Thornton, Merseyside

infobox UK place
country= England
latitude= 53.50153
longitude= -3.00087
official_name= Thornton
population=
region= North West England
metropolitan_county= Merseyside
metropolitan_borough= Sefton
constituency_westminster= Crosby
post_town= LIVERPOOL
postcode_district= L23
postcode_area= L
dial_code= 0151
os_grid_reference= SD337010

Thornton is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. It is a residential area of semi-detached and detached housing which dates mainly from the 1930s. Many of the houses, particularly those around Edge Lane and Water Street, feature notably long gardens. The A565 Liverpool-Southport road serves the area. The current local Member of Parliament under Crosby is Claire Curtis-Thomas.

History

Historically part of Lancashire. During the compilation of the Domesday Book in 1086, the settlement of "Torentun" is recorded, along with the settlement of Homer Green, which far outdates any claim that Ince Blundell is the oldest village in Sefton. Thornton was combined with Crosby Village and Blundellsands to form the Great Crosby urban district. The district subsequently became part the municipal borough of Crosby in 1937. This in turn was absorbed into the new Metropolitan Borough of Sefton on 1 April 1974. Thornton still however retains Parish Council status and therefore has a historical boundary.

Description

The Parish Council consists of seven councillors, who are all local residents. They meet every other month at St. Frideswydes Church. Notice of these meetings are displayed on the village notice board by the post office and on the small notice board on the railing surrounding the stocks.

There are three schools in Thornton: Thornton County Primary, St William Of York RC primary and Holy Family Catholic High School. In 2003, Cherie Blair QC, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, officially came to Thornton to open Holy Family's new Sixth Form building. There are two churches in Thornton, St Frideswydes C of E Church, Water Street and St William Of York RC Church, St William Road.

Thornton also has two historical public houses dating back to the early nineteenth century called the Nags Head, which is situated opposite Water Street, and the Grapes Hotel.

Thornton has set of stocks located at the junction of Green Lane & Water Street. These, along with the local sundial, can be dated back to the late 1700's and are Grade II listed monuments. There is another Grade II listed monument located in Back Lane called Brooms Cross. This is a wayside cross which lies on what was the old bridleway that ran from Hightown / Ince Blundell to Sefton Parish Church, St. Helens. It was here that funeral processions would come to rest and have refreshments before continuing to the church. Unfortunately this monument, which was restored to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee Year of 1977, has become the target of vandals.

External links

* [http://liverpoolstreetgallery.com/thumbnails.php?album=27 Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 23]
* [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Thornton,+Merseyside,+L23&ie=UTF8&om=1&t=k&z=16&ll=53.501398,-3.000834&spn=0.008296,0.026951&iwloc= A satellite view of Thornton from Google Maps]