Seacombe

History

Seacombe is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Seccum.

In 1845 George Turnbull was the civil engineer who designed and built the Seacombe Wall sea defence that helped drain the marshes behind the town.

Seacombe was originally a terminus for the Wirral Railway; however, passenger services ended on 4 January 1960 and all services on the line terminated on 16 June 1963. Much of the line to Seacombe station was used as the approach road to the Kingsway Tunnel.

Geography

Seacombe is situated to the north-east of the Wirral Peninsula, adjoining the River Mersey to the east. Seacombe is less than 4 km (2.5 mi) south-south-east of the Irish Sea at New Brighton and about 11 km (6.8 mi) east-north-east of the Dee Estuary at Caldy. The area is at an elevation of between 0–18 m (0–59 ft) above sea level.

Notable features

Seacombe is dominated by three landmarks. The first of these is one of the terminals for the Mersey Ferry, the legendary "Ferry 'cross the Mersey" described by Gerry & The Pacemakers. The ferry travels in a triangular route between the Seacombe, Birkenhead Woodside and Liverpool Pier Head terminals. The second landmark is the parish church of St Paul. The third is a building housing some of the ventilation systems for the Kingsway Tunnel, a colossal structure which faces the river. It consists of two huge grilles which resemble stereo speakers, and a central concrete flue-like structure. This building has an almost identical counterpart on the Liverpool side of the river.

Seacombe is also home to Spaceport, a space-themed visitor attraction situated near the ferry terminal. Spaceport was opened on 26 July 2005 by Merseytravel Chairman Cllr Mark Dowd.

Wallasey Town Hall is situated in Seacombe. It is a Grade II listed building. During World War I it was used as a military hospital. The current Mayor is Councillor Steve Foulkes.

Seacombe is also the location of Guinea Gap Baths. It is the oldest swimming pool in the Wirral, with the first swimming club being founded in the 1890s. It was originally filled with sea water, being so close to the River Mersey.

The nearest school to Seacombe Ferry is Riverside Primary School. The school has over 200 pupils and over 25 staff. The school's Latin motto is Da Totem Habes!, translated as Give it all you've got!

Claims to fame

The area was immortalised in the title of "Party Seacombe", an instrumental by George Harrison on his Wonderwall Music album. Falkland Road in Seacombe, which runs from King Street to Liscard Road, is the birthplace of the writer, peace campaigner and philosopher Olaf Stapledon, (1886 - 1950), author of Last and First Men and Star Maker. Stapledon's birth certificate gives his place of birth as "Poolton (sic) - cum - Seacombe".

Michael Portillo lived briefly in Seacombe in 2003 for the BBC TV programme When Michael Portillo became a Single Mum, which saw the former Conservative MP experience life as a single parent (he also worked in the Asda superstore in Wallasey).