Aug 22, 2007 by Liverpool Echo
To mark Liverpool’s 800th birthday next week local historian and author Ken Pye begins his countdown of 100 reasons why this is Britain’s best city . . . 100-50
100
The River Mersey
Without the River Mersey, of course, there would never have been a Liverpool. The watercourse has seen the establishment of communities, and it has nurtured them for thousands of years, linking them to each other and, via the Irish Sea, to the rest of the world. The river’s name appears to derive from Anglo-Saxon ‘Meres-ig’, which means ‘sea-island’ or ‘boundary’, depending on which scholars you read.
99
The Calderstones and The Allerton Oak
These mysterious standing stones now on show in Calderstones park were once part of a Neolithic chieftain’s chambered tomb. First erected around 4,800BC this makes them older even than Stonehenge (built around 3,100BC).
The Allerton Oak, also in Calderstones Park, is said to have been standing for 1,000 years. The local court once met under its branches.
98
Our Seven Hills and the views from them
Liverpool stands on seven major hills, each of which once gave safe and strategic viewpoints to the ancient tribes who occupied the area. In fact, at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, around 43AD, the local Celtic tribe were the Brigantes. They fortified, and defended the highest hill in what is now south Liverpool; thus giving ‘Camp Hill’ in Woolton its modern name.
The views from this vantage point, together with those from its counterpart in the north – Everton Ridge, are still spectacular and moving.
97
The Pool of Liverpool and King John
The Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, and the Normans came here too, but it was our tidal inlet off the Mersey – the ‘Pool’ of Liverpool – that was to make the ancient community’s fortune. This was a safe harbour, which was large and deep enough to accommodate many sailing vessels at one time and, in 1207, King John decided to make this his base from which to invade Ireland and Wales.
Read more...
To mark Liverpool’s 800th birthday next week local historian and author Ken Pye begins his countdown of 100 reasons why this is Britain’s best city . . . 100-50
100
The River Mersey
Without the River Mersey, of course, there would never have been a Liverpool. The watercourse has seen the establishment of communities, and it has nurtured them for thousands of years, linking them to each other and, via the Irish Sea, to the rest of the world. The river’s name appears to derive from Anglo-Saxon ‘Meres-ig’, which means ‘sea-island’ or ‘boundary’, depending on which scholars you read.
99
The Calderstones and The Allerton Oak
These mysterious standing stones now on show in Calderstones park were once part of a Neolithic chieftain’s chambered tomb. First erected around 4,800BC this makes them older even than Stonehenge (built around 3,100BC).
The Allerton Oak, also in Calderstones Park, is said to have been standing for 1,000 years. The local court once met under its branches.
98
Our Seven Hills and the views from them
Liverpool stands on seven major hills, each of which once gave safe and strategic viewpoints to the ancient tribes who occupied the area. In fact, at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, around 43AD, the local Celtic tribe were the Brigantes. They fortified, and defended the highest hill in what is now south Liverpool; thus giving ‘Camp Hill’ in Woolton its modern name.
The views from this vantage point, together with those from its counterpart in the north – Everton Ridge, are still spectacular and moving.
97
The Pool of Liverpool and King John
The Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, and the Normans came here too, but it was our tidal inlet off the Mersey – the ‘Pool’ of Liverpool – that was to make the ancient community’s fortune. This was a safe harbour, which was large and deep enough to accommodate many sailing vessels at one time and, in 1207, King John decided to make this his base from which to invade Ireland and Wales.
Read more...
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