Overpool | |
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Overpool shown within Cheshire | |
OS grid reference | SJ386776 |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ELLESMERE PORT |
Postcode district | CH66 |
Dialling code | 0151 |
Police | Cheshire |
Fire | Cheshire |
Ambulance | North West |
EU Parliament | North West England |
UK Parliament | |
Overpool is a village on the Wirral Peninsula in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is a suburb of Ellesmere Port, and part of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester.
Until 1911, Overpool was part of the parish of Eastham in the Wirral Hundred. The population was 89 in 1801, 72 in 1851 and 91 in 1901. Historically, there were three settlements or small villages - Poole, Over Poole and Nether Poole. Of these, only Overpool remains extant. The area is separated by a roundabout at Cemetery Gates.
St Francis's Church stands at the top of Seymour Drive and there is a Methodist church in nearby Rossmore Road. The original Overpool Methodist Church was on Rivacre Road, a few hundred yards up from the Rivacre Baths, on the same side of the road next to Jones's old farm (since demolished). The Church was destroyed by fire in the early 50's, and a new one was built on Rossmore Road (just down from Cemetery Gates on the way to Little Sutton), as this was a more prominent place and nearer to the majority of houses.
In the 1960s Overpool's shops were as follows:
North side of Rossmore Road West - GM Birks (Hairdressers), A & JR Leach (Newsagents), a habitually vacant unit, G Partridge (Butchers), Ashe & Nephew (Off-licence), Rivacre Fish Bar (owned by Stan Fairbrother) later to become Harry's Fish Bar (owned by Harry Wong), General Store owned by Mr & Mrs Jones, then later by Mr & Mrs Laider, Betting Office, Rivacre Home Stores owned by a Mr Turner, then Mr & Mrs Walker, and finally a Grocer's shop and Monumental Mason's yard owned by Mr Petrus. Mr & Mrs Steve Cox took this over and the Mason's yard was built upon to double the size of the store.
South side of Rossmore Road West - Overpool Service Station (an Esso filling station), Bakery (later owned by Patisserie Anglaise), Sharples' Newsagents, Co-op Butchers, Co-op Supermarket, General Store owned by Mr Roberts, Laundrette, a hardware store, a cafe, Galaxie Newsagents, an electrical shop, Chemist's owned by Mr Duffy, Tesco supermarket, and finally the Post Office and Mr Burgess's butchers.
Until it closed in the 1970s Rivacre Baths, an open-air swimming pool, was popular and people from as far away as Liverpool visited the baths. The site of the baths is now occupied by local authority housing that backs on to Rivacre Valley, a conservation area and wildlife park.