Birkenhead is in Merseyside on the Wirral Peninsula on the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool.
It is close to Liverpool and many residents commute. The town has been known for shipbuilding, this started in 1829. Some notable ships built in Birkenhead Docks include the HMS Ark Royal, HMS Birkenhead, HMS Caroline, HMS Prince of Wales and Resurgam, the pioneer submarine.
The first Mersey ferry was operated when Benedictine Monks built a priory there in 1150.
The Mersey Railway Tunnel began operating in 1886 and 1934 saw the Queensway Road tunnel open enabling access to Liverpool allowing Birkenhead to be developed into an industrial centre.
On the site of the Town Hall once stood Birkenhead’s first market. This was made larger in 1845 owing to the growth of the town. Michael Marks of Marks and Spencer, opened one of his seven ‘Penny Bazaar’ stalls here in the 1880’s.
Birkenhead had the first tramway in Europe this opened in August 1860. The early system was horse drawn and currently on show in the Woodside Ferry Booking Office is one of the old trams.
The town’s commercial centre was redeveloped in the 1970’s around the Grange Road shopping area. The Market was moved to new premises after fires in 1969 and 1974. Expansion of the town continued in the 1990’s when a new shopping centre, Pyramids, was opened.
Property for rent in Birkenhead is always available with average costs of £395pcm for a l bed flat, £530pcm for a 2 bed flat, £430pcm for a 2 bed house and £535pcm for a 3 bed house.
Access to the town is from Junctions 1 and 3 of the M53 motorway and the A41 trunk road connects Woodside to Marble Arch in London. The nearest airport is the Liverpool John Lennon Airport, some eight miles from the town.
The town has the Little Theatre that opened its doors in 1958 in a converted Presbyterian church and in 1999 the Pacific Road Arts Centre in Woodside opened.
Birkenhead is home to the Williamson Art Gallery that has been open since 1928 housing paintings, pottery and porcelain exhibits.
The first two Boy Scout Groups in the world started in Birkenhead during 1908 and the 2nd Birkenhead Scout Group is still in existence making it the longest running scout group in the world.
Birkenhead is also home to Tranmere Rovers Football Club that play at Prenton Park and currently compete in the Football League One.
Also in town are two cycling clubs, the Victoria Cycling Club and Birkenhead North End Club both of which have produced Olympic cyclists.
‘Wirral Waters’ is a new major redevelopment planned for the town. It would involve regeneration of the dock area including the construction of several fifty storey skyscrapers, office space and residential apartments. A retail and leisure area is also planned. It would create at least 27,000 permanent jobs excluding those needed in the construction. The whole development would take up to thirty years.
|
