- Birkdale
infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 53.63202
longitude= -3.00941
map_type= Merseyside
official_name= Birkdale
population= 12,265 (2001)citeweb|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=5941413&c=birkdale&d=14&e=16&g=360367&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1193234810656&enc=1|title=2001 Census: Birkdale|work=Office for National Statistics Retrieved 24 October 2007 ]
metropolitan_borough= Sefton
metropolitan_county=Merseyside
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Southport
post_town= SOUTHPORT
postcode_area= PR
postcode_district= PR8
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= SD333155
static_
static_image_caption= Birkdale village centreBirkdale is a village and district in the southern part of the
conurbation of the town ofSouthport , within theMetropolitan Borough of Sefton ,Merseyside , in the north-west ofEngland . The village is located on theIrish Sea coast, approximately a mile away from the centre of its now parent town. From 1894 to 1912, Birkdale and the adjoining suburb/village ofAinsdale were administered by BirkdaleUrban District Council before becoming part of thecounty borough of Southport. Until 1974, Birkdale lay in the traditional borders of the county ofLancashire . As of the 2001 census, it had a population of 12,265. Birkdale also inspired the name for a new urban mixed use community twelve miles North of Charlotte, North Carolina in Huntersville, North Carolina called Birkdale Village.Etymology
Birkdale probably takes its name from two
Old Norse words, "birki" meaning "birch-copse" and "dalr" meaning "dale" or "valley". [ citeweb|url=http://members.tripod.com/~ian_h/ainsdale.htm|title=Ainsdale On-line Retrieved 24 October 2007 ] [citeweb|url=http://www.formbycivicsociety.org.uk/learning/full_article.asp?storyid=14|title=Vikings In Lancashire|work=Formby Civic Society|date=4 March 2004 Retrieved 24 October 2007 ]Demography
On the whole it is a wealthy area featuring many large Victorian and
Edwardian houses; many of the houses have not yet been broken up into individual flats, and still house families. The area is almost entirely residential, with mainly semi-detached houses as the norm. In the summer of 2003, the average property price was £149,550 (just under £10,000 less than the national average). This has risen to £200,844 in July 2005, more than £20,000 over the national mix-adjusted national average house price. The area has become a popular area with footballers from local Merseyside or Lancashire clubs.The village centre (still commonly referred to as Birkdale Village) is on Liverpool Road and features a variety of (mostly local) shops.
Birkdale railway station is situated on the Northern Line of theMerseyrail network, that links Southport toLiverpool .port
Despite its small size, Birkdale receives a great deal of sporting attention once every few years as it plays host to
The Open Championship . It was last played at the Royal Birkdalegolf course in July 2008. To lesser fame, the home ground of the Southport and Birkdale Cricket Club on Trafalgar Road is used for county levelcricket matches approximately once a year. Southport and Birkdale squash club, also play here and are in the North West Counties Squash League.Red Rum the legendary racehorse who was trained byGinger McCain had his stables in Upper Aughton Road in Birkdale. Birkdale United AFC, a junior football club which has set future top-flight footballers such asDominic Matteo ,Shaun Teale andPaul Dalglish on their way, still has its home in the village and boasts teams for boys and girls of all ages.Education
Birkdale has three secondary schools,
Christ the King Catholic High School , which has around 1200 pupils through sixth form,Birkdale High School which is for boys, andGreenbank High School (in the part of Birkdale known as Hillside) for girls.Transport
Birkdale is served by frequent buses run by
Arriva (to Southport, Formby and Liverpool), Cumfybus, and Stagecoach (to Liverpool and Preston). Birkdale has two stations, Birkdale and Hillside which are on the Northern Line of theMerseyrail network.Famous people
A. J. P. Taylor was born in Birkdale in 1906.Marcus Morris was vicar of St James' Church, Lulworth Road, in the 1940s and 50s.References
External links
* [http://www.royalbirkdale.com Royal Birkdale Golf Club]
* [http://www.opengolfuk.com Open Golf Tournament Information]
* [http://www.birkdaleunited.co.uk Birkdale United AFC]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.