- Aintree
infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.4793
longitude= -2.9373
official_name= Aintree
population=
metropolitan_borough= Sefton
metropolitan_county=Merseyside
region= North West England
constituency_westminster=Knowsley North and Sefton East
post_town= LIVERPOOL
postcode_district = L9, L10
postcode_area= L
dial_code= 0151
os_grid_reference= SJ375985Aintree is a
village andcivil parish in Sefton,Merseyside . It lies between Walton andMaghull on theA59 road , about convert|6.5|mi|km|1|lk=on north ofLiverpool city centre, in the northwest ofEngland .It is best known as the site of
Aintree Racecourse , which since the 19th century has staged theGrand National horse race. During the 1950s and '60s, there was also a three-mile-longmotor racing circuit on the site, which used the same grandstands as the horse race. A shorter form of the racing circuit is still used for various events, although car racing ceased in 1982.History
The name Aintree, thought to be of Saxon origin, means "one tree" or "tree standing alone." In 1999, the parish council decided to revert back to its original name of Aintree Village; this request was granted by Sefton Council. Local legend held that a tree on Bull Bridge Lane, one of the oldest parts of the village, was "the Ain tree"; sadly, it had to be cut down in 2004 because the tree had become diseased.
Today
The village itself has two
primary school s, Aintree Davenhill and the split site, Holy Rosary; five churches,St. Giles (Anglican ), Holy Rosary (Roman Catholic ), Old RoanMethodist Church, Old Roan Baptist Church (which meets in Davenhill School), and Aintree Village Family Church (a Baptist church, meeting at St. Giles Church); two small local shopping areas (on Altway and at the Old Roan); and three public houses, the Blue Anchor (which backs onto theLeeds and Liverpool Canal ), the Village Inn (formerly the Valentine, named after a fence on the racecourse), and the Old Roan, which gives its name to a railway station in the village. The village also has a public library. A retail park along Ormskirk Road on former industrial land has brought a significant number of major out-of-town shops to the area.Aintree Davenhill Primary School has a large field with a metal building that was built in the 1950's. The building was going to be a hospital building, but was turned into a school. The classrooms are along corridors that were originally going to be hospital wards.
Holy Rosary Primary School has a small field and uses other fields for events, such as their Sports Day. The building was built in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Racecourse
Unusual for racecourses or circuits, the site of Aintree Racecourse is split by Melling Road; Grand Prix cars (and Grand National horses) have to cross the (closed) public road twice on each trip.
Transport
The main road from
Liverpool to Aintree is the A59 (known asOrmskirk Road as it passes through Aintree). The M57, M58, A59, and A5036 meet at a complex junction calledSwitch Island , between Aintree and Maghull.The village is closer to
Old Roan railway station , althoughAintree railway station is convenient for the racecourse, both on theMerseyrail Northern Line's Ormskirk branch, with regular service between Liverpool Central and Ormskirk.In the past, it was also served by
Aintree Central railway station on theNorth Liverpool Extension Line , located behind Aintree railway station. TheNorth Mersey Branch also runs through, close to the station, and hadAintree Racecourse railway station .Bus services through the village itself are regular: a bus every 20 minutes to
Liverpool runs through the village, while various other routes to Liverpool and destinations to the north—includingMaghull , Ormskirk, andSouthport —stop near the Old Roan.The
Leeds and Liverpool Canal runs through the village.External links
* [http://liverpoolstreetgallery.com/thumbnails.php?album=19 Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 9]
* [http://liverpoolstreetgallery.com/thumbnails.php?album=12 Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 10]
* [http://www.aintree.co.uk/ Aintree Racecourse]
* [http://aintreevpc.merseyside.org/history/history.html Aintree Village Parish Council Local History]
* [http://www.stgilesaintree.org.uk/ St. Giles Parish Church]
* [http://liverpoolmotorclub.com Liverpool Motor Club]
* [http://aintreemotorcycleracingclub.co.uk Aintree Motorcycle Racing Club]
* [http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=338034&Y=398617&width=700&height=410&gride=337892.461920096&gridn=398471.344782586&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&pc=&zm=0&out.x=5&out.y=9&scale=10000 Multimap.com Aerial photograph]* Get-a-Map from Ordnance Survey
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