Woolton (; ) is a suburb of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England. It is an area located southeast of the city and bordered by Allerton, Gateacre, Halewood, and Hunt's Cross. At the 2011 Census, the population was 12,921.

Overview

Originally a standalone village, Woolton was incorporated into Liverpool in 1913. The area was referred to as "Uluentune" in the Domesday Book, with the name translating as "farm of Wulfa". Shortly after the Domesday survey, which was completed in 1086, Woolton became part of the Barony of Halton and Widnes. In 1189, a charge was granted by John, Constable of Chester, to the order of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, a religious order who protected the routes for Christians on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Knights held land in Woolton for over 350 years, until it was confiscated from them in 1559 by Queen Elizabeth I. The manorial rights to Woolton passed from Queen Elizabeth to James I, who sold them to William Stanley, 6th Earl of Derby. Woolton then passed to Isaac Green, then his daughter, then her son Bamber Gascoyne of Childwall (MP for Liverpool 1780–1796 and an ancestor of longtime University Challenge host Bamber Gascoigne), The churchyard additionally houses the graves of Eleanor Rigby and Lennon's uncle, George Toogood Smith, with whom he lived at 251 Menlove Avenue for much of his childhood.

Notable areas

  • Mendips (251 Menlove Avenue)
  • Much Woolton Old School
  • St Peter's Church
  • Strawberry Field
  • Woolton Hall
  • Woolton Picture House
  • Woolton Woods and Camphill

Notable people

  • Ernest Alexander, recipient of the Victoria Cross, born in Woolton
  • Joe Baker, footballer, born in Woolton
  • Malandra Burrows, actress and singer, born and raised in Woolton
  • Jodie Comer, actress, raised in nearby Childwall and attended St Julie's in Woolton
  • Philip A. Gale, scientist, raised in Woolton
  • Amy Jackson, actress, raised in Woolton
  • Katarina Johnson-Thompson, heptathlete, raised in Woolton and attended St Julie's
  • John Lennon, singer, musician, and songwriter, raised in Woolton
  • Rex Makin, solicitor, lived in Woolton
  • Matthew Murphy, singer, musician, and songwriter, born and raised in Woolton
  • Simon O'Brien, presenter and actor, lives in Woolton
  • Bob Paisley, former manager of Liverpool FC, buried in the churchyard of St Peter's
  • Simon Rimmer, celebrity chef, owns the Elephant Pub & Bakehouse in Woolton
  • Willy Russell, playwright, lives in Woolton
  • Hannah Elizabeth, a Playboy Bunny and runner-up of the first series of Love Island

The final two acts of Oscar Wilde's satirical 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest are set in Woolton during the year 1894.

References

  • Liverpool City Council, Ward Profile: Woolton
  • The Woolton Society
  • Liverpool Street Gallery - Liverpool 25
  • Woolton Village website