Moreton, Merseyside
Encyclopedia
Moreton is a town on the north coast of the Wirral Peninsula
, England. In the 2001 Census
, it had a population of 17,670 (8,370 males, 9,300 females).
From 2004, the town was divided between the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
wards of Leasowe & Moreton East and Moreton West & Saughall Massie.
to Leasowe
known as Mockbeggar Wharf, named after Mockbeggar Hall, otherwise known as Leasowe Castle. 'Mockbeggar Hall' is also the name of Moretons Wetherspoons
pub (The name Mockbeggar apparently being an old sailors' term for a lone house). The North Wirral Coastal Park
also runs for four miles along this coast, including public open space, common land, natural foreshore and sand-dunes. The park provides for a wide variety of recreational activities; some of the more popular being sailing, sea angling, swimming, cycling, picnicking, walking, jogging, ball games, bird watching and horse riding.
The low-lying land behind the coast is protected by a large concrete embankment. Some of the coastal land is in the Moreton Conservation Area
and provides important natural habitat. The embankment gives a good view at low tide to see a variety of wading birds. There are also good views of the Bidston Hill
, Caldy Hill
, the Welsh Hills, and out over the Irish Sea
.
It has been restored and is open to the public at times.
that educates around 375 pupils in ages 4-11. It was opened, as the 'Moreton Church of England School', in 1861 in the centre of Moreton. It was established in its current location in 1974.
) is located in the town at Reeds Lane, near to Leasowe railway station
.
Moreton is also home to Typhoo Tea, with the factory which manufactures Typhoo, being located next to the Burton's factory.
Until the 1990s, Bristol-Myers Squibb
was also a major employer to the local workforce, with a large factory located on the opposite side of Reeds Lane to Burton's, next to Leasowe Station. However, in the mid-90s, manufacturing was moved out of Moreton which led to the closure of the factory. At the same time, there was actually heavy investment into modern drug development and research labs on the site, which are still operated by Bristol-Myers Squibb, with further investment in the past 5 years.
service. The service ran from Leasowe to Rhyl
and commenced 20 July 1962. However, due to varying reasons including bad weather and technical difficulties the service was cancelled after its final journey on 14 September 1962.
and Leasowe
. Both stations are on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line
and see direct services operated by Merseyrail
to West Kirby
and via Birkenhead
. Both Leasowe and Moreton offer park and ride
facilities.
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. In 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....
, it had a population of 17,670 (8,370 males, 9,300 females).
From 2004, the town was divided between 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...
wards of Leasowe & Moreton East and Moreton West & Saughall Massie.
Geography
The coast at Moreton is part of a stretch of sand that runs from MeolsMeols
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...
to Leasowe
Leasowe
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...
known as Mockbeggar Wharf, named after Mockbeggar Hall, otherwise known as Leasowe Castle. 'Mockbeggar Hall' is also the name of Moretons 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 (The name Mockbeggar apparently being an old sailors' term for a lone house). 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...
also runs for four miles along this coast, including public open space, common land, natural foreshore and sand-dunes. The park provides for a wide variety of recreational activities; some of the more popular being sailing, sea angling, swimming, cycling, picnicking, walking, jogging, ball games, bird watching and horse riding.
The low-lying land behind the coast is protected by a large concrete embankment. Some of the coastal land is in the Moreton 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...
and provides important natural habitat. The embankment gives a good view at low tide to see a variety of wading birds. There are also good views of the 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...
, Caldy Hill
Caldy Hill
Caldy Hill is an area of heath and woodland on a sandstone outcrop on the Wirral Peninsula. The land was bought by Hoylake District Council between 1897 and 1974. The village of Caldy is nearby....
, the Welsh Hills, and out over the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
.
Community
Because of the sandbanks just offshore, Leasowe Lighthouse was built in 1763 and is the oldest brick-built lighthouse in Britain.It has been restored and is open to the public at times.
Education
Moreton Christ Church CofE Primary School, located on Upton Road, is a Church of England schoolChristian school
A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization.The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures...
that educates around 375 pupils in ages 4-11. It was opened, as the 'Moreton Church of England School', in 1861 in the centre of Moreton. It was established in its current location in 1974.
Manufacturing
Moreton is also known for being the home of the Burton's factory, producer of Cadbury's biscuits and now owned by Street Capital. Manor Bakeries, the former Cadbury's cakes department, (now owned by Premier Foods GroupPremier Foods
Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
) is located in the town at Reeds Lane, near to Leasowe railway station
Leasowe 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:...
.
Moreton is also home to Typhoo Tea, with the factory which manufactures Typhoo, being located next to the Burton's factory.
Until the 1990s, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
was also a major employer to the local workforce, with a large factory located on the opposite side of Reeds Lane to Burton's, next to Leasowe Station. However, in the mid-90s, manufacturing was moved out of Moreton which led to the closure of the factory. At the same time, there was actually heavy investment into modern drug development and research labs on the site, which are still operated by Bristol-Myers Squibb, with further investment in the past 5 years.
Boat
Moreton witnessed the world's first commercial passenger and mail hovercraftHovercraft
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. The service ran from Leasowe to 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...
and commenced 20 July 1962. However, due to varying reasons including bad weather and technical difficulties the service was cancelled after its final journey on 14 September 1962.
Rail
There are two stations serving Moreton, these are MoretonMoreton (Merseyside) railway station
Moreton railway station is situated in Moreton, Wirral, England. It lies on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.-Services:...
and Leasowe
Leasowe 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:...
. Both stations are on the West Kirby branch of 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...
and see direct services operated by 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...
to West Kirby
West Kirby railway station
West Kirby railway station is situated in the town of West Kirby, Wirral, England. It is situated at the end of one of the branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.The beach can be reached easily from the station....
and via Birkenhead
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...
. Both Leasowe and Moreton offer park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facilities.
Bus
Services operating in the Moreton area, as of January 2009:| Number | Route | Operator | Days of Operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Moreton-Clatterbridge | 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-Friday |
| 18 | Moreton-Birkenhead | Avon Buses | Monday-Friday |
| N23 | Moreton-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 morning |
| 38/38A | West Kirby-New Ferry | First Chester & The Wirral First Chester & The Wirral First Chester & Wirral is a division of bus operator First Manchester Ltd., running local bus services in and around Chester and the Wirral, north west England. The company is a subsidiary of FirstGroup plc, the largest bus operator in Britain.... |
Monday-Saturday |
| 83/83A | West Kirby-Birkenhead | Avon Buses | Monday-Friday |
| 106 | Moreton-Liscard | A1A Travel A1A Travel A1A Travel is an independent bus company based in Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula in England. For the development of the company's quality objectives, a quality management system registered to ISO 9000 status was installed... |
Monday-Saturday |
| 107 | Moreton-New Brighton | Arriva North West | Monday-Saturday mornings |
| 117 | Moreton-Clatterbridge | Arriva North West | Saturdays |
| 181 | Leasowe-Arrowe Park Hospital | A1A Travel | Monday-Saturday |
| 186 | Eastham Ferry-Leasowe | Avon Buses | Evenings and Sundays |
| 203 | Seacombe-Birkenhead | A1A Travel (Sun mornings) and Arriva North West (Sat evenings) | Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings |
| 207 | Woodside-New Brighton | Arriva North West | Monday-Saturday mornings |
| 208 | New Brighton-Woodside | Arriva North West | Monday-Saturday mornings |
| 403/413 | Seacombe/Liscard-Woodside | Arriva North West | Monday-Saturday |
| 407 | Moreton-Liverpool | Arriva North West | Monday-Saturday |
| 423 | Seacombe-Liverpool | Arriva North West | Evenings and Sundays |
| 807 | Leasowe-Bromborough | Cumfybus Cumfybus Cumfybus Ltd is a bus operating company based in Southport in Merseyside, England. Its operations were small scale throughout the 1990s, but it has expanded significantly since its incorporation as a limited company in 2002, and as of 2010 has a fleet of nearly 100 buses.-Fleet:The Optare Solo... |
Monday-Friday mornings and evenings |
| 811 | Leasowe-Broughton | Cumfybus | Monday-Friday |
| 901 | Moreton-Leasowe | A2B Travel | Monday-Sunday |