Greasby () is a large village on the
Wirral Peninsula
The Wirral Peninsula (), known locally as the Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about long and wide, and is bounded by the Dee Estuary to the west, the Mersey Estuary to the east, and Liverpo ...
,
Merseyside
Merseyside ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Wales, Welsh county of Flintshire across ...
, England. A predominantly residential area, it is contiguous with
Upton to the east and
Saughall Massie to the north. The small village of
Frankby is to the immediate west.
Historically
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
within the county of
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...
, it is part of the
Greasby, Frankby and Irby Ward of the
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of (), and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebingt ...
and is in the parliamentary constituency of
Wirral West.
At the
2001 census, Greasby had 9,830 inhabitants,
[
] with the total population of the ward at 14,667.
[
]
In the
2011 census the population of Greasby was not measured. However the total population of Greasby, Frankby and Irby Ward was 13,991.
History
The earliest known human settlement in Merseyside has been found at Greasby, believed to date from approximately 7000
BC.
[
]
A rectangular floor of
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
slabs and pebbles suggests regular use by the nomadic hunters of that period.
The remains of burnt
hazelnut
The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus '' Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according to ...
shells found at the site were used for
radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...
. The results specified a time period between 8300 BC and 8500 BC, even earlier than previously thought.
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool, formerly National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, comprises several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool in Merseyside, England. All the museums and galleries in the group have free admission. The mu ...
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
s excavated the site between 1987 and 1990.
[
Greasby was an ]Anglo Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to Ge ...
settlement, as witnessed by the form of the name, ''Gravesberie'', in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
.
''Gravesberie'' derives from the Old English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
''gräf'' (a grove) and ''burh'' (a fortified place). This has been recorded as meaning "grove farm/settlement",
or alternatively, a "stronghold or fortification by a grove, trench, canal or wood".
The name was Scandinavianised to Greas''by'', under the influence of Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
speakers in Wirral (''gräf'' and ''býr'', with ''býr'' meaning "settlement" or "farmstead").
The name of the village has been variously spelt over time, including: ''Grauesberi'', ''Grauesbyri'', ''Grauisby'' (1093), ''Grauesbi'' (c.1155), ''Grauesby'' (c.1170), ''Griseby'' (1280) and ''Graysby'' (1610).[
Before the ]Norman conquest of England
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
in 1066, Greasby was owned by a man named Dunning, who may have been an official (bailiff or steward) for the earls of Mercia
Mercia (, was one of the principal kingdoms founded at the end of Sub-Roman Britain; the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons in an era called the Heptarchy. It was centred on the River Trent and its tributaries, in a region now known as the Midlan ...
. After the invasion, all land in the area passed to Hugh d'Avranches
Hugh d'Avranches ( 1047 – 27 July 1101), nicknamed ''le Gros'' (the Large) or ''Lupus'' (the Wolf), was from 1071 the second Norman Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England.
Early life and career
Hugh d'Avra ...
.[
]
By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Greasby was under the ownership of Nigel de Burcy and consisted of eight households.
[
After the ]Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the area expanded considerably, with significant residential development across previously agricultural land. This has resulted in Greasby becoming contiguous with the nearby settlements of Moreton, Upton and Woodchurch.
Civic history
Greasby was formerly a township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
split between the parishes of Thurstaston and West Kirby
West Kirby () is a coastal town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. In the north west of the Wirral Peninsula and at the mouth of the River Dee, the town is contiguous with Hoylake. It lies within the historic county bo ...
, within the Wirral Hundred
The Hundred of Wirral is the ancient administrative area for the Wirral Peninsula. Its name is believed to have originated from the ''Hundred of Wilaveston'', the historic name for Willaston, Cheshire West, Willaston, which was an important asse ...
. It held civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
status between 1866 and 1974.[
]
From 1866 Greasby was part of Wirral Rural Sanitary District, which was replaced in 1894 by Wirral Rural District. In 1933 the village transferred to Hoylake Urban District
Hoylake () is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. It is at the north west of the Wirral Peninsula, near West Kirby and where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea. At the 2021 census, the built up area had ...
.
On 1 April 1974 the parish was abolished and local government reorganisation in England and Wales resulted in most of the Wirral Peninsula, including Greasby, transfer from the county of Cheshire to Merseyside.
The population of the township/parish was 123 in 1801, rising to 177 in 1851, 290 in 1901 and significantly increasing to 4,367 in 1951.[
]
Geography
Greasby is bounded by Arrowe Brook, at Upton Meadow, and by Greasby Brook
Greasby Brook is a tributary of Arrowe Brook, in Wirral, Merseyside. The brook starts near to Dawlish Road in Thurstaston. The brook flows through Thurstaston Common and around the western side of Greasby, before converging, firstly, with ...
which flows around the western and northern sides of Greasby. Greasby Brook merges into Arrowe Brook between Greasby and Saughall Massie, which becomes a tributary of the Birket
The Birket is a tributary of the River Mersey, on the Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside. The watercourse starts as lowland field drainage south of Hoylake and flows along to the south of Meols. Arrowe Brook joins at Moreton, Merseyside, More ...
.
Landmarks
Greasby Cross is an iron cross on a sandstone plinth that was placed in the centre of the village in 1862 to replicate an earlier, possibly medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
, cross on the same site. A restored late nineteenth century water pump is on Old Pump Lane.[
Greasby Old Hall on Frankby Road has been a Grade II ]listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
since 1953.
It is a seventeenth century sandstone house, although remnants of a possibly fifteenth century timber structure survive within.
Manor Farm is a red sandstone and brick building with associated barns and are all Grade II listed buildings. Manor Farm has a date stone inscription of "IM 1680" and has been previously known as Greasby House and The Manor.
Governance
The village is within the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West. It is currently represented by Labour Member of Parliament Matthew Patrick.
At local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
level, Greasby is incorporated into the Greasby, Frankby and Irby Ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of (), and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebingt ...
, in the metropolitan county
Metropolitan counties are a Subdivisions of England, subdivision of England which were originally used for Local government in England, local government. There are six metropolitan counties: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyn ...
of Merseyside. It is represented on Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
Wirral Council, or Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is a metropolitan district council with borough status, thus providing the majority of local governm ...
by three councillors. The most recent local elections
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
took place on 6 May 2021.
Community
Schools
The village has four primary schools: Greasby Infant School, Greasby Junior School, Our Lady of Pity Primary School and Brookdale Primary School.
Churches
Greasby has three churches: St. Nicholas' Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
, the Our Lady Of Pity Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Church, and Greasby Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
Church.
Leisure
The village has a library and a community centre. They are centrally situated and close together, along with the health centre. The Greasby Centre is a purpose-built single-storey building which has two halls. This was built as Greasby Community Centre in 1984, and replaced an older building on Arrowe Road.[
]
The 2nd Greasby Scout
Scout may refer to:
Youth movement
*Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement
** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom
** Scouts BSA, sect ...
Group is also within the village, having been established in 1954.
Public houses
There are five public houses in Greasby. The ''Coach and Horses'' is possibly the oldest pub, which was definitely in business by 1832, having been named on the Bryant map of that year, and possibly dating as far back as 1725. The ''Red Cat'' was built in 1964 to replace the ''New Inn'' which had stood a few metres from the site of the present building since at least 1849. The ''Twelfth Man'' opened around 1960 and was named as a result of its proximity to Upton Cricket Club. This pub has an adjoining budget hotel which is part of the Premier Inn
Premier Inn Limited, a subsidiary of Whitbread, is a British limited-service hotel chain with operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. As of 2025, the company owned and operated over 800 h ...
chain. The pub was renamed ''The Gravesberie Inn'' in 2019. The ''Greave Dunning'' was an 18th-century farmhouse, and it was opened as a pub in 1981.
Parks and commons
Coronation Park is situated at the eastern end of the village. Upton Meadow borders Greasby to the east. Arrowe Park borders to the south-east.
Sport
JFC Greasby is a youth football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club based in Greasby, which was founded in 2009. Greasby Livery caters for dressage
Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...
and showjumping
Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are l ...
. The community centre also has a karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
club. Greasby FC were a small football club, which played in the West Cheshire League between 1951 and 1958.
Economy
The village contains a post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
, a branch of Nisa, a branch of Age UK, a William Hill bookmaker and a BP petrol station
A filling station (also known as a gas station [] or petrol station []) is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold are gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel.
Fuel dispensers are used to ...
. A Sainsbury's Local
Sainsbury's Local (a trading name of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd) is a chain of 820 convenience shops operated by the UK's second largest supermarket chain Sainsbury's.
History
In 1998, Sainsbury's piloted its first Local shop in Hammersmith. ...
convenience store was opened on 8 October 2014, along with a veterinary surgery
Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on non-human animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/u ...
which opened on 6 October 2014. These were opened in new retail unit, after many parts of the local community opposed the construction of the new building. Greasby also has a number of other small shops including butchers, florist, greengrocer's, estate agents and a number of fast food takeaways.
Transport
Road
Greasby is situated on the B5139, which runs between Upton and West Kirby. The A5027 Upton bypass is along the eastern side of Greasby, at the junction with the B5139. The A5027 connects directly to Junction 2A of the M53 motorway
The M53 is an motorway in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside and the Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough of Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire on the Wirral Peninsula in England. It is also referred to as the Mid Wirral ...
approximately from the junction with the B5139.
Rail
Upton railway station
Upton railway station serves the village of Upton, Merseyside, Upton and the Noctorum area of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The station is situated on the Borderlands line. Transport for Wales Rail, Transport for Wales operates ...
on the Borderlands line is the closest station to the village. Meols railway station on the Wirral line of the Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a commuter rail network which serves Merseyside and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire in the North West England, North West of England. Merseyrail serves 69 Railway station, stations, 67 of which it manages, across two lin ...
network is several miles to the north west.
Notable people
* John Bowe, English actor, born in Greasby
* Mark Head, literary critic, born in Greasby
* Craig Lindfield, English footballer, born in Greasby
* Bill Rigby, English footballer, died in Greasby
* James Hype, English DJ, raised in Greasby
References
Sources
*
Bibliography
*
External links
Greasby website
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Former civil parishes in Merseyside