Leasowe
Encyclopedia
Leasowe is an area on the north coast of the Wirral Peninsula
, in the north west of England, near Moreton
and between Wallasey
and Meols
. Leasowe was part of the old County Borough of Wallasey, and is now within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
, the Wallasey parliamentary constituency
and the New Wallasey Regeneration programme. However, it also has its own characteristics and is often regarded as a separate town. At the 2001 Census
, Leasowe had a population of 6,180 (2,890 males, 3,290 females).
Leasowes or 'Meadow Pastures'. Its sand dunes are the largest such system on the Wirral. Much of the area is at or below sea level and is protected by the coastal embankment. Houses built in the early 20th century were often flooded and unsanitary, but after about 1926 new roads and drainage were put in by the Borough Council, and much new housing was developed. Along the embankment between Leasowe and Moreton are the remains of fortifications built during the Second World War.
The world's first passenger hovercraft
service operated in 1961-62 between Leasowe and Rhyl
in North Wales. However, the service was not profitable and soon ceased.
Despite dire predictions about the lighting conditions inside the building, all of which proved unfounded, it succeeded. At the time there was no detailed explanation published about why it worked, but work it did, completely eradicating any need for heating. However, Morgan's design died with him, and it was many years before anyone else considered it of more than curiosity value. Similar designs are now being examined across the world.
In practice, the large convector ducts which direct the warmed air to the colder north side of the building are a major safety hazard, and fire breaks have had to be inserted to reduce or cut off the air flow. The result is that on sunny days the south, glazed side of the building reaches unbearable temperatures in excess of 40°C while for most of the time the unglazed north side never reaches a comfortable temperature nor receives much natural light.
A secondary, small single-pipe heating system was installed to give additional heating on cold winter days with very few hours of sunlight. The system is fuelled by oil, which was cheap at the time. Today, the secondary heating has to be used very often, and is very expensive.
The property is maintained by the Children & Young People's Department of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, which struggles to find the necessary revenue and capital to fully maintain this Grade II* listed building.
- a patron of Shakespeare - in 1593, possibly (though this is disputed) as an observation platform for the Wallasey Races which took place on the sands in the 16th and 17th centuries, and which are regarded as a forerunner of the Derby
races. Ferdinando's brother William, the 6th Earl
, was described as a noted sportsman and is remembered as a keen supporter of the Wallasey races.
At first the Castle consisted only of an octagonal tower. This had become disused by 1700, and it became known as "Mockbeggar Hall", a term often used for an ornate but derelict building. The term "Mockbeggar Wharf" is still used for the adjoining foreshore. The "Mockbeggar Hall" is also the name of a Wetherspoons
pub in neighbouring Moreton.
In 1821 ownership passed to the Cust family, who refurbished and extended the building, using panelling from the demolished Star Chamber
at the Palace of Westminster
as well as oak from the submerged forest along the coast. After 1826 the building was used as a hotel for some years. Between 1911 and 1970, it became a railway convalescent home, and between 1974 and 1980 it was owned by Wirral Borough Council. It then became a hotel again, and was acquired by Lawton Hotels Ltd in 2000. The hotel is now a popular venue for weddings and other family functions, with around 50 bedrooms.
It was one of four lights on the North Wirral foreshore, the others being two at Hoylake
and another - a lower light - at Leasowe. The latter was soon destroyed by the sea and was replaced by a lighthouse on Bidston Hill
in 1771.
The lighthouse was operational until 14 July 1908,
with the only known female lighthouse keeper in those days, a Mrs. Williams. It then became a tearoom for a period, but was unused before 1989, since when it has been the base for the ranger service of the North Wirral Coastal Park
. The building houses a visitor centre and is occasionally open to the public.
To tell the story of the hospital, one name above all stands out and that is Margaret Beavan (born 1877, died 1931). She was the driving force, admired by all, she was known affectionately as the 'Little Mother of Liverpool', also not quite as complimentary - the 'Mighty Atom' and 'Clever Beggar'.
The first mention of a Sanatorium for children with Tuberculosis occurred on the 16th December, 1911.
Slowly Leasowe Hospital changed from being principally a children's T.B hospital to one for dealing with burns and skin grafts, and then arthritis until its closure in 1979. Another name closely associated with 'Leasowe'; amongst others, is that of (the late) Dr T. R. Littler, Consultant Rheumatologist, who was devoted to Leasowe. Leasowe Hospital was eventually bought by the Wirral Christian Centre in 1981 and was used later as a Retirement Home and Handicap Centre. After failing to make that facility work the buildings were eventually repossessed then later demolished around 2002-2003. Luxury apartments and houses have since been built on the site.
is situated on the Wirral Line
of the Merseyrail
network.
and represented by Angela Eagle
MP.
The majority of the Leasowe area is governed locally as Leasowe and Moreton East Ward. The ward takes in the Leasowe housing estate, developments along Leasowe Road and East Moreton. The Ward is Represented by Conservative Party
Councillor Ian Lewis and by Labour Party
Councillors: Ron Abbey and Iris Coates. The most recent local elections took place on May 1, 2008. Ian Lewis was elected as the first Conservative Party Councillor in the Ward's history.
indicates retiring councillor ~
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...
, in the north west of England, near 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 ....
and between Wallasey
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
and Meols
Meols
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...
. Leasowe was part of the old County Borough of Wallasey, and is now within 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...
, the Wallasey parliamentary constituency
Wallasey (UK Parliament constituency)
Wallasey is a borough 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.-Boundaries:...
and the New Wallasey Regeneration programme. However, it also has its own characteristics and is often regarded as a separate town. 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....
, Leasowe had a population of 6,180 (2,890 males, 3,290 females).
History
The name 'Leasowe' comes from the Anglo-SaxonOld 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...
Leasowes or 'Meadow Pastures'. Its sand dunes are the largest such system on the Wirral. Much of the area is at or below sea level and is protected by the coastal embankment. Houses built in the early 20th century were often flooded and unsanitary, but after about 1926 new roads and drainage were put in by the Borough Council, and much new housing was developed. Along the embankment between Leasowe and Moreton are the remains of fortifications built during the Second World War.
The world's first passenger hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
service operated in 1961-62 between Leasowe and Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
in North Wales. However, the service was not profitable and soon ceased.
Solar School
On Leasowe Road is the first building in the world to be heated entirely by solar energy. At 53.4°N, it is also the most northerly. The "Solar Campus" was formerly St George’s Secondary School http://www.st-georges-school.co.uk and was built in 1961 to the designs of Emslie Morgan, the Assistant Borough Architect, who spent a lifetime looking into ways of harnessing the sun’s rays. His research resulted in a matchbox like building with, on one side a drab, windowless façade and on the other 10000 square feet (929 m²) of glass, a giant solar wall. The wall is built of glass leaves two feet apart. These draw the ultra violet rays from sunshine and bounce them around the walls of the classrooms. The walls become warm and heat the air. Hardly any warmth escapes through the school’s massively thick roof and walls covered with slabs of plastic foam. On the coldest days it is always 60 degrees Fahrenheit inside, and in summer the school is cooler than its more conventional neighbours, for panels inside the glass wall can be turned to deflect heat or absorb it.Despite dire predictions about the lighting conditions inside the building, all of which proved unfounded, it succeeded. At the time there was no detailed explanation published about why it worked, but work it did, completely eradicating any need for heating. However, Morgan's design died with him, and it was many years before anyone else considered it of more than curiosity value. Similar designs are now being examined across the world.
In practice, the large convector ducts which direct the warmed air to the colder north side of the building are a major safety hazard, and fire breaks have had to be inserted to reduce or cut off the air flow. The result is that on sunny days the south, glazed side of the building reaches unbearable temperatures in excess of 40°C while for most of the time the unglazed north side never reaches a comfortable temperature nor receives much natural light.
A secondary, small single-pipe heating system was installed to give additional heating on cold winter days with very few hours of sunlight. The system is fuelled by oil, which was cheap at the time. Today, the secondary heating has to be used very often, and is very expensive.
The property is maintained by the Children & Young People's Department of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, which struggles to find the necessary revenue and capital to fully maintain this Grade II* listed building.
Leasowe Castle
Leasowe Castle was built by Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of DerbyFerdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby
Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby was the son of Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby and Lady Margaret Clifford. According to the will of Henry VIII, his mother was heiress presumptive of Elizabeth I of England from 1578 to her own death in 1596...
- a patron of Shakespeare - in 1593, possibly (though this is disputed) as an observation platform for the Wallasey Races which took place on the sands in the 16th and 17th centuries, and which are regarded as a forerunner of the Derby
Derby (horse race)
A derby is a type of horse race, named after the Derby Stakes, still run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in England. That was in turn named for Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, who inaugurated the race in 1780...
races. Ferdinando's brother William, the 6th Earl
William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby
William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby was an English nobleman. Stanley inherited a prominent social position that was both dangerous and unstable, as his mother was heir to Queen Elizabeth I under the Third Succession Act, a position that fell to his deceased brother's oldest daughter in 1596,...
, was described as a noted sportsman and is remembered as a keen supporter of the Wallasey races.
At first the Castle consisted only of an octagonal tower. This had become disused by 1700, and it became known as "Mockbeggar Hall", a term often used for an ornate but derelict building. The term "Mockbeggar Wharf" is still used for the adjoining foreshore. The "Mockbeggar Hall" is also the name of a Wetherspoons
Wetherspoons
J D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford. Founded as a single pub in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company now owns 815 outlets. The chain champions cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The company also operates the Lloyds No...
pub in neighbouring Moreton.
In 1821 ownership passed to the Cust family, who refurbished and extended the building, using panelling from the demolished Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
at the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
as well as oak from the submerged forest along the coast. After 1826 the building was used as a hotel for some years. Between 1911 and 1970, it became a railway convalescent home, and between 1974 and 1980 it was owned by Wirral Borough Council. It then became a hotel again, and was acquired by Lawton Hotels Ltd in 2000. The hotel is now a popular venue for weddings and other family functions, with around 50 bedrooms.
Leasowe Lighthouse
Leasowe Lighthouse was built in 1763 by Liverpool Corporation's Docks Committee (the forerunner of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board) and is the oldest brick-built lighthouse in Britain.It was one of four lights on the North Wirral foreshore, the others being two at Hoylake
Hoylake
Hoylake is a seaside town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, on Merseyside, England. It is located at the north western corner of the Wirral Peninsula, near to the town of West Kirby and where the River Dee estuary meets the Irish Sea...
and another - a lower light - at Leasowe. The latter was soon destroyed by the sea and was replaced by a lighthouse on Bidston Hill
Bidston Hill
Bidston Hill is of heathland and woodland that contains historic buildings and ancient rock carvings. It is located on the Wirral Peninsula, near the Birkenhead suburb of Bidston, in Merseyside, England...
in 1771.
The lighthouse was operational until 14 July 1908,
with the only known female lighthouse keeper in those days, a Mrs. Williams. It then became a tearoom for a period, but was unused before 1989, since when it has been the base for the ranger service of the North Wirral Coastal Park
North Wirral Coastal Park
The North Wirral Coastal Park, on the Wirral Peninsula, England is a coastal park including public open space, common land, natural foreshore and sand-dunes...
. The building houses a visitor centre and is occasionally open to the public.
Leasowe Hospital
Leasowe Hospital or; The Leasowe Sanatorium For Crippled Children and Hospital for Tuberculosis, to give its full and original name, later became known as the Liverpool Open-Air Hospital, Leasowe, and finally Leasowe Hospital.To tell the story of the hospital, one name above all stands out and that is Margaret Beavan (born 1877, died 1931). She was the driving force, admired by all, she was known affectionately as the 'Little Mother of Liverpool', also not quite as complimentary - the 'Mighty Atom' and 'Clever Beggar'.
The first mention of a Sanatorium for children with Tuberculosis occurred on the 16th December, 1911.
Slowly Leasowe Hospital changed from being principally a children's T.B hospital to one for dealing with burns and skin grafts, and then arthritis until its closure in 1979. Another name closely associated with 'Leasowe'; amongst others, is that of (the late) Dr T. R. Littler, Consultant Rheumatologist, who was devoted to Leasowe. Leasowe Hospital was eventually bought by the Wirral Christian Centre in 1981 and was used later as a Retirement Home and Handicap Centre. After failing to make that facility work the buildings were eventually repossessed then later demolished around 2002-2003. Luxury apartments and houses have since been built on the site.
Transport
Leasowe railway stationLeasowe railway station
Leasowe railway station is situated near the village of Leasowe, Wirral, England. It lies on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.-History:...
is situated on the Wirral Line
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
of the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
network.
Governance
Leasowe is part of the Wallasey parliamentary consituencyWallasey (UK Parliament constituency)
Wallasey is a borough 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.-Boundaries:...
and represented by Angela Eagle
Angela Eagle
Angela Eagle is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Wallasey since 1992. She served as the Minister of State for Pensions and Ageing Society from June 2009 until May 2010. Eagle was elected to the Shadow Cabinet in October 2010 and was appointed by Ed...
MP.
The majority of the Leasowe area is governed locally as Leasowe and Moreton East Ward. The ward takes in the Leasowe housing estate, developments along Leasowe Road and East Moreton. The Ward is Represented by Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Councillor Ian Lewis and by Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Councillors: Ron Abbey and Iris Coates. The most recent local elections took place on May 1, 2008. Ian Lewis was elected as the first Conservative Party Councillor in the Ward's history.
indicates retiring councillor ~
External links
- Wallasey’s pioneering Solar School 46 years on - "Building" 2007, issue 23
- Metropolitan Borough of Wirral: North Wirral Coastal Park
- Metropolitan Borough of Wirral: Leasowe Lighthouse
- Location Map: Leasowe Lighthouse
- Friends of Leasowe Lighthouse
- Look though the Webcam on top of Leasowe Lighthouse
- St Georges School Reunion and History