Tranmere, Merseyside
Encyclopedia
Tranmere is a suburb of Birkenhead
, on the Wirral Peninsula
, England
. Administratively, it is also a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
. Before local government reorganisation
on 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough
of Birkenhead, within the geographical county of Cheshire
. At the 2001 Census
, the population of Tranmere was 11,668 (5,399 males, 6,269 females).
s who settled and colonised Wirral in the 10th century. Tranmere in Old Norse
is Trani-melr, meaning "Cranebird sandbank" or "sandbank with the Cranebirds".
Until the early 19th century, Tranmere was the second most populous settlement in Wirral, with a population of 353 in 1801, centred mainly in the area of what is now Church Road and the nearby hamlet of Hinderton. By 1901, the number of residents had grown to 37,709.
Tranmere Old Hall and its estate, was situated around what is now Church Road. It was a large, gable
d building constructed around 1614.
According to the author Philip Sulley's The Hundred of Wirral (1889), in about 1860:
Tranmere was absorbed into the County Borough of Birkenhead in 1877 and became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in 1974, on creation of the county of Merseyside.
granted John Poole the lease of ferry rights at Tranmere in 1586. The Etna, the first steam-powered ferry on the River Mersey
operated from Tranmere Pool to Liverpool
on 17 April 1817. The early part of the 19th Century were prosperous times for Tranmere's ferry service, but this was to change with the completion of Thomas Brassey
's New Chester Road in 1833 and the opening of the Chester and Birkenhead Railway
in 1840. Further blows to trade came with the commencement of a horse-drawn tram
way in 1877 between New Ferry
and Woodside Ferry
and the opening of the Mersey Railway
between Liverpool and nearby Green Lane railway station
in 1886. By 1904, the ferry service had ceased and Tranmere Pool was enclosed as Cammell Laird Dock as part of an extension of the shipyard.
terraced house
s, although it has seen a significant amount of property development recently. The area is host to one of only 35 government neighbourhood pathfinders
.
Green Lane railway station
is situated on the Wirral Line
of the Merseyrail
network. Services operate northbound to Liverpool, via Birkenhead town centre and southbound to Chester
and Ellesmere Port
.
Tranmere is best known for its football club, Tranmere Rovers F.C.
, founded in 1884.
Mersey Park Primary School
in Tranmere has several famous former pupils including Jason McAteer
(footballer) and Patricia Routledge
(Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC TV sitcom Keeping up Appearances
). Paul O'Grady
, famous for his alter-ego creation Lily Savage, was raised in the area.
Tranmere is also home to the UK's last remaining resident cinema organist Dave Nicholas
who currently plays for the classic movie evenings at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
St. Catherine's Hospital occupies a large site in Higher Tranmere. It was originally built as the Birkenhead Union Workhouse
between 1861 and 1863 and designed by Thomas Leyland. St. Catherine's Hospital is soon to be demolished to make way for a modern medical facility.
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...
, on the Wirral Peninsula
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...
. Administratively, it is also a 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...
. Before 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....
on 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Birkenhead, within the geographical 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...
. 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....
, the population of Tranmere was 11,668 (5,399 males, 6,269 females).
History
Its name was given by Norwegian VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s who settled and colonised Wirral in the 10th century. Tranmere in Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
is Trani-melr, meaning "Cranebird sandbank" or "sandbank with the Cranebirds".
Until the early 19th century, Tranmere was the second most populous settlement in Wirral, with a population of 353 in 1801, centred mainly in the area of what is now Church Road and the nearby hamlet of Hinderton. By 1901, the number of residents had grown to 37,709.
Tranmere Old Hall and its estate, was situated around what is now Church Road. It was a large, gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d building constructed around 1614.
According to the author Philip Sulley's The Hundred of Wirral (1889), in about 1860:
- "... [Tranmere Old Hall] was pulled down by an ignorant boor who became possessed of it by some mischance, to make way for shops and houses."
Tranmere was absorbed into the County Borough of Birkenhead in 1877 and became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in 1974, on creation of the county of Merseyside.
Ferry Service
Queen ElizabethElizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
granted John Poole the lease of ferry rights at Tranmere in 1586. The Etna, the first steam-powered ferry on the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
operated from Tranmere Pool to Liverpool
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...
on 17 April 1817. The early part of the 19th Century were prosperous times for Tranmere's ferry service, but this was to change with the completion of Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey was an English civil engineering contractor and manufacturer of building materials who was responsible for building much of the world's railways in the 19th century. By 1847, he had built about one-third of the railways in Britain, and by time of his death in 1870 he had built one...
's New Chester Road in 1833 and the opening of 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:...
in 1840. Further blows to trade came with the commencement of a horse-drawn tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way in 1877 between New Ferry
New Ferry
New Ferry is a small town located on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Situated to the east of Bebington, it is part of the Bromborough Ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and in the parliamentary constituency of Wirral South...
and Woodside Ferry
Woodside, Merseyside
Woodside is a small riverside locality in Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England, situated almost opposite Liverpool Pier Head across the River Mersey.-History:...
and the opening of the Mersey Railway
Mersey Railway
The Mersey Railway connected Liverpool and Birkenhead, England, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel under the River Mersey. Opened in 1886, it was the second oldest urban underground railway network in the world. The railway contained the first tunnel built under the River Mersey. It was constructed by...
between Liverpool and nearby Green Lane railway station
Green Lane railway station
Green Lane railway station serves the town of Birkenhead, Wirral, England, located in the south of the town. It is situated on the Chester and Ellesmere Port branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.- History :...
in 1886. By 1904, the ferry service had ceased and Tranmere Pool was enclosed as Cammell Laird Dock as part of an extension of the shipyard.
Description
Tranmere is made up of industrial buildings and VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
terraced house
Terraced house
In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...
s, although it has seen a significant amount of property development recently. The area is host to one of only 35 government neighbourhood pathfinders
Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme
The Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme was a co-operative programme in England between residents and stakeholders such as the local authority, businesses etc aimed at improving specific deprived neighbourhoods....
.
Green Lane railway station
Green Lane railway station
Green Lane railway station serves the town of Birkenhead, Wirral, England, located in the south of the town. It is situated on the Chester and Ellesmere Port branches 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. Services operate northbound to Liverpool, via Birkenhead town centre and southbound to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
.
Tranmere is best known for its football club, Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
, founded in 1884.
Mersey Park Primary School
Mersey Park Primary School
Mersey Park is a primary school in the Tranmere area of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It is a mixed, non-denominational establishment, under the control of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral....
in Tranmere has several famous former pupils including Jason McAteer
Jason McAteer
Jason Wynne McAteer is a retired Irish footballer, who represented the Republic of Ireland at international level. He announced his retirement from professional football on 12 June 2007,...
(footballer) and Patricia Routledge
Patricia Routledge
Katherine Patricia Routledge, CBE is an English character comedy actress and singer. She is best known for her role as character Hyacinth Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and Hetty Wainthropp in the British television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
(Hyacinth Bucket in the BBC TV sitcom Keeping up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
). Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
, famous for his alter-ego creation Lily Savage, was raised in the area.
Tranmere is also home to the UK's last remaining resident cinema organist Dave Nicholas
Dave Nicholas
Dave Nicholas is currently the UK's only resident cinema organist and at 20 years is the longest serving organist at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.-Career:...
who currently plays for the classic movie evenings at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
St. Catherine's Hospital occupies a large site in Higher Tranmere. It was originally built as the Birkenhead Union Workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
between 1861 and 1863 and designed by Thomas Leyland. St. Catherine's Hospital is soon to be demolished to make way for a modern medical facility.