Walton, Liverpool facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walton |
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.jpg) County Road, Walton |
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 Walton
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| OS grid reference | SJ365945 |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LIVERPOOL |
| Postcode district | L4, L9 |
| Dialling code | 0151 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Walton is an area of Liverpool, England, north of Anfield and east of Bootle and Orrell Park. Historically in Lancashire, it is largely residential, with a diverse population.
History
The town name 'Walton', may have been derived from the same origins as the country name 'Wales'. The incoming Saxons called the earlier native inhabitants (the Celtic Britons) the 'Walas' or 'Wealas' which means foreigner referring to the Celts and Romans. Thus, Walton may have once been called 'Walas' town. Another possible etymology derives from 'Wald tun' being Old English for 'Forest Town'. Regardless, Walton is one of the oldest areas of settlement in Merseyside.
The name Walton comes from settlement/farmstead of Wealas - native Celts which is what the new Anglo Saxon speaking peoples called the native inhabitants of England. There is strong evidence that in many areas of England taken over by Germanic speaking settlers, the native British (Wealas) remained undisturbed, farming the same land they did when the Romans left. Over time they just adopted or forgot their Celtic tongue (similar to Old Welsh/Cornish) for the language and culture of the newcomers in order to climb the social ladder or were coerced to do so. It was in the Anglo Saxon interest that the native British carry on as usual to ensure the economy produced food and goods for the new landowners.
Walton's recorded history appears to have started with the death of Edward the Confessor, when it was said that "Winestan held the manor of WALTON". After the conquest of the Normans, it is thought that Roger of Poitou included Walton in the lands he gave to his sheriff, Godfrey.
In 1200, the founder of Liverpool, King John of England gave the town of Walton to Richard de Meath, who left Walton to his brother, Henry de Walton. Henry's son William inherited the lands of Walton, but William died before his son Richard was of age, so Richard was made a ward of Nicholas de la Hose by the Earl of Derby and the estate was managed by nobles outside the family for a time.
Walton was then held by the 'de Walton' family until Roger de Walton's death in the 15th century, when it was split through marriage between the Crosse, Chorley and Fazakerley families. Walton Manor later passed through the Breres and Atherton families and it was sold in 1804 to Liverpool banker Thomas Leyland. Some of the Walton land also passed down to the Earl of Derby (see earlier connection) and the Sefton family.
Subsequent to that, Walton later lost its independence in 1895 when it was made part of Liverpool Borough Council.
Notable people
- Beatle Sir Paul McCartney was born in Walton Hospital.
- Joe Fagan, Liverpool F.C. manager in the 1980s, was born in Walton Hospital.
- John Birt, ex-Director General of the BBC, was born in Walton Hospital.
- Gérard Houllier, the ex-Liverpool manager, and former manager of Aston Villa in Birmingham, once taught at Alsop Comprehensive.
- Brian Jacques, children's author, of among other titles, The Redwall Series and presenter for Radio City, lived in Walton.
- Paul Jewell, former Wigan Athletic manager, was brought up in the Walton area.
- John Melvin, a guitarist who formed part of the band the Farm, lived in Walton from 1982 until 1998.
- Professor Stephen Molyneux, Educational Technology Guru, lived in Bedford Road and attended Alsop High School in the same class as Jimmy Mulville from 1968–1972.
- Jimmy Mulville, former comedian turned television entrepreneur with Hat Trick Productions, came from Walton and attended Alsop High School in the same class as Professor Stephen Molyneux.
- Poet Goronwy Owen was a parish curate and schoolmaster in Walton 1753–55.
- Heidi Range, one third of the Sugababes, born in Walton.
- Sir Ken Robinson, educationalist, was brought up at 45 Spellow Lane, Walton and attended Spellow Lane Church.
- Neil Robinson, Footballer Everton, was born and brought up at 45 Spellow Lane, Walton, making him player born closest to the ground, and attended Gwladys Street School in Walton.
- Alexei Sayle, comedian, attended Alsop High School.
- Claire Sweeney, TV presenter and former Brookside actress, was brought up on Carisbrooke Road in Walton.
- Ricky Tomlinson, actor. Lived off Queens Drive in Walton during the late 1990s.
- Robert Noonan who wrote The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists as Robert Tressell, is buried in Walton Cemetery. He was in Liverpool intending to migrate to America, but died before he could leave.
- Doris Lloyd, an actress in over 150 films, was born in Walton and died in California in 1968.
Geography
The Walton area shares borders with a number of other areas, some considered inner-city and some considered outer suburbs, these include Clubmoor, Anfield, Kirkdale, Norris Green, Bootle and Orrell Park.
Transport
Walton is connected to Liverpool City Centre via the A59 and the A580 (East Lancashire Road).
There are two railway stations in Walton on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network. Rice Lane railway station (formerly Preston Road) is on the Kirkby branch and Walton railway station (formerly Walton Junction) is on the Ormskirk branch.
The North Liverpool Extension Line, still in use until the 1970s, included Warbreck railway station in Walton Vale and Spellow railway station, on the Canada Dock Branch near Spellow Lane. Warbreck railway station is no longer in use, and the only remains are on a bicycle path underneath the shops. The path itself is part of the Trans Pennine Trail.
Walton on the Hill railway station was by the Queens Drive flyover, on the Rice Lane side heading southbound. Though the railway station became disused in 1918, the line was used for transporting goods to Liverpool docks via the tunnel which runs through the Walton-Kirkdale area; this leads to Kirkdale railway station and on to Sandhills railway station.
What is now a bike path behind the site of the Hartley's and Jacobs factory used to be Fazakerley Junction, a train depot used until the 1960s.
Landmarks
Walton is home to Goodison Park football stadium, which was built in 1892 as the first purpose built football stadium in England and the home of Everton Football Club, who have remained there ever since; although little of the original stadium structure now exists. They had previously played at Anfield Stadium on the opposite side of Stanley Park, which then became the home of Liverpool F.C..
Economy
Hartley's Village was built in the 19th century to house workers from the Hartley's Jam Factory.
Moulded plastics company Dunlop had its UK head office and manufacturing plant on what is now the Cavendish Retail Park (off Rice Lane and opposite the former Walton Hospital) until the mid-1990s. In September 1980, a severe fire at the plant closed Rice Lane and residents were told to stay indoors due to hazardous atmospheric pollution. The fire caused so much damage that the plant had to be demolished, and only part of the site remained until its closure. The building used as the main headquarters was left abandoned for many years until a Chinese restaurant was opened in the late 1990s on the site. The last remaining plant, on Cavendish Drive, was demolished in 2004 to make way for a housing estate.
