coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England. In the 2001 Census, it had a population of 17,670 ....
, Upton
Upton, Merseyside
Upton is a village in the parish of Overchurch on the Wirral Peninsula, England, situated close to Birkenhead. At the 2001 Census, the population was 15,731 , although as a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, encompassing a larger area, it was recorded as 16,200.-History:Upton was...
and Woodchurch
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...
.
Civic history
Greasby was formerly a township situated mainly in West Kirby ParishWest Kirby
West Kirby is a town on the north-west corner of the coast of the Wirral Peninsula, England, at the mouth of the River Dee across from the Point of Ayr in North Wales. To the north-east of the town lies Hoylake, with the suburbs of Grange and Newton to the east, and the village of Caldy to the...
, Wirral Hundred. The population was 123 in 1801, 177 in 1851, 290 in 1901 and 4,367 in 1951.
From 1866 Greasby was part of Wirral Rural Sanitary District, which was replaced in 1894 by Wirral Rural District
Wirral Rural District
Wirral was a rural district in Cheshire, England from 1894 to 1933. It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 from the Wirral rural sanitary district.The parishes of Landican and Prenton became part of the county borough of Birkenhead in 1928....
. In 1933 the village transferred to Hoylake Urban District.
Community
Greasby has four primary schools (Greasby Infant School, Greasby Junior School, Our Lady of Pity Primary School and Brookdale Primary School) and three churches, (St. Nicholas' Church of EnglandChurch 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...
, Our Lady Of Pity Catholic Church, and Greasby Methodist Church).
There are five public houses (The Greave Dunning, The Cat, The Coach and Horses, The Twelfth Man and Ellies Wine Bar). The 4 public houses in the main village (The Cat, The Greave Dunning, The Coach and Horses and Ellies Wine Bar) have come to be known as the Greasby Rhombus.
The village also consists of a post office and a number of small shops including a butchers, estate agents, Disco Pete's video shop and a number of fast food take aways.
Bus
Services operating in the Greasby area, as of December 2008:| Number | Route | Operator | Days of Operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22/24 | West Kirby-Chester | Avon Buses Avon Buses Avon Buses is the third largest bus operating company on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Based in Prenton, Merseyside, the company has an all-single deck fleet of about 38 vehicles as of May 2011, most of them low-floor.-History:... |
Monday-Saturday |
| N37 | Hoylake-Liverpool | Arriva North West Arriva North West Arriva North West is a division of Arriva that operates bus services around North West England. It consists of two companies: Arriva North West Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd.... |
Saturday night/Sunday mornings |
| 123/123A | Greasby-Santa's Grotto | Avon Buses | 25th December |
| 83/83A | West Kirby/Greasby-Birkenhead | Avon Buses | Monday-Saturday |
| 129' | Frankby-Liscard | ACE Travel | Sundays |
| 186 | Eastham Ferry-Leasowe | Avon Buses | Evenings and Sundays |
| 293 | West Kirby-Woodside | A1A Travel | Evenings and Sundays |
| 420 | West Kirby-Liverpool | Arriva North West | Monday-Friday mornings |
| 437 | West Kirby-Liverpool | Arriva North West | Monday-Sunday |