A Merseyside Collection Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Merseyside is something of an artificial creation, as part of an England-wide redrawing of boundaries to create new metropolitan boroughs. Wirral had been part of Cheshire, but around two-thirds of it, towards the top of the peninsula, became Merseyside while places in Lancashire found themselves somewhat arbitrarily moved too. Merseyside now covers most of Wirral, coastal regions bordering the Irish Sea and the area east of Liverpool bordering the Greater Manchester area.

The Wirral towns included in Merseyside and in the quiz are Birkenhead and West Kirby. Birkenhead is on the eastern side, on the estuary of the River Mersey and is one of the places where the ferries which cross the estuary dock. West Kirby is on the western coast, on the mouth of the River Dee and dates from Viking times. It also has an artificially created sea water lake where water sports take place. Other towns in Wirral are Bebington, Hoylake and Thingwall.

Crosby, Formby and Southport are three of the coastal towns which border the Irish Sea and were originally part of Lancashire. Southport is the furthest north of them, around seventeen miles (27 kilometres) north of Liverpool. It was a popular resort in Victorian times and retains some of the buildings of that era. The coastal area is known for the sand dunes where natterjack toads can be spotted. Further south are Formby and Crosby. Formby also has sand dunes and pine trees bordering the coast, where red squirrels make their home, one of the few places where they haven't been driven out by the grey squirrel. Crosby is even closer to Liverpool, around six miles (just under ten kilometres) north. Its beach is home to 'Another Place', a series of cast iron male statues which cover a large area and which disappear underwater as the tide comes in.

Although Bootle is still classed as a separate town, it is now part of the Liverpool City Region, in the borough of Sefton. It lies at the top end of the Mersey estuary opposite the most north easterly point of the Wirral Peninsula. The docks located there made the town a target for German bombing raids during World War II. The final place in the Sefton area is Maghull, lying further inland to the north of Liverpool. Historically, it was a small settlement with most of its growth taking place during the twentieth century. Frank Hornsby, creator of Meccano and the model railways which bear his name, lived there.

Moving even further inland, and to the east of Liverpool, we find Prescot which is about eight miles (thirteen kilometres) from the city. Prescot is where the estate of the Earl of Derby is located with the major attraction of Knowsley Safari Park situated in the grounds. Visitors can see lions, tigers, cheetahs and many other animals while driving around the park. Huyton is also in the Borough of Knowsley, and has ancient roots, being named in the Domesday Book commissioned by William the Conqueror. Much more recently, it is where Harold Wilson was the Member of Parliament for over thirty years, as well as being Britain's Prime Minister.

Like Prescot, the remaining three places were also originally in Lancashire, in the southern part, before being incorporated into Merseyside. The largest of these is St Helen's, which is also the centre for the Metropolitan Borough of St Helen's. Although the town was a leader in industry during the Industrial Revolution, most of these businesses have gone with only Pilkington Glass still located there in the 2020s. For many Brits, the name is indelibly association with the rugby league team which plays there.

Also in the same borough are Haydock and Newton-le-Willows. Haydock is located close to St Helen's and is best known for its horse racing course which hosts both flat and national hunt racing. Newton-le-Willows is also nearby, situated around half-way between Liverpool and Manchester. It is the furthest east of the places named in the quiz.

The incorrect answers are Chester, Macclesfield and Warrington, which are all in Cheshire while Blackburn and Blackpool are in Lancashire. Kendal is much further north, in Cumbria.