Wavertree

infobox UK place
country= England
latitude= 53.398
longitude= -2.9337
map_type= Merseyside
official_name= Wavertree
population=
metropolitan_borough= Liverpool
metropolitan_county= Merseyside
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Liverpool Wavertree
post_town= LIVERPOOL
postcode_district= L15
postcode_area= L
dial_code= 0151
os_grid_reference= SJ3889

Wavertree is an area of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England and is a Liverpool City Council Ward.

History

The name derives from the Old English words "wæfre" and "treow", meaning "wavering tree", possibly in reference to aspen trees common locally. [citeweb|url=http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/exhibitions/magical/placenames/wavertree.asp|title=Placenames: Wavertree|work=National Museums Liverpool|accessdate=19 March|accessyear=2008] It has also been variously described as "a clearing in a wood" or "the place by the common pond".citeweb|url=http://www.wavertree151yearsofcricket.co.uk/downloads/pp7-8.pdf|title=Wavertree History|work=Wavertree Cricket Club|accessdate=19 March|accessyear=2008] In the past the name has been spelt "Watry", "Wartre", "Waurtree", "Wavertre" and "Wavertree", locals however referred to it as "Wa'tree", until the 19th century.

The earliest settlement of Wavertree is attested to by the discovery of Bronze Age burial urns in Victoria Park in the mid 1880s.The Domesday Book reference is "Leving held "Wauretreu". There are 2 carucates of land. It was worth 64 pence".

Wavertree was part of the parish of Childwall in the West Derby hundred.

Wavertree also boasts a village lock-up, commonly known as The Roundhouse, despite being octagonal in shape.Built in 1796, and later modified by prominent local resident and architect Sir James Picton, it was once used to detain local drunks. The lock-up was made a listed building in 1952.citeweb|url=http://www.dhwav.btinternet.co.uk/page50.html|title=The Village Green and Lock-up|work=Discovering Historic Wavertree|accessdate=19 March|accessyear=2008] A similar structure, known as Prince Rupert's Tower, survives in Everton. The village green, on which Wavertree's lock-up was built, is officially the only surviving piece of common land in Liverpool.

A town hall was built in 1872 to house the local health board. The motto on the town hall is "sub umbra floresco" or "I flourish in the shade". Rescued from demolition in 1979, [citeweb|url=http://www.dhwav.btinternet.co.uk/page29.html|title=Wavertree Town Hall|work=Discovering Historic Wavertree|accessdate=19 March|accessyear=2008] the town hall is now a pub.

In 1895, the village of Wavertree was incorporated into the city of Liverpool.

Description

Wavertree is around 30 minutes walk from Liverpool city centre. The area is highly populated by students of Liverpool's three universities, especially the Smithdown Road area. This road is famous for "The Smithdown Ten" pub crawl even though the number of pubs in business varies year to year.

Holy Trinity Church was built in 1794 and is situated on Church Road close to the famous Blue Coat School.

Education

There are a number of both primary and secondary schools in this densely populated area of Liverpool. King David which is situated in the area has a primary and senior school. The Liverpool Blue Coat School is also situated in Wavertree, having been built originally in 1708 for fifty poor boys. It is currently a mixed grammar school. Wavertree C of E which was renamed from Trinity District in the 1990s, is situated on Prince Alfred Road. The school celebrated it's 140th Birthday in September 2007. There is another primary school on West Drive called Our Lady Of Good Help.

Wavertree Playground - "The Mystery"

"The Mystery" was one of the first purpose-built public playgrounds in the UK, opened in 1895. It is based on land donated to Liverpool Corporation by an anonymous donor, to be a venue for organised sports, and a place for children from the city's schools to run about in, not a park for 'promenading' in the Victorian tradition. [citeweb|url=http://www.dhwav.btinternet.co.uk/page31.html|title=Wavertree Playground ('The Mystery')|work=Discovering Historic Wavertree|accessdate=19 March|accessyear=2008]

The donor expressed the hope that the City Council "might approve of giving it a fair trial for this purpose... before appropriating it for any other use". The land is currently home to a playground, Wavertree Athletics Centre, with many sports facilities including tennis courts, all weather pitch, bowling green and athletic track with grandstand. Liverpool Harriers & A.C. have based their headquarters at this centre since 1990."'

Notable residents

*Cyril Edward Gourley
*John Gregson
*George Harrison
*Stewart Duckworth Headlam
*John Lennon
*Leonard Rossiter

Transport

*Wavertree Technology Park railway station

References

External links

* [http://liverpoolstreetgallery.com/thumbnails.php?album=15 Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 15]
* [http://www.wavertree.org.uk wavertree.org.uk - Photo Mapping the history of L15]
* [http://www.studentlettingspoint.com Student Accommodation in Wavertree]
* [http://www.tsk.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/htw/about/history/history.htm The History of Holy Trinity Wavertree]
* [http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/Images/tcm21-29283.pdf Liverpool City Council: Ward profile]