Thurstaston
Encyclopedia
Thurstaston is a village on the Wirral Peninsula
, England
. It is part of the West Kirby
& Thurstaston Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
. The village lies on the A540 road
between Heswall
and Caldy
, although it stretches some distance down Station Road to the bank of the Dee
estuary where there is a large caravan park.
At the time of the 2001 Census
, the village itself had only 160 inhabitants, although the national census included Caldy and parts of Irby
, bringing the total population to 15,548.
tún "farm, village". A record of the name as Torstestiune in 1048 proves this origin. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book
as Turstanetone. Historically and popularly, the name was wrongly thought to refer to "Thor's Stone", a sandstone
outcrop on Thurstaston Common
.
Thurstaston, including the hamlet of Dawpool, was a parish
within the Wirral Hundred, in the county of Cheshire
. The population was 112 in 1801, 98 in 1851, 141 in 1901 and 151 in 1951.
The village is centred on the church of St Bartholomew, and Thurstaston Hall, of which parts date from 1350, although most of the current building dates from between 1680 and 1835. A ghostly "white lady" is said to haunt the Hall.
The earliest mention of a Church occurs around 1125 but other evidence suggests that one may have existed in Saxon times. The Norman church endured for many hundreds of years but was eventually taken down in 1820 and a second edifice, a plain stone building, was completed in 1824. In 1871, the executors of Joseph Hegan of Dawpool set apart £4,500 for a new church to be erected in his memory. This was designed in late 13th century mid-gothic style by John Loughborough Pearson
, also the architect of Truro Cathedral
, and was built entirely of local sandstone. It was consecrated in 1886. Although nothing remains of the earlier Norman church, the tower of the second one still stands in the churchyard and the sandstone of the building was used to construct a wall enclosing the new churchyard.
In 1882 the Liverpool shipowner Thomas Ismay, founder of White Star Line
built his mansion 'Dawpool' at Thurstaston; Ismay is said to have used his influence to ensure that the West Kirby - Hooton railway be routed a mile away along the Dee Estuary, rather than closer to the village. He was also successful in moving the main Heswall to West Kirby road, which came too close to the doorstep of his mansion, via a cutting through Thurstaston Hill.
Ismay is buried in the nearby St Bartholomew's churchyard. The solidly-built 'Dawpool', designed by Richard Norman Shaw
, was demolished by explosives in 1927.
Still standing in the village is the original building of Dawpool Primary School, now a private house.
, then subsequently Wirral Urban District
. On 1 April 1974, local government reorganisation
in England and Wales resulted in most of Wirral, including Thurstaston, transfer from the county of Cheshire to Merseyside.
. Thurstaston Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) and a local nature reserve
. Nearby is Thurstaston Hill, a 298 ft Triassic
sandstone
ridge and one of the highest points on the Wirral. On the eastern side of the hill is Thorstone Rock, a large sandstone mound which was reputed, in early times, to have been thrown by the Norse God, Thor
. The reality is of course somewhat more mundane; the rock mound, being totally sandstone has been worn constantly by the elements as well as many visitors prepared to climb to its small summit. The offices and a visitor centre of Wirral Country Park
are situated near the site of what was Thurstaston railway station
. The former trackbed of part of the Birkenhead Railway
has been converted into a public path - the 'Wirral Way'. The visitor centre contains displays relevant to the local ecology
.
, on the Chester and Birkenhead Railway
branch line from to , opened in 1886 and closed to passengers in 1954. The route is now a public footpath
.
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
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 part of the West Kirby
West 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...
& Thurstaston 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...
. The village lies on the A540 road
A540 road
The A540 is a non-primary road that runs from Chester, Cheshire to Hoylake, Wirral. It is the only road in the series A54X that is within England ....
between Heswall
Heswall
Heswall is a town in Wirral, in the county of Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. At the time of the 2001 Census, the total population of the ward was 16,012 , which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton...
and Caldy
Caldy
Caldy is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, England, located to the south east of West Kirby. It is part of the West Kirby & Thurstaston Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and is situated in the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West...
, although it stretches some distance down Station Road to the bank of the Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
estuary where there is a large caravan park.
At the time of 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....
, the village itself had only 160 inhabitants, although the national census included Caldy and parts of Irby
Irby, Merseyside
Irby is a village on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The village covers an area of 20 square kilometres. To the north of Irby lies the associated hamlet of Irby Hill...
, bringing the total population to 15,548.
History
Thurstaston means "village of a man called Thorsteinn / Þorsteinn", from the Old Norse personal name Thorsteinn / Þorsteinn and Old EnglishOld 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...
tún "farm, village". A record of the name as Torstestiune in 1048 proves this origin. The village was mentioned 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...
as Turstanetone. Historically and popularly, the name was wrongly thought to refer to "Thor's Stone", a 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,...
outcrop on Thurstaston Common
Thurstaston Common
Royden Park and Thurstaston Common comprise an area of almost 250 acres of parklands, wood and heath at Thurstaston, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, England....
.
Thurstaston, including the hamlet of Dawpool, was a 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...
within the Wirral Hundred, in the county of Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The population was 112 in 1801, 98 in 1851, 141 in 1901 and 151 in 1951.
The village is centred on the church of St Bartholomew, and Thurstaston Hall, of which parts date from 1350, although most of the current building dates from between 1680 and 1835. A ghostly "white lady" is said to haunt the Hall.
The earliest mention of a Church occurs around 1125 but other evidence suggests that one may have existed in Saxon times. The Norman church endured for many hundreds of years but was eventually taken down in 1820 and a second edifice, a plain stone building, was completed in 1824. In 1871, the executors of Joseph Hegan of Dawpool set apart £4,500 for a new church to be erected in his memory. This was designed in late 13th century mid-gothic style by John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson was a Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency unrivalled in his generation.-Early life and education:Pearson was born in Brussels, Belgium on 5...
, also the architect of Truro Cathedral
Truro Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro is an Anglican cathedral located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style fashionable during much of the nineteenth century, and is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom...
, and was built entirely of local sandstone. It was consecrated in 1886. Although nothing remains of the earlier Norman church, the tower of the second one still stands in the churchyard and the sandstone of the building was used to construct a wall enclosing the new churchyard.
In 1882 the Liverpool shipowner Thomas Ismay, founder of White Star Line
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
built his mansion 'Dawpool' at Thurstaston; Ismay is said to have used his influence to ensure that the West Kirby - Hooton railway be routed a mile away along the Dee Estuary, rather than closer to the village. He was also successful in moving the main Heswall to West Kirby road, which came too close to the doorstep of his mansion, via a cutting through Thurstaston Hill.
Ismay is buried in the nearby St Bartholomew's churchyard. The solidly-built 'Dawpool', designed by Richard Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw RA , was an influential Scottish architect from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings.-Life:...
, was demolished by explosives in 1927.
Still standing in the village is the original building of Dawpool Primary School, now a private house.
Civic history
Between 1894 and 1933, Thurstaston was part of Wirral Rural DistrictWirral 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....
, then subsequently Wirral Urban District
Wirral Urban District
Wirral was an urban district in Cheshire, England from 1933 to 1974. It was created from part of the disbanded Wirral Rural District, and covered an area in the south-west of the Wirral Peninsula...
. On 1 April 1974, local government reorganisation
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
in England and Wales resulted in most of Wirral, including Thurstaston, transfer from the county of Cheshire to Merseyside.
Geography
Thurstaston is notable for the large areas of parkland and heathlandHeath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
. Thurstaston Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) and a local nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
. Nearby is Thurstaston Hill, a 298 ft Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
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,...
ridge and one of the highest points on the Wirral. On the eastern side of the hill is Thorstone Rock, a large sandstone mound which was reputed, in early times, to have been thrown by the Norse God, Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
. The reality is of course somewhat more mundane; the rock mound, being totally sandstone has been worn constantly by the elements as well as many visitors prepared to climb to its small summit. The offices and a visitor centre of Wirral Country Park
Wirral Country Park
The Wirral Country Park is a country park on the Wirral Peninsula, England, lying both in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and the county of Cheshire...
are situated near the site of what was Thurstaston railway station
Thurstaston railway station
Thurstaston railway station was a station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, England...
. The former trackbed of part of the Birkenhead Railway
Birkenhead Railway
The Birkenhead Railway was formed on 1 August 1859 as a result of the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Railway merging with the Chester and Birkenhead Railway. The new company was originally called the Birkenhead, Lancashire and Cheshire Junction Railway, but in 1859 shortened its name to The...
has been converted into a public path - the 'Wirral Way'. The visitor centre contains displays relevant to the local ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
.
Bus
| Number | Route | Operator | Days of Operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22A | 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 |
Train
Thurstaston railway stationThurstaston railway station
Thurstaston railway station was a station on the single track Hooton to West Kirby branch of the Birkenhead Railway, on the Wirral Peninsula, England...
, on the Chester and Birkenhead Railway
Chester and Birkenhead Railway
The Chester and Birkenhead Railway ran from Birkenhead to Chester. It opened on 23 September 1838. On the 22 July 1847 it merged with the Birkenhead, Lancaster and Cheshire Junction Railway to become the Birkenhead Railway.-Currently Working:...
branch line from to , opened in 1886 and closed to passengers in 1954. The route is now a public footpath
Wirral Country Park
The Wirral Country Park is a country park on the Wirral Peninsula, England, lying both in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and the county of Cheshire...
.