| Wikipedia: Hunts Cross |
Coordinates: 53°21′36″N 2°51′14″W / 53.360°N 2.854°W
| Hunts Cross | |
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  Hunts Cross shown within Merseyside |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan borough | City of Liverpool |
| Metropolitan county | Merseyside |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LIVERPOOL |
| Postcode district | L25 |
| Dialling code | 0151 486 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| List of places: UK • England • Merseyside | |
Hunts Cross is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is located on the southern edge of the city, bordered by Garston, Woolton and Speke and to the east is Halewood.
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History
Exactly how the area got its name is a matter some some debate, some say it derives from fox hunts meeting there before setting off at some point in the past. Others claim that the area was once owned by the Hunts family and that the Cross (which might refer either to the cross roads or else the stone monument now known as the cross) therefore belonged to them; hence Hunts Cross (or more correctly Hunts' Cross rather than Hunt's Cross). It is local folklore that whoever takes the stone shall be possessed with the power of the Hunt.
However, nearby on what is now the Liverpool John Lennon Airport's runway, was a patch of land called "Hunt's Tenement", (shown on an 1855 map), which has thrown popular belief about the Hunters origins. The crosses original position is unknown, as on a map of 1855, the cross is only mentioned but not determined. A transcript stated that "a socket of a cross was found in a barn". In the 1960's it was moved for the road to be widened. There are identical crosses in the nearby villages of Cronton, Woolton, and Garston.
It is also said that Dick Turpin stayed in Hunts Cross on his way to York and stabled his horse Black Bess there.[citation needed]
Description
Hunts Cross is a typical suburban district: housing is almost entirely semi-detached or detached, being late Victorian or Edwardian in origin, with a number of 1930s developments. Located off Woodend Avenue, "Hunts Cross Village" is a new detached suburban development on the boundary with Speke.
A number of local shops and businesses are located on Hillfoot Avenue. This area is known as "Hunts Cross Precinct". Further convenience shops also located on Mackets Lane. There are three pubs in the vicinity - "The Hunts Cross Hotel" on Hillfoot Avenue, "The Waiting Room" on Speke Road (The old station house), and the "Hillfoot Hotel" on Hillfoot Road. A large Asda supermarket can be found in the southern part of the district, with a petshop, cafe, travel agents and other assorted businesses in the Asda complex. This complex is located on what used to be the famous Liverpool Triumph TR7 car factory.
Between the railway station and the precinct are a number of shops, with a community garden opposite them. This was the location of a large house where the actress Rita Tushingham grew up. Originally farmland owned by the Tushingham family, some of the houses built with it are still in existence today along Ashton Drive. When the house was destroyed, the Tushinghams gave the land to the council, with the proviso that it was to be used to build a library for the community. A mobile library came here once a week up until the late 1990s, when the nearby school opened up its library to the public. Subsequently, Merseytravel wanted to use this land as a bus turning circle, but was stopped by Tushingham, and the Hunts Cross Residents Association, as this was in breach of contract for the land's usage.[1]
The Local Primary School is "Hunts Cross JMI", but is referred to as "Kingsthorne", its former name. In the 1970s/80s, the primary school employed a system for checking pupils progress. Each year pupils were sorted into 4 different houses (Fleming, Rathbone, Scott and Nightingale) and when their work was marked, if the teacher awarded over a certain mark, their work was given by what was known as a School Stamp. These were issued at an afternoon assembly every Friday, and counted up. If pupils received no stamps for 3 weeks running, parents were notified of their child's poor performance. If pupils received more than 10, they received a certificate.
Hillfoot Hey Grammar later Comprehensive Senior school which stood on the corner of Hillfoot Road and School Lane from 1956 was demolished to make way for housing in 1985. It is reported that a school had been on this site since 1901.
There are three places of religion here: St Columba's URC, St Andrew's RC and St Hilda's CoE.
The 28th Allerton Scout Troop was based at St Columba's URC. It started in 1955, but has been terminated due to lack of interest and all members were moved to the 33rd Allerton Scout Troop. A local drama group previously existed at St Columba's, where Rita Tushingham once performed.
Transport
The area is served by Hunts Cross station, the southern terminus of the Merseyrail Northern Line to Liverpool city centre, Southport, Kirkby and Ormskirk. Northern Rail trains also run to Manchester and Warrington.
Regular buses run along Speke Road, Hillfoot Avenue and Mackets Lane connecting with most of Liverpool, including routes into the city centre, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Speke, and also round the ring road to East and North Liverpool.
References
- ^ Film Star's Mother In Row, Liverpool Daily Post / icLiverpool, 1 February 2001, http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=7503599&method=full&siteid=50061-name_page.html, retrieved on 30 October 2007
External links
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