Prescot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prescot |
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| Town | |
 St Mary's Church, Prescot |
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 Prescot
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| Population | 11,184 (2001 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SJ4692 |
| Civil parish |
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| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PRESCOT |
| Postcode district | L34/L35 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Prescot is a town and civil parish located in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, United Kingdom. It is about 8 miles (13 km) east of Liverpool city centre. In 2001, the population of Prescot was 11,184 people. By 2011, the population of the wider Prescot area had grown to 14,139.
Prescot is where the A58 road begins. This road goes all the way to Wetherby, which is near Leeds in West Yorkshire. The town has its own train station, Prescot railway station. There is also Eccleston Park railway station nearby in Eccleston.
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History of Prescot
The name Prescot probably comes from old words. It is believed to be from the Anglo-Saxon words prēost (meaning "priest") and cot (meaning "cottage" or "small house"). So, Prescot likely means "priest-cottage."
In the 1300s, a nobleman named William Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre received a special document called a charter. This charter allowed Prescot to hold a three-day market and a traveling fair. These events would start on the Wednesday after Corpus Christi.
In 1593, the parents of the English thinker Gerrard Winstanley were married in Prescot.
From the 1590s to 1609, Prescot was home to the Prescot Playhouse. This was a special theatre built for plays, like those by William Shakespeare. It was probably located on Eccleston Street. In the 1500s, Prescot was a small town with about 400 people. It did not grow much by the late 1600s.
During the 1700s and 1800s, Prescot was a major centre for making watches and clocks. This industry ended when the Lancashire Watch Company closed in 1910. Later, the BICC company was the main employer in the town. BICC stopped working in Prescot in the early 1990s.
The old BICC site was cleared and remained empty until 2000. Then, it was rebuilt into what is now called Cables Retail Park. Its name remembers the BICC company and the site's history.
How Prescot is Governed
Prescot has always been part of the historic county of Lancashire. From 1894, the town was part of the Prescot Urban District within Lancashire.
In 1974, the old administrative counties were changed. Prescot then became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. This borough is in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. Today, Prescot is served by the Prescot Town Council and the Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The current Prescot Town Hall building used to be a public house. It was changed into the Town Hall in 2014.
Churches in Prescot
There are six churches in the centre of Prescot. The most noticeable one is the 17th-century Prescot Parish Church of St Mary's. It is the only building in the Knowsley area listed as Grade I, meaning it is very important. Hidden behind St Mary's is the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady and St Joseph. This church was designed by Joseph Aloysius Hansom, who invented the Hansom Cab.
The Prescot Methodist Church celebrated its 100th birthday in 2009. The building itself has since been turned into apartments. However, the church community still meets in the nearby church hall, now called Prescot Methodist Centre. Other churches in town include a Salvation Army church, an Elim Pentecostal church (Prescot Community Church), and the Zion Independent Methodist Church. Outside the town centre, in the Portico area, is the Catholic Our Lady Help of Christians Church.
Things to See and Do in Prescot
The Prescot Museum has a special display about the town's history of making clocks and watches. It also has different temporary exhibitions throughout the year. This Georgian building is also home to Knowsley Council's Arts and Events Service.
On the edge of town is the famous estate of Lord Derby. This estate includes the well-known Knowsley Safari Park.
In recent years, Prescot has started many cultural and arts events. These include the yearly 10-day Prescot Festival of Music and the Arts. There is also an annual Elizabethan Fayre, which is a fair celebrating the Elizabethan era.
The Shakespeare North Trust works to highlight William Shakespeare's historical connection to Prescot. Researchers at Liverpool's John Moores University are studying this link. Inspired by the old Prescot Playhouse, the Trust has built the Shakespeare North complex in Prescot. This complex includes a Shakespearean playhouse and an educational centre. In April 2016, Knowsley Council approved the plans for the new playhouse. Construction of The Shakespeare North Playhouse finished in late 2022.
Stone Street (53°25′45″N 2°48′17″W / 53.42917°N 2.80472°W) runs between High Street and Eccleston Street. It is only 26 inches (66 cm) wide at its southern end. This makes it one of the narrowest streets in Britain.
Sports in Prescot
The local football team is Prescot Cables. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division at Valerie Park.
Prescot & Odyssey Cricket Club is located close to Knowsley Safari Park.
Media in Prescot
Local news and TV shows for Prescot are provided by BBC North West and ITV Granada. TV signals come from the Winter Hill TV transmitter.
Local radio stations include BBC Radio Merseyside, Heart North West, Capital North West & Wales, Hits Radio Liverpool, Smooth North West, and Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool And The North West. The town is also served by local newspapers like the Prescot & Knowsley Reporter and the Liverpool Echo.
Historic Estates
The estate of Parr was located within the old church area of Prescot, in what is now Parr, St Helens. This was the original home of the Parr family. Queen Katherine Parr, who was the last wife of King Henry VIII, was a member of this family.
Famous People from Prescot
- Screenwriter Peter Briggs, who wrote the film Hellboy, grew up in Prescot.
- Actor Daniel Craig (known for playing James Bond 007) spent some of his childhood in Prescot.
- Actress Stephanie Davis (from Hollyoaks) grew up near Prescot.
- Frederick Griffith (1877–1941), a scientist who studied bacteria, was born in Prescot.
- Former Bolton Wanderers football player Derek Hennin was born in Prescot. He won the FA Cup in 1958.
- Actress Sue Johnston (from Brookside and The Royle Family) grew up in Prescot.
- Actress Christine Kavanagh was born in Prescot.
- Actor Sam Kelly (from Porridge and 'Allo 'Allo!).
- Shakespearean actor John Philip Kemble was born in Prescot. A road has been renamed Kemble Street in his honour.
- Professor Peter Lawrenson, an electrical engineer and scientist, was born in Prescot.
- Edward Lear, a famous poet and artist known for his nonsense poems.
- Classical pianist Paul Lewis was a student at Prescot Grammar School.
- Former Huddersfield Town football player Billy Mercer started his career at Prescot Cables.
- Former Everton manager Dick Molyneux, who won Everton's first League Title, was born in Prescot.
- Dave McCabe – Lead singer of the band the Zutons.
- Australian politician Jeanette Powell was born in Prescot before moving to Australia as a child.
- Reverend Arthur Herbert Procter, who received the Victoria Cross for bravery, worked at St Mary's Church from 1927 to 1931.
- Nigel Roberts, a computer scientist and early Internet pioneer, went to Prescot Grammar School.
- Singer/songwriter Lally Stott is famous for his hit song Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.
- Stuart Sutcliffe, an early member of the Beatles, attended Prescot Grammar School.
- Organist Professor Ian Tracey from Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
- Professor Sid Watkins, a world-famous neurosurgeon, worked for twenty-six years as the safety and medical head for Formula One racing.
See also
In Spanish: Prescot para niños
